CIS Tarrant County
SHARED VALUES, SHARED EXPERTISE Marissa Tang, Interior Designer; Lindsey Garner, President & CEO, Communities in Schools of Greater Tarrant County For VLK Architects, community service has been a priority since the firm’s beginning, more than 35 years ago. In fact, “Service” is one of the three pillars on which VLK’s entire practice stands. Placing value on service is how we meet every client’s unique vision while staying within budget. On a deeper level, however, it also assures that we are truly present in the communities and school districts in which we work and live. One example is our commitment to supporting Communities In Schools (CIS), a national drop-out prevention program serving Greater Tarrant County since 1992. By partnering with school districts, CIS places full-time social workers on school campuses, providing intensive case management services to at-risk students in grades Pre-K through high school. 36 2019 | EXPERIENCE | Vol. 6
Over the years, VLK has provided vital financial support through sponsorships, physical support through volunteerism, and leadership representation on the CIS Board of Directors. Working together, we have achieved goals that we could not have fulfilled separately. In 2018, we were honored and excited to partner with CIS once again, this time to offer our design services for a new office space and home base for their growing team. Following the design and construction (and an incredible ribbon cutting with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce), we sat down with Lindsey Garner, President and CEO of CIS, to discuss how our partnership – and their new office – has impacted their staff and, ultimately, the students they serve.
