On August 3rd, EOAC employees from across the Heart of Texas came together for Launch 2026, our annual opportunity to begin the 2026–2027 year as one team, celebrate the work behind us, and look ahead to where EOAC is going next.
With employees representing programs, centers, offices, and communities across our service area gathered in one room, the day was about more than kicking off a new year. It was about reconnecting with one another and with the shared purpose behind everything we do.
And this year, that purpose came into even clearer focus:
Moving Families Forward.
Looking Back at the Impact
Launch 2026 gave us an opportunity to recognize the tremendous work happening throughout EOAC.
Every day, our employees serve children in Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms, help families navigate financial challenges, connect individuals with education and career opportunities, make homes safer and more energy efficient, and provide support during moments when families need someone in their corner.
Behind every program number is a person. Behind every service is an employee who answered a phone, welcomed a parent, taught a child, completed an application, visited a home, solved a problem, or helped someone identify their next step.
Launch was an opportunity to celebrate that work and the employees who make it possible.
A Clearer Direction for EOAC
Executive Director James Jesse addressed employees about EOAC’s future and the work that has gone into developing the agency’s new strategic direction.
He began with a question that has helped shape much of that work:
What does EOAC do?
It is easy to answer by listing programs. Head Start. Weatherization. Energy Assistance. Case Management. EmpowerU.
But James challenged employees to think beyond the individual services and consider what all of that work accomplishes together.
As he shared with staff, the common thread running through EOAC is helping families move from crisis toward stability, from being stuck toward having choices, and from focusing only on today toward being able to think about what comes next.
That thinking has led to a simple statement of purpose:
At EOAC, we move families forward.
Every Family Thriving
Employees were also introduced to the vision guiding EOAC into the future:
Every family thriving.
Every family will not need the same service or follow the same path. For one household, progress may begin with keeping the electricity connected. For another, it might be enrolling a child in Head Start. For someone else, it could mean earning a credential, finding a better job, or making a home safer and more affordable.
The paths are different, but the destination is greater stability and opportunity.
EOAC’s new mission puts that idea into words:
EOAC moves families forward by connecting them to opportunities that build lasting stability.
The Way We Do the Work Matters
Launch 2026 was also about the culture we want to continue building inside EOAC.
Our four values provide a shared expectation for how we serve families and how we work with one another:
Put People First
Act With Integrity
Work Together
Focus on Results
As James reminded employees, these values are not simply words for a wall or a document. They should be visible in our everyday actions, from how we treat the person asking for assistance to how departments collaborate and how we determine whether our work is actually helping someone move forward.
Celebrating Our People
Launch is also about celebrating the people who make EOAC what it is.
Throughout the event, employees had opportunities to connect with colleagues they may not see every day, celebrate accomplishments, recognize the impact of their coworkers, and simply enjoy being together as one EOAC team.
We were also proud to recognize the recipients of the EOAC Employee-Funded Scholarship, a program made possible entirely through voluntary contributions from EOAC employees. This year, five students received $1,500 scholarships, representing a $7,500 investment by our staff in individuals pursuing their educational goals.
That spirit of employees investing in others captures much of what Launch 2026 was about.
Our work is ultimately about people helping people move forward.
One EOAC
Perhaps one of the most important themes of the day was the idea of one EOAC.
Our programs may serve families in different ways, but they are strongest when they are connected.
A family who comes to EOAC for Energy Assistance may also have a child who could benefit from Head Start. A parent may be ready to pursue career training through EmpowerU. A household may qualify for Weatherization. Another family may simply need someone to listen and help them understand what opportunities are available.
Our ability to see the whole family and work together across programs will be an important part of EOAC’s future.
Ready for the Year Ahead
Launch 2026 marked the beginning of another year of important work.
There will be new challenges, new opportunities, and thousands of interactions with children, parents, seniors, and families across the Heart of Texas.
But we begin this year with greater clarity about what connects all of those moments.
James closed his remarks by reminding employees that no strategic plan or initiative will move EOAC forward on its own. The work will be carried out by the people who answer the phone and listen, the teachers who notice when a child needs support, the case managers who see the larger needs of a family, and every employee who turns EOAC’s mission into something families can actually experience.
That is what Launch 2026 was ultimately about.
Celebrating where we have been.
Getting clear about where we are going.
And recognizing that it will take all of us to get there.
Here’s to the 2026–2027 year. Here’s to one EOAC. And here’s to Moving Families Forward. 💙