WACO, TX — Prosper Waco has announced a new Director of Research and Community Impact.
Emily Hunt-Hinojosa will develop and expand a framework for assessing progress toward community goals and will benchmark progress in the Prosper Waco focus areas of education, health and financial security.
Prosper Waco says her duties will include creating an overall culture of continuous quality improvement around their vision.
“The story of Waco is increasingly complex. On one hand, there are so many wonderful things happening throughout our city. Strong institutions, increasing diversity, economic growth, development, and collective efforts to do good work are all indicators of progress and prospering,” said Hunt-Hinojosa. “However, too many community members continue to experience insurmountable obstacles to enjoying many of the good things Waco has to offer. I am thrilled to join the Prosper Waco team and look forward to telling Greater Waco’s story in a way that is honest about current social realities and hopeful about our progress toward being a community where all members can thrive.”
Hunt-Hinojosa has previous experience working with McLennan County.
She was a research analyst at Baylor University’s Center for Community Research and Development during her Ph.D. program, and conducted a variety of research projects for Waco organizations.
Hunt-Hinojosa has a Ph.D. in sociology from Baylor University specializing in community analytics.
She earned a M.A. in sociology from Baylor University and a M.A. in higher education and student development from Taylor University.
“A vital precursor to collective impact is collective understanding,” Hunt-Hinojosa said. “As a sociologist, I see much of my new role as using data to highlight the pathways and connections between problems and solutions that are not always obvious. Beyond reporting numbers and statistics, I am excited to collaborate with Waco’s leaders to discern our context, celebrate our assets, and imagine our possibilities.”
Prosper Waco is a collective impact initiative focused on addressing issues facing the Greater Waco community in the areas of education, health and financial security.
