HOUSTON JUNIOR FORUM TRIBUTE KATHRYN “KATIE” SPRINGS KREHMEIER

1969-2020

The Houston Junior Forum (HJF) grieves the loss of Katie Springs who died Saturday, July 25, 2020. During her short four-year tenure as an HJF member, Katie had a significant impact on our organization and our members. HJF benefitted greatly from her keen mind, knowledge base, problem solving abilities, willingness to help, efficiency, inclusiveness, communication skills and kindness. At the time of her death, Katie was President-Elect of HJF and was an ex-officio member of numerous HJF committees. She embraced each role with enthusiasm, and an openness to new ideas and processes. Her love for and belief in

HJF fueled her commitment to excellence. Her brilliance gave our organization new ideas, plans and approaches which will help guide HJF in the future.

As the 2019-2020 Chair of the HJF College Scholarship Program, Katie transitioned the committee and its systems to a fully online/ digital system. This was our Katie; she saw an issue and developed a plan to efficiently reach a resolution. Next, she trained and convinced the rest of us that this could and must happen. This transition brought many benefits to the College Scholarship Program. Her commitment to all HJF College Scholarship recipients were apparent in every action she took. To Katie, these young students needed help and she believed that we had a responsibility to provide the support they needed.

Katie brought this same “can do attitude” to the 20172018 Conversations from the Heart fundraising committee. This time Katie designed and built a custom website for the fundraiser in less than a month. Our Katie was an amazing woman whose strength allowed her to be intrigued by challenges and to not “miss a beat” as she met those challenges.

During her time in the hospital, Katie’s thoughts were for us. She wanted us to know that although she could not always respond, we were truly making a difference and making her smile. Her friends will always value her efforts to reassure us. Katie said in early May that “one thing the quarantine . . . taught me is that it’s important to connect when you can, to let people know they are important. So, if no one has told you today: you are important to me.”

Katie, you were equally important to us. We will miss you and your spirit dearly.

You will not be forgotten because you made a difference in our lives!

Please join us in our condolences to Katie’s husband, Jeff Krehmeier, her parents, Delores and Darryl Springs, her brother, Michael Springs, her “niece” Alexis Kessler, and her many friends.

In honor of Katie’s commitment to and love for the Houston Junior Forum’s College Scholarship Program, the family requests donations honoring Katie may be made to www.houstonjuniorforum. org/donate .