Moody Performance Hall was filled with educators, school leaders, employers, investors, and community members on Wednesday, Sept. 9, for the 2026 Dallas County Economic Mobility Summit—a night that doubled as both the second annual presentation of its Economic Mobility Awards and a 15th anniversary celebration for The Commit Partnership.

The evening opened not with data, but with a story. Before Chairman & CEO Todd Williams took the stage, guests watched a video of Damondre Lynn, a Dallas ISD and Southern Methodist University graduate now working as an educator back in the neighborhood where he grew up.

"His journey shows us what becomes possible when communities align around a young person's potential," Todd shared with the room. "That is economic mobility, and that is the power of partnership."

Todd shared his own story—growing up in a small rental house in Dallas ISD's boundaries, where "quiet conversations concerned which bill we could afford to pay that month, and which one we couldn't"—before a Pell Grant and teachers who "saw potential in me before I could fully see it in myself" changed his trajectory.

"Fifteen years ago, that belief helped bring this Partnership of 200-plus institutions together," Todd said. "What we lacked was NOT commitment. What we lacked was alignment."

A convening with passion and purpose

Beyond the hundreds of educators, district leaders, higher-education partners, employers and philanthropic funders filling the hall, Miguel Solis, Commit's president of Dallas County Impact, opened his remarks by welcoming a number of elected officials in attendance, including State Senator Royce West, State Representative Angie Chen Button, Dallas City Councilperson Gay Donnell Willis, and school board members from across the county.

The evening's honorary announcer—fifth-grader Kamiyah Hernholm of Solar Preparatory School for Girls—welcomed guests to their seats via recorded remarks (she couldn't attend in person, Miguel joked, "because she has homework").

A night at a glance

The program moved briskly through five parts. Todd opened the evening, followed by remarks from presenting sponsor Pedro Correa, senior partner at Bain & Company and Commit's board vice chair, who thanked the evening's sponsors and reflected on what a stronger statewide network of partners will require as Opportunity 2040's first five years close.

A "15 Years of Partnership and Progress" video led into Miguel's preview of the 2026 Dallas County Economic Mobility Report. "The data tells us the system is changing," Miguel said. "But not yet for enough children."

Since 2012, he told the room, living-wage attainment among Dallas County young adults has risen from 22.7% to 32.5%, while poverty has fallen from 16.8% to 9.5%—even as just 52% of white and 49% of Asian young adults earn a living wage today, compared with 22% of Black and 18% of Hispanic young adults. "That is why our goal includes the words 'irrespective of race," Miguel said.

Dallas County Momentum Awards

Chelsea Jeffery opened the awards portion of the evening with the Dallas County Momentum Awards, recognizing districts building strong foundations in early learning, literacy, and math.

"Data is a flashlight," Chelsea told the audience. "It helps us see where we're making progress, and illuminates where we aren't, and where our collective resources can make the greatest difference for students."

Each award weighed current performance, year-over-year improvement, equity impact, students affected, and verified public data:

DeSoto ISD won the Early Learning Momentum Award, growing Pre-K enrollment from 72% to 99.8% of eligible students—a 28-point gain—while raising kindergarten readiness from 47% to 50%.
Dallas ISD won the Literacy Momentum Award, raising 3rd-through-8th grade reading proficiency from 49.3% to 52.0%, a 2.7-point gain that was the second-highest reading growth in the county, while finishing in a near-tie for third in overall district achievement.
Garland ISD won the Third Grade Momentum Award, improving 3rd-grade reading from 48% to 51% and math from 47% to 49%—gains ranking 2nd and 1st, respectively, countywide.
Richardson ISD won the Math Momentum Award, raising 8th grade Algebra I performance from 36% to 49% of all 8th graders—a 13.0-point gain, the largest single-year improvement in Dallas County. "Success in mathematics opens doors to advanced coursework, postsecondary pathways, high-demand careers, and greater economic opportunity," Chelsea said.

Economic Mobility Awards‍

Dr. Eric Ban, founder of the Economic Mobility Center, and CEO Megan Aghazadian presented this year's Economic Mobility Awards—first announced in May and covering both K-12 systems and higher-education partners.

"Are K-12 students successfully moving through the milestones that come next?" Megan asked the room. "Are they college ready? Do they enroll? Do they return? Do they complete? And ultimately, does that credential connect them to economic mobility?"

K-12 District and Campus Awards went to districts and campuses that hit a strong benchmark or improved 5 or more percentage points from the prior year on college readiness (45%+) or college enrollment (65%+):

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD — College Enrollment District Award, plus 3 campus awards
Cedar Hill ISD — 1 campus award
Dallas ISD — 17 campus awards
DeSoto ISD — College Readiness District Award, plus 1 campus award
Garland ISD — College Readiness District Award, plus 6 campus awards
Grand Prairie ISD — College Readiness District Award and College Enrollment District Award, plus 2 campus awards
Lancaster ISD — recognized among this year's honorees
Mesquite ISD — recognized among this year's honorees
Richardson ISD — College Readiness District Award, plus 3 campus awards
Uplift Education — College Readiness District Award, plus 9 campus awards

Institutions of Higher Education Awards applied the same standard across enrollment share, retention (70%+ retained into year two, or +5 points), and completion (60%+ on time, or +6 points):

Enrollment Share Improvement: Tarleton State University, University of Texas at Arlington
Retention: Midwestern State University, Texas Woman's University, University of North Texas, University of Texas at Arlington
Completion: Midwestern State University, Tarleton State University, Texas Woman's University, University of North Texas

"Every name on these slides got there by hitting the mark or by making real, measurable progress," Ban told the room. "Both are worth celebrating."‍

Commit Leadership Awards

Following a 20-minute fireside conversation between Miguel and Blue Meridian Partners CEO Jim Shelton, and a performance from the Duncanville High School Student Choir, Superintendent-in-Residence Jeannie Stone—a 35-year public-education veteran who has served as a teacher, principal, district leader, and superintendent across Dallas, Mesquite, and Richardson—presented the School Board & Superintendent Leadership Award.

"Progress for students does not happen by accident," Jeannie said. "It happens when leaders make courageous decisions... when school boards and superintendents stay focused on what matters most for all students."

This year's recipients of the School Board & Superintendent Leadership Award were:

Cedar Hill ISD
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD
Grand Prairie ISD

Two awards closed the night, each marking 15 years of sustained partnership.

Miguel presented the 15-Year Partner Award to Dallas ISD, accepted by Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde and Dallas ISD Board of Trustees member Byron Sanders.

Todd then presented Commit's flagship Partnership and Progress Award to JPMorganChase, crediting the company's early investment in building and scaling Dallas County Promise and singling out longtime champions Anne Motsenbocker, who chairs Commit's postsecondary efforts, along with Michelle Thomas and Belen Garren. "That is partnership," Todd said. "And as we look toward the next 15 years, we will need more of it.”

Accepting on behalf of JPMorganChase, Managing Director Belen Garren said: "The real measure of success is whether more young people can see a clear pathway from the classroom to a career... whether more families can achieve economic mobility and financial security."‍

The road to 2040‍

Miguel closed the evening by sharing with the room: "You have shown that progress is possible, but never inevitable. It happens because people choose to work differently and ask not only what their institution can do, but what we can accomplish together."

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Dallas County Economic Mobility Summit?

It's The Commit Partnership's annual gathering of educators, school leaders, employers, funders, and community members to share new economic mobility data and recognize the districts, colleges, and partners driving progress. The 2026 Dallas County Economic Mobility Summit, held on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at Moody Performance Hall, marked Commit's 15th anniversary and the second annual Economic Mobility Awards.

‍Who won the 2026 Dallas County Student Momentum Awards?‍

DeSoto ISD (Early Learning Momentum Award), Dallas ISD (Literacy Momentum Award), Garland ISD (Third Grade Momentum Award), and Richardson ISD (Math Momentum Award).

Which districts, systems, and higher ed institutions won the 2026 Economic Mobility Awards?

Ten K-12 districts and networks — Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Cedar Hill, Dallas, DeSoto, Garland, Grand Prairie, Lancaster, Mesquite, and Richardson ISDs, plus Uplift Education — along with five universities: Tarleton State, University of Texas at Arlington, Midwestern State, Texas Woman's University, and University of North Texas. Full award-by-award detail is above.

‍Which district won the most Economic Mobility Awards campus awards in 2026?‍

Dallas ISD, with 17 campus-level Economic Mobility Awards.

‍Which district received Commit's School Board & Superintendent 15-Year Partner Award?

Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde and Board of Trustees member Byron Sanders accepted the 15-Year Partner Award for Dallas ISD, recognizing 15 years of partnership with Commit.‍

Who received the 2026 Partnership and Progress Award?‍

JPMorganChase received Commit's flagship Partnership and Progress Award, accepted by Managing Director Belen Garren, for its early and sustained investment in Dallas County Promise.

‍Who received the School Board & Superintendent Leadership Award in 2026?‍

Cedar Hill ISD, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, and Grand Prairie ISD, recognized for student-centered governance and public goal setting.

‍Who spoke at the 2026 Economic Mobility Summit?‍

Speakers included:

Commit Chairman & CEO Todd Williams
Bain & Company Senior Partner Pedro Correa
Commit President of Dallas County Impact Miguel Solis
Commit COO Chelsea Jeffery
Economic Mobility Center founder Dr. Eric Ban and CEO Megan Aghazadian
Commit’s Superintendent-in-Residence Jeannie Stone
Blue Meridian Partners CEO Jim Shelton

What data did Commit share at the 2026 Summit?

Miguel Solis presented findings from the newly released 2026 Dallas County Economic Mobility Report, including that living-wage attainment among county young adults has grown from 22.7% to 32.5% since 2012, and that 47,558 more students are now meeting Opportunity 2040 benchmarks than in 2022.‍

How can I get involved with The Commit Partnership?‍

Visit http://commitpartnership.org/invest to support economic mobility initiatives driving living wage attainment in Dallas County and beyond.

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15 Years of Partnership and Progress: Inside the 2026 Dallas County Economic Mobility Summit