| Eric Dick | |
| Office: | President of the Harris County Board of Education |
| Term Start: | 2017 |
| Constituency: | Position 2, Precinct 4 |
| Birth Date: | 27 November 1977 |
| Birth Place: | Houston, Texas |
| Children: | 3 |
| Spouse: | Danielle Dick |
| Party: | Republican |
| Alma Mater: | Houston Community College, University of Phoenix, Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, University of Alabama School of Law, Rice University, Duke University |
| Residence: | Houston, Texas |
Eric Dick is an American insurance lawyer who specializes in denied or underpaid property insurance claims.[1] Dick represented clients in property insurance claims arising from events like Hurricane Harvey and 2020 Houston explosion.[2] [3] Dick was involved in lawsuits to overturn Houston charitable feeding ban[4] [5] and term limits extension.[6]
Dick is the owner of the Houston law firm Dick Law Firm, PLLC, which he established in 2008. He also serves as the president of the Harris County Board of Education since 2017.[7]
Dick earned an Associate in Science from Houston Community College in 2000.[8] Eric received a Bachelor's degree in Business Science of Management from the University of Phoenix in 2005.[9] He later pursued an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2010.[10] Pursuing his interest in law, he completed a Juris Doctor degree focused on Litigation from the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in 2008. During his time at Cooley Law School, Dick graduated Cum Laude, receiving recognition on both the Dean's List and Honor Roll.
Continuing his education, Dick attained an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2010. He competed in the ABA Section of Taxation: Law Student Tax Challenge at Alabama. In 2022, he achieved an MBA from Rice University.[11] Dick received a Masters of Accelerated MSQM: Business Analytics program at Duke University.
Dick's first run for public office was in 2013 in the Houston Mayoral Election. He received 10% of the vote when running against incumbent Annise Parker and Ben Hall.[12]
In 2015, in the race for At-Large Position 2 of the Houston City Council, he received over 35,000 votes in a race against incumbent David W. Robinson and Willie R. Davis.[13]
In 2016, he defeated Marilyn Burgess and was elected as a trustee for the Harris County Department of Education Board of Trustees, Position 2, Precinct 4.[14]
In the 2019 general election for Houston City Council At-Large Position 5, Dick entered a runoff and received over 80,000 votes.[15]
In the 2022 general election for Harris County Treasurer, he received over 58,000 votes in the Republican primary.[16]
During a campaign, Dick came under controversy for the alleged illegal placement of campaign signs, criticizing incumbent mayor Annise Parker for what he saw as hypocrisy and bullying in a press release entitled Parker Afraid of Dick.[17] Accusations of selective prosecution by the City of Houston and misleading communication from the city attorney, allegedly due to political affiliations, further escalated the issue.[18]
In 2016, Eric Dick ran for office for an unpaid position at the Harris County Department of Education (HCDE). Despite the position being unpaid, Dick used personal funds for his campaign, significantly more than his three opponents combined.[19] He was elected to the HCDE Precinct 4, defeating Marilyn Burgess with 55.98% of the vote.[20]
In his inaugural board meeting with the HCDE, Eric Dick, the representative for Precinct 4, was elected vice president, a significant move that marked a shift in the board's political landscape to a Republican majority.[21] [22] Despite his controversial election, Dick demonstrated a propensity to vote with conservative members, suggesting his potential role as a swing vote in the board's future decisions.[21] [22]
HCDE's board, unique in Texas as the only local education board elected on a partisan basis, underwent a significant shift in political majority between 2019 and 2021. This change led to an increase in innovative programming and a notable surge in collaboration, irrespective of the varied political ideologies among its members.[23] Eric Dick's presidency at HCDE resulted from political maneuvers, internal conflicts, resignations, controversies, strategic voting, and the voting minority's ultimate control, rendering the remaining board members ineffective through a self-inflicted defeat.[24]
As a trustee and president of the HCDE board, Dick has emphasized the department's significant role in providing education and supporting local school districts.[25] His responsibilities include overseeing the allocation of tax revenues into governmental services, with the profits generated used to assist school districts, including grants for COVID-19 related funding.[26]
In 2017, the HCDE board voted unanimously to continue operating its 15 Head Start preschool programs, despite some board members proposals to close or limit the department's role, serving approximately 1,300 children in North and Northeast Houston.[27] [28]
HCDE's Head Start program provides a safe learning environment for newborns to 5-year-olds, supporting growth in areas like language, literacy, and social-emotional development, serving more than 1,300 students annually with free healthy meals, health screenings, and physical activities.[29]
Under Eric Dick's direction, significant improvements have been made to Harris County's educational services, with noteworthy projects including the construction of Texas's largest adult learning center, a brand new middle school, and upgrades to existing facilities.[30] [31]
During Dick's tenure, HCDE approved the establishment of Fortis Academy, a public high school with a substance-use prevention program. The institution is designed to assist students who have completed rehabilitation programs, furnishing them with resources such as coaching, counseling, and academic support in a substance-free setting.[32] The school is distinctive within the Houston area as the first recovery high school of its kind, and it stands as the third public recovery school in Texas, aiming to provide a conducive environment for students to earn their diplomas while recovering from substance-use disorders.[33]
HCDE broke ground for the new Academic and Behavior Schools West (ABS West) campus on April 3, 2019.[34] The ABS West, a part of a larger construction project undertaken by the HCDE Construction Services, aims to provide a safe and effective learning environment for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities and challenging behaviors in the greater Houston region.[35] The ABS West campus, which first opened in 1998, provides education for students aged 5–22 with severe behavioral difficulties, emotional difficulties, and/or developmental disabilities, offering specifically designed classes to assist these students to function successfully.[36]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Eric Dick and HCDE co-founded an initiative to support Head Start families. Under this initiative, HCDE staff distributed approximately 400 food packages to families served by the Fifth Ward.[37] On March 27, 2020, care packages were further distributed to support approximately 1,230 families during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order.[38] As part of ongoing support, HCDE also applied for a Mental Wellness Grant of $916,085 to implement a comprehensive mental wellness response plan for staff, students, and families dealing with chronic stress due to traumatic experiences.[39]
Founded in 1982, the Academic and Behavior Schools East (ABS East) serves as a special education service provider for students aged 5–22 with various disorders, aiding in their transition to becoming productive society members.[40] [41] HCDE initiated the construction of a new 43,000 square-foot ABS East building in 2021, featuring innovative facilities to accommodate up to 184 students.[42] [43] The design of the new ABS East, shaped by its sister school ABS West, is a response to increased demand for specialized education services and promotes comprehensive learning with a low student-to-instructor ratio.[44] [45] [46]
Dick co-founded the Teacher Tools Initiative, a collaboration between HCDE and the Education Foundation of Harris County (EFHC), which supports teachers in the Harris County school district. This initiative aims to provide classroom supplies to teachers at the start of the school year.[47] It provides $100 worth of classroom supplies to the first 2,000 eligible teachers through an online vendor. These supplies are then shipped directly to the teachers' school addresses.[48]
In July 2021, the Harris County Department of Education Board unanimously approved its budget for the 2021-2022 school year, which included an increase in the minimum wage from $13.50 to $15 an hour for all hourly workers, making HCDE one of the first local education agencies to implement this increase.[49]
HCDE has utilized an allocated budget of $1.5M from the American Rescue Plan Act to implement the County Connections Youth Summer Initiative, a program designed to address pandemic-related learning gaps by supporting enrichment programs for children aged 5–18, with an emphasis on low-income families.[50] This initiative is facilitated through the Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment for Kids (CASE for Kids), a division of HCDE, that provided over $1.1M in grant funding to more than 40 nonprofit organizations that are committed to delivering enriching summer activities for children.[51] These programs were hosted in a variety of locations, including schools, community centers, and churches.[52]
In 2017 HCDE's Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment for Kids (CASE for Kids) partnered with the Houston Urban Debate League (HUDL) to create CASE Debates, a program serving 300 at-risk high school students. This initiative expands upon HUDL's proven model of offering debate programs to approximately 1,000 students annually across five school districts. CASE Debates conducts in-depth seminars for students and coaches and hosts three debate tournaments each school year.[53]
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the program continued providing resources like social-emotional learning, numeracy, literacy, and at-home activities through its Afterschool Zone.[54] CASE Debates also hosts an annual city-wide debate championship, facilitating opportunities for students to qualify for state tournaments and earn scholarships.[55] By incorporating World Schools Debate format, which emphasizes real-world situations and critical thinking, CASE Debates equips students with skills instrumental to their college and career paths.[56]
Under Dick's guidance, HCDE initiated the construction of a new adult education facility at 6515 Irvington Blvd., Houston. Upon completion, this will be the largest in Texas, offering English, math, reading, writing, and workforce training programs. These programs aim to help students earn a high school equivalency diploma, pursue higher education, or enhance their career prospects with courses like certified nursing assistant and phlebotomy training, computer skills, welding fundamentals, and job placement services.[57] [58]
In 2021, HCDE announced plans to develop new alternative educational facilities to address the aging infrastructure of existing buildings and take advantage of favorable low-interest rates.[59] As part of this initiative, the construction of Highpoint East Middle School was initiated, aiming to replace an existing school on the project site, covering an area of 26,528 square feet.[60] Highpoint East, a program offered by HCDE, provides a secure and structured learning environment for adjudicated and expelled youth. It focuses on fostering academic and social success, promoting self-discipline, and developing better decision-making skills in students through a low student-to-teacher ratio.[61] [62]
Eric Dick facilitated HCDE's plans to build an Equine Therapy Center in Barrett Station to physically, emotionally, and socially support special needs students through a partnership with SIRE, providing an alternative learning environment and creating 25 new positions.[63]
HCDE oversaw the construction of the new Coolwood Head Start Center in Houston, a 13,830 square feet facility capable of accommodating 120 students.[64] [65] Meanwhile, the HCDE's Early Head Start program is also being expanded with construction and renovations at three existing campuses—Humble, Barrett Station, and La Porte—better to serve infants and toddlers under the age of three.[66]
Following the tragic May 2022 massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, HCDE ramped up its active shooter training program for Houston-area educators, prioritizing preventive measures and establishing threat assessment teams at all schools in a profound response to school safety concerns.[67]
Dick has used his last name in marketing strategies, leading to memorable slogans. His taglines, such as "Hire a Dick!", "Need a Lawyer? Hire a Dick!" and "I'll work hard and long for you", have been highlighted in his television and radio commercials.[68] [69] [70]
Dick's marketing approach has garnered public attention, with mixed opinions on its effectiveness. Some find his style humorous, while others find it questionable, reflecting the various views on lawyer advertising.[71]
He has also utilized billboards for advertising his legal services, using phrases such as "Get Dick!", "Don't let them give you the shaft", and "What's easier? Getting Dick!". These ad campaigns have further fueled discussions about his approach to marketing.[71] In 2023, his billboards received a shoutout from popular sports TikTok channel "Pete Takes", which boasts 2 million followers.[72]
From 2018 to 2019, Eric Dick hosted The Eric Dick Show on KPRC (AM), a talk radio station in Houston.[73] [74] During the show, he had various notable guests.[75] Eric Dick is a frequent guest on various Houston news segments.[76]
In 2021, Eric Dick authored a book on the history of Texas, titled Come & Take It.[77]