Katy ISD’s 2020 Community Bond Advisory Committee now has a leader.

Heath Rushing, the senior vice president and CEO of Memorial Hermann Katy and Memorial Hermann Cypress, has been selected to chair the 2020 Community Bond Advisory Committee, Katy ISD board of trustees President Courtney Doyle announced at the board’s Feb. 25 regular meeting.

He will lead a 160-member committee, which has been charged to determine whether the district should call for a bond referendum and, if so, which projects should be included, she said.

“His role as committee chair will be to help guide the process to assist committee members and getting answers to questions that they may have about projects or cost and presenting the final recommendation should the committee determine a need for a bond,” Doyle said.

More than 400 parents applied to be part of the committee, which had room for 160 members, Doyle said. These selected members will be receiving their invitation via email this week.

She added there will be other opportunities for interested stakeholders to participate, such as observing the committee meetings or attending forums to provide feedback.

Rushing lives in Fulshear’s Cross Creek Ranch and has three school-aged children, according to a press release. Between 2013-17, he served on the Humble ISD board of trustees.

“To have the opportunity to be a part of my community’s bond committee is something very personal for me,” Rushing said in the release. “I am a proud Katy ISD parent, just like so many of my neighbors and peers, and we all want our kids to have access to good schools and great teachers and learning environments. Ensuring these things continue to happen well into the future will be our committee’s primary goal.”