Margaret Kidd Returns to San Jacinto College

When Margaret Kidd walked back onto the San Jacinto College campus last fall, she wasn’t just filling a position — she was completing a circle that began in her own backyard. Now a recognized authority in trade and maritime logistics, Kidd has returned to her roots to lead the college’s new Bachelor of Applied Technology in Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

As a renowned leader in supply chain, maritime ports, and trade, she is cited regularly by media outlets around the world and her reach exceeded 3.1 billion people across 455 outlets in 2024 alone.

Through her roles on the Energy Industries Council’s North & Central America Regional Advisory Board, TxDOT Maritime Division’s Project Scoring Committee for the Texas Port Mission Plan during the 89th Legislative Session, Editorial Review Board for Breakbulk Magazine, and as a special advisor to the Board of Trustees at the Houston Maritime Center & Museum, she brings a network of industry partners directly to San Jac students.

From Wall Street to the Classroom

Kidd’s connection to the region runs deep. Growing up in Seabrook, she took summer classes at San Jac before earning a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1985.

That foundation launched a powerhouse career. She first headed to Wall Street — starting as a broker’s assistant before entering a training program at Smith Barney — beginning a 15-year career in financial services and then spending six years on the executive leadership team of a privately held real estate management company.

She later returned to school — not out of necessity, but curiosity. She earned a Master of Arts in cross-cultural studies from UHCL in 2008 and completed 60 doctoral credits in urban planning and environmental policy at Texas Southern University, focusing on port-city interface, sustainability, and economic development. Academia found her unexpectedly through an emergency opening in TSU’s geography department.

“I’d never taught a class in my life with the exception of Sunday School, nor had I considered academia,” she said. “But I fell into it and cannot imagine doing anything else accept paying it forward for the workforce of the future.”

Experience in Action

Her first chapter at San Jac ran from 2014 to 2017, directing the college’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant, a federal initiative that helped trade-displaced workers gain high-skill credentials.

She then spent nearly nine years at the University of Houston, building its supply chain program into one of the region’s largest and most respected. Before returning to San Jac, she served as president of the Houston Maritime Center & Museum and was responsible for launching the institution at its new home in the East River development.

“I’m glad to be back at San Jac for this phase of my career because it’s such a nurturing, happy place where people care about each other,” she said.

Preparing the Next Generation

The program launches at a moment of urgency. Port Houston — ranked No. 13 among 159 global ports in terms of direct port connections by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development — has seen container volumes surge 33.6% since 2020 according to Kidd. Demand for skilled supply chain professionals continues to outpace the existing pipeline.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a “much faster than average” job outlook for logisticians, with a projected growth of 17% from 2024 to 2034.

The logistics and supply chain management program addresses that gap with a distinctive focus on import and export principles that many university programs do not offer. “I think that prepares them for some interesting jobs in trade compliance and a better understanding even as an analyst,” she said.

For Kidd, the work is personal. She recalls a nontraditional student in her early 30s who competed fiercely, won scholarships, and research competitions. “I was so happy for her because earning her degree made a difference in her life,” Kidd said. “She still calls me for advice. Knowing you can impact someone’s life like that — that’s what it’s all about.”

San Jacinto College students are now positioned to benefit from that same commitment. To learn more about the San Jacinto College Bachelor of Applied Technology in Logistics and Supply Chain Management visit sanjac.edu.

Read more: Margaret Kidd — Champion for Breakbulk’s NextGen