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Dallas ISD Chief Human Capital Officer Robert Abel Receives Distinguished Service Award

Dallas ISD Chief Human Capital Officer Robert Abel Receives Distinguished Service Award

TROY, Mich., Feb. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robert Abel, Chief of Human Capital for Dallas Independent School District, received the 2025 Distinguished Service Award presented by the Council of the Great City Schools. Sponsored by Kelly Education, the award honors an individual from the management services ranks for their distinguished service in urban education. This year, the recognition occurred at the annual Chief Human Resources Officers meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.
With over two decades of experience in educational leadership, Robert Abel has continually driven meaningful change in large, urban school districts, a vital part of the Council's mission to improve student outcomes. Since stepping into his role as Chief of Human Capital in 2021, Abel has achieved significant milestones, including a 44% overall reduction in grievances and an extraordinary 90% decrease in complex Level 3 grievances. Under his guidance, Dallas ISD's teacher applicant pool has also grown by an impressive 14%, showcasing his proactive leadership in building strong educational communities.
'This award recognizes Robert Abel for his outstanding leadership overseeing the human capital management department at Dallas Independent School District,' said Willie Burroughs, the Council's director of management services. 'His contributions have played a crucial role in the success of Dallas ISD by ensuring that the district attracts and retains high-quality educators and staff dedicated to fostering a positive educational experience for all students. It is a privilege to celebrate his remarkable achievements and lasting impact.'
'Robert Abel epitomizes the kind of leadership we strive to recognize—one marked by the profound impact on students and staff, as well as innovative solutions to urban education's most pressing challenges,' said Nicola Soares, President of Kelly Education. 'His achievements are a testament to the power of visionary leadership in creating strong, equitable systems that benefit every level of the school community.'
Abel holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology from Oklahoma State University.
About the Council of the Great City Schools
The Council of the Great City Schools is the only national organization exclusively representing the needs of urban public schools. Composed of 78 large city school districts, its mission is to promote the cause of urban schools and to advocate for inner-city students through legislation, research and media relations. The organization also provides a network for school districts sharing common problems to exchange information, and to collectively address new challenges as they emerge to deliver the best possible education for urban youth. www.cgcs.org
About Kelly Education
Kelly Education powers the future of learning through customized workforce solutions, including hiring and recruiting, business management, professional development, academic, and social-emotional support across the full continuum of education––from early childhood, PK-12, special education, and therapeutic services to higher education, executive search, and beyond. Kelly Education is a business of Kelly (Nasdaq: KELYA, KELYB), a global workforce solutions provider that's always asking what's next in the world of work. Learn more at kellyeducation.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.
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Warren Buffett's successor has big shoes to fill. This is what Berkshire Hathaway gurus expect from the new boss, Greg Abel.
Warren Buffett's successor has big shoes to fill. This is what Berkshire Hathaway gurus expect from the new boss, Greg Abel.

Business Insider

time21-07-2025

  • Business Insider

Warren Buffett's successor has big shoes to fill. This is what Berkshire Hathaway gurus expect from the new boss, Greg Abel.

Greg Abel has a big task ahead of him — and the stock market knows it. The head of Berkshire Hathaway's non-insurance operations will be taking over from a titan of American business when he succeeds Warren Buffett as CEO. Buffett, a legendary investor and philanthropist, has transformed Berkshire from a failing textile mill into a $1 trillion conglomerate during his 60 years in charge. He's widely regarded as a master delegator, talent spotter, capital allocator, and dealmaker who acquired scores of businesses. Berkshire shares were up 19% year-to-date before Buffett's shock announcement in early May. They've since slumped 12%, while the benchmark S&P 500 has jumped 11%. The company did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Despite the stock's struggles, the five Berkshire Hathaway gurus Business Insider spoke to are mostly positive about Abel's prospects. A change in management style Larry Cunningham, the author of several books about Buffett and the director of the University of Delaware's Weinberg Center, predicted a change in management style. "Greg Abel is an operator at heart — he'll engage more directly with underperforming subsidiaries, unlike Buffett, who was famously hands-off," Cunningham said. "Berkshire will become known for 'intelligent autonomy.'" Steven Check, the head of Check Capital Management and a longtime Berkshire shareholder, anticipated a similar shift. Berkshire "may actually be managed better" by Abel as he's "more of a hands-on people manager than Buffett, whose number one interest was capital allocation," he said. Check also nodded to Charlie Munger's 2014 shareholder letter, in which Buffett's late business partner hailed Abel and Ajit Jain, the boss of Berkshire's insurance operations, as "world-leading," and said that "in some important ways, each is a better business executive than Buffett." Bill Smead, the founder of Smead Capital Management and a Berkshire investor for more than 30 years, championed Abel as a skilled business acquirer. He said Berkshire's "strength will probably be in buying whole companies because that will be Greg Abel's strength." Berkshire has acquired many companies during Buffett's tenure, including National Indemnity in 1967, See's Candies in 1972, Nebraska Furniture Mart in 1983, Geico in 1996, BNSF Railway in 2010, Precision Castparts in 2016, Alleghany in 2022, and Pilot Travel Centers over a series of transactions in 2017, 2023, and 2024. Berkshire Hathaway generated $371 billion in revenue and $47 billion in operating profits last year. It's become so big that there are very few companies it could acquire that would materially boost its bottom line. Buffett's biggest acquisition to date was buying Precision for more than $32 billion nearly a decade ago. He said at this year's meeting that he would happily shell out $100 billion for the right target. Abel is set to receive support from Jain along with Berkshire's investment managers, Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, who each manage chunks of Berkshire's roughly $300 billion stock portfolio. The company's biggest holdings include American Express, Apple, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, and Chevron. Smead said Berkshire's "biggest mistake" was not publicly touting Combs and Weschler's track records as investors more often, as this could have reassured shareholders about the post-Buffett era and tempered the recent stock decline, he added. John Longo — a finance professor, investment chief, and author of "Buffett's Tips" — echoed Smead in predicting Abel would be more active in striking deals. Longo said he "would not be shocked" to see Berkshire begin paying a small dividend given its " enormous cash balance and strong free cash flow." That could help "attract a new class of investors" and fuel a stock rally, Longo added. Brett Gardner, an analyst and the author of "Buffett's Early Investments," said that Buffett plans to remain chairman and can "help if needed." He also praised the company's core assets and board, and described Abel as "immensely talented." He said Buffett was "irreplaceable" but added that, with Abel, "Berkshire is still in superb hands."

19 college majors where the typical graduate is making at least $100,000 by the middle of their careers
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19 college majors where the typical graduate is making at least $100,000 by the middle of their careers

It turns out that picking a college major that will pay off after graduation actually is rocket science. A New York Fed analysis of 2023 American Community Survey data found that college graduates who majored in one of 19 areas of study had a median mid-career wage of at least $100,000 a year. The New York Fed defined mid-career as people between the ages of 35 and 45. The analysis of 73 majors and groups of study only included people with a bachelor's degree — no additional graduate school education — and used what's noted as people's first major. One general area of study accounted for 10 of the 19 spots: engineering. Aerospace engineering majors had the top median mid-career wage of $125,000, per the analysis. Three other engineering fields followed behind — computer, chemical, and electrical. Jaison Abel, the head of microeconomics at the New York Fed, told Business Insider that engineering is a great example of the type of college major that has the quantitative skills businesses tend to want. "There is a bit of a premium on the demand side, and also these are relatively challenging majors to get through," Abel said. "When you've got quite a bit of demand for the skills and not as much supply of the types of people who are coming in, that's going to make wages overall go up and be high." Computer science, economics, and finance were the three non-engineering majors with the highest mid-career median wages. Across all the majors analyzed, the median mid-career wage was $83,000 a year. While the prospect of high mid-career earnings is likely attractive to many students, this appeal hinges on actually landing a job in their field of study — a feat that has become increasingly difficult for some college graduates. A New York Fed analysis of unemployment data showed 5.8% of recent college graduates in the labor force between the ages of 22 and 27 were unemployed in March, up from 3.9% in October 2022. Absent the pandemic-related spike and its recovery over the next year, that's the highest rate since 2013. Student loans and the cost of college may affect how a degree is valued As college tuition rates have risen in recent decades, many Americans have taken on a considerable amount of student debt. In 2024 dollars, the average price for tuition and fees at private nonprofit, four-year schools has increased 30% from the 2004-05 academic year to $43,350 for the 2024-25 academic year. Public, four-year in-state schools are much cheaper, but their average cost has also climbed during that timeframe. Housing and food expenses make the cost of school even higher. The average American consumer with student loans had a debt balance of about $35,000 as of the third quarter of last year, per Experian data. That's a decline from the average in the third quarter of 2023. This changing landscape has caused some people to question whether college is a worthwhile investment. In response to these concerns, some high school graduates have gone straight to the workforce, while others have opted for alternative paths, like community college or trade schools. Not all job openings require someone to have a particular level of education. However, sometimes a college degree is preferred for a job seeker. Automaker Stellantis said in a previous statement that "most non-bargaining unit positions (salaried) require an associate's or bachelor's degree," but also noted that "for some positions, a degree might be a preferred qualification which would open those up to people who can demonstrate proficiency in other ways." College graduates who majored in early childhood education had the lowest median mid-career wage, at $49,000 a year. Other types of education majors had relatively low mid-career median wages, such as secondary education.

Prediction: 3 Stocks Berkshire Hathaway Will Add to Its Portfolio After Warren Buffett Steps Down as CEO
Prediction: 3 Stocks Berkshire Hathaway Will Add to Its Portfolio After Warren Buffett Steps Down as CEO

Yahoo

time12-06-2025

  • Yahoo

Prediction: 3 Stocks Berkshire Hathaway Will Add to Its Portfolio After Warren Buffett Steps Down as CEO

By next year, Berkshire Hathaway will have a new CEO in Greg Abel. Berkshire could have multiple new holdings as Abel may want to put his stamp on the company. There are some solid blue-chip stocks that aren't in Berkshire's portfolio that arguably should be in there already. 10 stocks we like better than Microsoft › Next year, Berkshire Hathaway will have a new CEO. Warren Buffett, who has been in charge for decades, is stepping down and Greg Abel will be taking over. It's a monumental shift for the business, and while there may not necessarily be drastic changes in the day-to-day operations, there could be some adjustments to Berkshire's holdings. There are three stocks that I think Abel should consider adding to Berkshire's portfolio once he takes over: Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Enbridge (NYSE: ENB), and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). Here's why these stocks are great long-term investments and why they fit the Berkshire mold. Buffett distanced himself from Microsoft because of his close association with co-founder Bill Gates. But with Buffett no longer at the helm, it opens the path for Berkshire to create a position in Microsoft under Abel. Microsoft is the type of business that checks all the boxes for Berkshire. It has solid fundamentals, many growth opportunities, and a strong brand that is known all over the world, giving it a fantastic competitive moat. In the trailing 12 months, the software company generated more than $270 billion in revenue, amassing nearly $97 billion in profit along the way. Microsoft is a leading company in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, and its office software is a staple in many businesses around the world. This is an excellent stock for investors to own for the long haul, and I think it may just be a matter of time before it finds its way into Berkshire's holdings. With Abel being from Canada and having strong roots in Alberta, I think he'll be inclined to put his stamp on Berkshire. And what better way to do so than by opening up a position in a top oil and gas company from Canada -- Enbridge. Berkshire is no stranger to the sector and holds multiple stocks from there. Enbridge is known for its consistency and long-term dependability, which is why it also looks like a model Berkshire-type investment. This year, the company expects to meet or exceed its financial guidance, and if it does, it'll be the 20th consecutive year that Enbridge has done so. Few companies can generate that kind of consistency. And Buffett has always valued predictability and stability in businesses. The pipeline company generated revenue totaling just under 61 billion Canadian dollars over the trailing 12 months. And with Enbridge closing on multiple acquisitions in the U.S. within the past year few years, its financials could look even better in the future. Along with an attractive dividend that yields nearly 6%, this is a stock that can be ideal for any type of long-term investor. Enbridge is another stock I expect may be a staple in Berkshire's portfolio once Abel is at the helm. For years, iPhone maker Apple has been the top holding in Berkshire's portfolio. But the company has arguably been losing its luster due to a fumbled AI rollout and delaying key features on its latest phones. And it highlights much more than that: a lack of innovation. At the very least, it's lagging behind its key rivals. A changing of the guard may be overdue at Berkshire. While Buffett has long been a fan of Apple's business, Abel may see an opportunity to change that up. Investing in Nvidia is a move that could make much more sense. Even for people who are unfamiliar with AI, investors have come to know about Nvidia's dominance in the chip world, and I believe it now has the strong brand that Apple once did, which is synonymous with innovation. Nvidia has dominant market share in the AI chip market, and its fundamentals are incredible. Over the past four quarters, it has net a profit of $77 billion on revenue of nearly $149 billion. Given its impressive market position and huge profit margins, it seems unfathomable that the stock isn't in Berkshire's portfolio already. I can only assume that it's because Buffett may not want too much exposure to tech or that he's simply too unfamiliar with it. For Abel, however, this can be yet another opportunity for him to change up Berkshire's holdings with more growth-oriented businesses. While Apple may have performed well over the past decade, it may no longer make sense for it to be Berkshire's top holding. Nvidia could be a much better fit. Before you buy stock in Microsoft, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Microsoft wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $649,102!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $882,344!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 996% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 174% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Enbridge, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Prediction: 3 Stocks Berkshire Hathaway Will Add to Its Portfolio After Warren Buffett Steps Down as CEO was originally published by The Motley Fool

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