Rogers, who made headlines when she resigned as head of the Alamo Trust under pressure from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, is now in a position to do that. She is the performing arts center’s new chief development officer.
“There’s a lot that happens at the Tobin outside of the programs that people associate with the H-E-B Performance Hall,” said Rogers, who previously served on the Tobin Center board. “There’s 100A Productions, which travel outside of San Antonio and sometimes across the country; there’s the integrated arts program that touches students and teachers across the state and sometimes even outside of Texas.
“And so I would like for the community and our donors and investors to know more about all of the many things the Tobin does.”
She also is aiming to deepen relationships between the venue and the community as well as with donors and other investors.
Rogers was forced to leave her job as president and CEO of the Alamo Trust, the nonprofit that manages the historic site, in October. Patrick said he took issue with a few passages near the end of her 150-page doctoral dissertation, including one that said educators should be able to do their work free from political pressure.
She sees some similarities between the work she is settling into now and what she did over her roughly four-and-a-half-years at the Alamo.
“I was technically the executive director or CEO over two organizations — the Alamo Trust, which is overseeing the Alamo plan implementation but also the day-to-day operations of the site, and also the Remember the Alamo Foundation, which is responsible for raising private dollars,” she said. “I was very proud of the fact when I left, we were just shy of $90 million in terms of dollars raised. So this role is more similar to my work at the foundation, which just happened to be work that I absolutely, thoroughly enjoyed.
“I think there’s something really meaningful about connecting philanthropists and investors in our community with programs and services and organizations that they care deeply about and give them the right opportunity to make a difference. That’s definitely very rewarding work.”
Before she went to work for the Alamo Trust, Rogers served as vice president of community outreach and engagement for the Charles Butt Foundation. She also was founding president of the Holdsworth Center, a leadership institute for public school professionals in Texas.
“Kate is a proven leader who understands how philanthropy can transform an organization and the community it serves,” Tobin Center CEO Mike Fresher said in a news release. “Her ability to build meaningful relationships, unite people around a shared vision and turn ambitious ideas into lasting impact makes her the right leader to advance our development strategy.”
Rogers, who grew up in Corpus Christi, has lived in San Antonio for about 25 years. After she left the Alamo, she had offers that would have required her to move. She’s glad she’s staying.
“I’ve built my career on making a difference here,” she said. “And I have a rising senior in high school who was born and raised here, and I’m excited I’m going to be able to contribute but also be present and be his mom for his senior year.”