Ed Cline celebrated his tenth year of service on Southwest Key’s Board of Directors this year. Ed is a native of Waco, Texas, and long time Houstonian.

Ed began his teaching career in the Houston Independent School District after serving in the United States Air Force for five years during the Korean Conflict. During the thirty two year career in the Houston School District, Ed served as classroom teacher, principal, Associate Superintendent, and ultimately Assistant Superintendent in Charge of Elementary and Secondary Schools. After retirement from the Houston school district, Ed worked for the Texas Education Agency as a State Monitor for eight years. This assignment required great diplomacy working with superintendents and boards of trustees to resolve governance problems. He also served as an Associate with Harold Webb and Associates to find highly qualified professional educators to fill positions of School Superintendents and other top positions.

Ed is a founding member of the Houston Area Alliance of Black School Educators and has served as president since its inception. He is also a founding member of the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators and Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. He was the first president of color of the Houston Association of School Administrators, currently serves as President of the Landowners Association of Texas, and is a former board member of the National Read Council.

Ed received his Bachelor of Science from Paul Quinn College, Waco, Texas and his Masters in Educational Administration from Texas Southern University in Houston. He completed graduate work at the University of Houston and Texas A&M University Satellite Graduate Program.

Ed is an ordained deacon and just celebrated his 50 year anniversary with his lovely wife, Bertha Louise Thomason. They have two sons, one daughter, and one granddaughter.