2023 Honoree

Carolyn Spillane

The Centrum Arts League is happy to announce that Carolyn Spillane will be the honoree for the Pizzazz with Jazz Luncheon on Mary 11, 2023 at Shirley Acres. Carolyn and her late husband, Jim Spillane, were supporters of Cypress Creek FACE and The Centrum Arts League and enjoyed the concerts beginning with the very first concert by Marvin Hamlisch, 26 years ago.

Carolyn grew up in Minden, Louisiana and graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Secondary Mathematics Education. She was recruited to teach in Port Arthur Texas.  After four years, she moved to Clear Lake and was privileged to teach the children of astronauts, take on her first leadership role as mathematics department chair, and meet her future husband, Jim.  

Jim's job transferred them to Northwest Harris County and Carolyn begin to work in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. She continued her education at the University of Houston where she earned a Master’s Degree in Mathematics Education and continued until she had completed certification in Supervision, Mid-Management, and to be a Superintendent. She worked in many positions including high school teacher and high school associate principal, secondary curriculum director, and as Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Curriculum and Instruction for over 20 years before her retirement. Upon retirement, the Carolyn Stamm Spillane Middle School was dedicated in her honor.

She is most proud of the staff and students at Spillane Middle School and loves meeting their teachers, students and parents.

After retirement Carolyn began enjoying all that NW Harris County provided in the arts.  She has been serving on The Centrum Arts League Board since 2016 and served as its president from 2019-2021. She is the current FACE Board chairperson.  Carolyn, also, supports Texas Master Chorale, Shining Stars, and the Pearl Fincher Museum further promoting financial assistance for the arts. In 2018, she began helping at the Gallery of Fallen Warriors which contains portraits of Texas' fallen soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, assisting in teaching children how to interpret the stories of the lives of the fallen through the art surrounding each soldier's portrait.

As an educator, Carolyn believes in the importance of encouraging and developing students' talents and abilities through education and sees the value of helping students who would not be able to continue their education without financial assistance through scholarships.  Her favorite fine arts organization is CAL/FACE.  She enjoys every performance from the same seats she and Jim started purchasing 25 years ago. 

Pizzazz with Jazz is a fun event benefitting the FACE Free Children’s series, Focus on Education College Scholarships and the Strings Camp program.  We hope that you will honor Carolyn Spillane with a donation to the Honorary Committee form and join us on May 11 for a special celebration in her honor.