In 2011 Gunnar Rawlings was an English teacher at Bishop Machebeuf High School and known as the First Son of Dallas, when his dad Mike Rawlings became mayor. In 2013 he signed up to help launch Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep to North Texas. Before the first students donned their uniforms, Gunnar had “led the feasibility study that laid the groundwork” as well as “recruiting businesses to join the school’s Corporate Work Study Program and spearheading the school’s initial fundraising campaign.”
In late November 2017 Gunnar left Cristo Rey Dallas to become Government Affairs and Business Development Manager Suffolk Construction.
On Thursday, February 20, he’ll be back with Cristo Rey… sorta. He’ll be attending the Cristo Rey Dallas CEO Breakfast at The Belo Mansion to receive the Ignite Award.
The award is “given to individuals who have a commitment to providing opportunity and inspiration for Cristo Rey Dallas students.”
According to Cristo Rey Dallas President Kelby Woodard, “From the very beginning, he has been an incredible advocate, supporter and inspiration for Cristo Rey Dallas.”
Event Co-Chairs Deborah Gibbins and Scott Moore have also arranged for PwC to be the presenting sponsor and for the third annual Grit Award to be presented to a Cristo Rey Dallas student who exemplifies “perseverance in the workplace, classroom and beyond.”
Other sponsors include Amwins, Laura Einspanier, Haynes and Boone, KPMG, Micki Rawlings, Mike Terry, Thomas Tile And Escrow, Capital One, Locke Lord, Bill Miller, Moonlight Consulting, EY and Jones Day.
Sponsorships begin at $1,600, while individual tickets are $250 per person.