Holly Heard

Holly Heard serves as the Senior Vice President of Research at Greater Houston Partnership since September 2025, following a tenure as Vice President of Data and Analytics at Texas 2036 from November 2020 to September 2025. Previously, Holly held multiple roles at the Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) from 2011 to November 2020, including Senior Research Scientist and Manager of Research Data Operations, where responsibilities included managing research teams and overseeing collaborative research projects with local school districts. Holly's academic career includes positions as Assistant Professor at Rice University and Arizona State University, where research focused on families, education, and race/ethnicity. Educational qualifications include a PhD in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an MA in Sociology and Demography from Penn State University, and a BA in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Notre Dame.