This November marks the 25th anniversary of the E.B. Cape Center and the City's commitment to employee and leader development. Groundbreaking for the E.B. Cape Center was on August 17, 1995 with the grand opening on November 21, 1996.

Carol Haddock
Director, Houston Public Works

"Houston Public Works is proud to honor the 25th anniversary of the E.B. Cape Center. Even though the state-of-the-art facility is owned by Houston Public Works, it remains a place open and welcome for the the public to learn. The Office of Talent & Organizational Development has partnered with the University of Houston, Texas Southern University and Houston Community College to provide access to educational programs for adults. The facility is named after former Houston Public Works Director Enos Bill Cape, who served as Houston Public Works Director from 1964-1977. One of his greatest accomplishments was providing formal training and educational programs for Houston Public Works employees. These opportunities led to the creation of the E.B. Cape Center."

Mayor Lee P. Brown, and the then Chief Administrative Officer, Human Resources Director and Public Works & Engineering Director agreed that the most efficient use of the center would be to establish a Corporate University for all employees of the City of Houston. As a result, all parties committed to making the center a nationally recognized model of municipal learning initiatives.

Jane Cheeks
Director, Human Resources

"When I look back at the 21 years that I have served the City, I realize that I joined an organization that has always prioritized professional development. To date, the OT&OD has maintained a significant role in advancing career training for our staff, and now it is widely recognized as a premier center for professional development by other municipalities. Through the advent of technology, I have watched the OT&OD grow in ways that allow trainers to deliver courses more efficiently, and as the HR Director, it is my mission to ensure even greater improvements in the near future. 25 years is an outstanding milestone, and I am beyond elated to both witness it, and be a part of it!"

OVER THE YEARS

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Catina Swift
Chief Learning Officer, Office of Talent & Organizational Development

"Twenty-five years of learning is certainly something to celebrate! I appreciate the organizational and departmental leaders, employees, and lifelong learners who envisioned, participated, and contributed to the City’s learning initiatives. I want to especially acknowledge our partners at Houston Public Works. We have called the E.B. Cape Center (4501 Leeland Street) our home throughout the years. We are so fortunate to be in a place recognized internally and externally as a landmark for learning and development."

"The current and future state of learning in the workplace is constantly changing due to the impact of the pandemic, technological advances (including our City’s HR digital transformation), cultural and societal changes. The shift to a virtual learning environment challenged us to seek innovative approaches to our work. But we are not unique. Everyone has had to adapt to the new realities, create new paradigms, and build new skills. As we turn the corner to 2022, we will continue to model a growth mindset and encourage you to join us on that journey."

Looking Ahead

Since being built, the E.B. Cape Center has transformed from originally being a training center for Public Works employees to a center dedicated to the training and development for all City of Houston Employees with the introduction of the Learning and Development center division in 2001.

After being known as the Learning and Development Center for several years, in 2020, the division of Human Resources experienced a rebrand and became the Office of Talent & Organizational Development. Over the last 25 years, the mission of the division has remained the same. Building a first-class responsive and results-oriented workforce, hundreds of City of Houston employees have participated in countless courses and training opportunities. Partner with the Office of Talent & Organizational Development as we continue to focus on this mission in the years to come.