Rene Solis

Rene Solis was named Chief Program Officer (CPO) of BakerRipley in 2018. In this role, he leads and is responsible for all program areas at BakerRipley.
Previously, Rene was Senior Vice President of Public Sector Solutions Division where he led the growth of programs such as Child Care, Disaster Recovery, Veterans Services, and Workforce. He has been instrumental in developing new program opportunities and is skilled at innovative program design and effective implementation and operation of human services programs.

Because of his leadership, BakerRipley programs have grown to a large portfolio of private and publicly funded programs serving over 48 Texas counties and totaling over $550 million annually in revenue during calendar year 2021.
Rene leads and oversees the BakerRipley portfolio of programs which include –
• Community Initiatives - 5 community centers throughout the Greater Houston area, and programs including immigration, youth, and civic and community engagement
• Early Childhood Education – serving as the Head Start grantee for Southwest Harris County and Fort Bend
• Economic Initiatives – ESL classes, High School Equivalency and GED testing, Integrated Education and Training, Intensive English lessons, Literacy efforts, and Digital Literacy Classes
• Health and Wellness – senior community centers and evidence-based wellness programs
• BakerRipley Community Schools – K-8 Charter School
• Regional Initiatives – Rental Assistance, Disaster Recovery, Utility Assistance, and Weatherization programs
• Workforce – Workforce Solutions offices and Child Care subsidy programs

Rene began his nonprofit career with the YWCA El Paso Del Norte Region in 1991 and served the Agency for 10 years as Child Care Services Finance Supervisor, Program Administrator, and Chief Financial Officer.
Throughout his career, Rene has worked with many local, regional, and state partners and has successfully secured and managed contracts with funding sources including Federal and State Agencies, school districts, United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast, and Harris County and the City of Houston.

A native of El Paso, Texas, Rene earned a BBA in Accounting from the University of Texas at El Paso. He is a Senior Fellow in the Houston Chapter of the American Leadership Forum, Class 40- Workforce Development. Rene is married and has a son who attends the University of Texas at Austin.