Her father came to the United States as a young boy, thanks to the generosity of a farmer in Nebraska. After working on the farm for three years, he opened his own tailor shop and made a life for his new family. Her mother worked as a housekeeper and ran the household.
After high school, her plans were to major in English but soon decided that she would not be happy being inside a classroom all day so changed her major to Physical Education. Because it was before Title IX went into effect, it was mainly Girls' PE and health classes.
“There weren’t many occupations available to women at that time,” she said. “You were encouraged to become either a secretary, nurse, or teacher – and that was it.”
After graduating from the University of Missouri, Reed taught Physical Education in St. Louis, MO; Kirksville, MO, and Tulsa, OK. But because of her husband’s job with Southwestern Bell that required frequent moves, she eventually quit teaching and began a full-time career as a wife, mother, volunteer, and advocate.
After 10 moves in 12 years, the family landed in San Antonio when her husband received a promotion with Southwestern Bell. The family settled within the Northside ISD boundaries, with their children, Holly and Philip attending NISD schools and eventually graduating from Clark High School.
Reed quickly became involved in their children’s schools, along with their scout troops and neighborhood associations. That was the beginning of a long legacy of service.
In 1990, citizens within NISD were looking to diversify the Board of Trustees and recruited Reed to run for the Board. At the time, the enrollment was 48,000. Thirty-one years later when she left the Board, the district had an enrollment of over 102,000.
Reed was an incredible volunteer not only within NISD but with a plethora of civic and local organizations. She is a Past President of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), an organization that works on behalf of all 1,030 Texas school districts.
She is a Past Chair of the 30-member Board of Directors of the Alamo Area Council of Governments, a Board of elected officials from 13 counties who deal with regional issues and programs; and a past Board Member of the Master Leadership Program, a United Way of Bexar County program that educates adults on volunteerism and community activities.
Reed also served on several committees (including the Education Committee which she helped establish) for the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, is a member of three neighborhood associations, and is a member and Past Chair of The Salvation Army Advisory Board, the Women and Children’s Advisory Committee, and the Boys and Girls Club.
Reed is a recipient of the Dolph and Janey Briscoe Lifetime Achievement Award from the United Way for her numerous community volunteer activities and received a Legacy Award from the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce in 2015. In 2003, Reed was inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame, and in 2005, she was recognized at the San Antonio Business Journal’s Women’s Leadership Awards. She also is an Honorary Life Member of the National PTA. In 2018, Reed received a North Star Award from the San Antonio Women’s Chamber of Commerce. In 2019, she was honored as an Education Trailblazer by the Northwest Democrats of San Antonio.
As the longest-serving trustee in NISD history, Katie Reed leaves behind a legacy of leadership, advocacy, volunteerism, and a love of doing what is right for students.