Three senior state officials recently agreed to release 25 cancer research grants awarded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) that were frozen in December after reports the state agency had mismanaged $56 million in grant funds.

Freezing the 25 research grants caused problems in recruiting researchers as employment plans remained on hold or the research institutions that had hired the cancer researchers were forced to pay the costs when the grants were frozen, state officials said in a letter to the state agency. Before the hold on grant funding in December, CPRIT officials had awarded $182.5 million in grants to fund cancer prevention programs and academic research.

After the investigation into procedures for awarding the grants, three top CPRIT officials resigned and the agency implemented some reforms, but the governor, lieutenant governor and Speaker of the House said they remain concerned about ensuring accountability from CPRIT and expect more reforms to be implemented. Legislation to implement reforms is pending in the Texas Senate and the Travis County district attorney's office is investigating agency actions.

Parkland Memorial Hospital approves $1.7 million for design work

Parkland Memorial Hospital officials recently approved $1.7 million to pay for designing two pedestrian sky bridges to connect the current building with the new building and two other medical facilities. The board of managers also learned that a new outpatient clinic most likely will not be completed for several months after the main hospital is finished in 2015.

The board awarded the contract to design the sky bridges to Moody-Nolan Texas, an Ohio-based architectural firm. The two pedestrian bridges will link Parkland Hospital facilities to The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Children's Medical Center in Dallas.

The design of the new outpatient clinic is currently five months behind schedule. Architects are considering the types of patients who will use the clinic and the length of each clinic visit in order to decrease the time patients must wait for treatment, a consultant told board members.

William W. Dodge, M.D., D.D.S., (pictured) will become the new dean of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Dental School on April 1. Dodge joined the Health Science Center in 1978 after five years as a general dentist in San Antonio and two years as a captain in the U.S. Army Dental Corps.

Dodge has been serving as interim dean since June of last year while former Dean Kenneth L. Kalkwarf, D.D.S., M.S., served as interim president. Kalkwarf has since been named special assistant to the president and will retire this summer.

Dodge served as vice dean of the Dental School since 2004 and associate dean for patient care from 1996 through 2003. He is a tenured professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry. Dodge holds a bachelor's degree from Trinity University in San Antonio and his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the University of Southern California. 

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Alamo College delays administration/multi-use complex project

Citing the need to adopt new guidelines for managing public-private partnerships, Alamo College trustees  recently delayed a decision to move forward on a new administrative office and mixed-use complex featuring retail shops, office space and residential units at Playland Park.

Trustees were scheduled to vote on adopting guidelines for hiring a consultant to manage the development process for the proposed public-private partnerships and to hire that consultant, but now may vote on the proposal on March 26, noted John Strybos (pictured), associate vice chancellor of facilities. Some trustees expressed concern with funding a project to develop the 12.5-acre property at a time when the college should be focusing on student success, he noted.

Strybos said he was relucant to hire a consultant until trustees adopt new guidelines to make sure the public-private partnership complies with the law. To hire a consultant, college officials need to issue a request for qualifications for the consultant, advertise the request for proposal, rank the proposals and then negotiate a price before asking for board approval, he said.

Little Elm plans to use grant for solar-powered recycling efforts

Little Elm Town Council members recently approved an agreement with the North Texas Council of Governments that clears the path for the city for a $20,320 grant to buy solar-powered recycling equipment.

Plans call for purchasing four solar-powered compacters to accept recyclables at four locations in the city, compact those items and send a text message to the city when the compacters are full and need to be emptied of the 50-pound bundle of recyclable materials, Public Works Director Kevin Mattingly said.

The agreement also calls for the city to contribute $2,800 to the project and council members agreed to pay shipping costs and to build the concrete base for the recycling compacters to rest, Mattingly said. The new recycling containers should be operational in May, he added.

Gladewater ISD eyeing bond election in May 2014

Trustees for Gladewater ISD recently authorized Superintendent J.P. Richardson (pictured) to hire a consultant to conduct a facility study in April to help trustees decide whether to schedule a bond election in May 2014.

District officials last asked voters to approve bonds 30 years ago even though a 2007 facilities study found two campuses were obsolete and that all other campuses needed maintenance and upgrades, Richardson noted.

Richardson also said the district has issued a request for qualifications to architects and financial advisers so that both will be available when the facility study is completed this summer. The deadline for architects and financial advisers to submit qualifications is at 11 a.m. on April 4. Richardson also plans to ask trustees to form a bond committee comprised of community members to help decide on projects to include in a bond proposal and in February 2014 make a recommendation to trustees on whether to ask voters to approve bonds at a board meeting in May.

Denison approves master plan for $750,000 streetscape project

Denison City Council members recently approved the master plan for a downtown streetscape project expected to cost about $750,000.

The goal of the streetscape project is to improve streets and sidewalks in the downtown area by adding landscaping, increasing the width of sidewalks and making streets and sidewalks accessible as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, city officials said.

The city has applied to the Texas Department of Transportation for a $600,000 grant to help pay for the project and will receive notice by October if the grant is awarded for the project, City Manager Robert Hanna said.

Lubbock rejects proposal to create new library study committee

Lubbock City Council members recently defeated a proposal by the mayor to create a new citizen's advisory committee to perform an in-depth study of library needs throughout the city. Council members have discussed moving the Godeke library branch from an expensive leased location and spending from $5 million to $7 million to upgrade the library system, but have taken no action on that proposal.

Following the vote rejecting creation of a new committee, the mayor said he still supports the adoption of a comprehensive plan for the city library system. Some council members objected to creating a new committee as the city already has an existing library board to help manage the library system. The council did agree to provide more specific direction to library board members as that group continues to study options for the public library system.

Lubbock group eyes options after temporary sales tax option fails

A civic group, Imagine Lubbock Together, recently began exploring other options for the city to fund new projects to improve the quality of life after no legislators from Lubbock agreed to file a bill to create a temporary sales tax to help pay for those upgrades. The proposed projects included facilities for career preparedness and technical training for workers, expanded retail opportunities, increased space for recreation and projects and to promote arts and entertainment.

The group still has other options such as bonds and the use of public and private grants to pay for those projects needed by the city, noted Eddie McBride (pictured), co-chair of Imagine Lubbock Together. The group plans to stage a public town hall meeting in April to discuss those options now that the temporary sales tax option is no longer available.

Legislators from Lubbock noted they need more information on specific projects backed by the group before agreeing to create a temporary sales tax in Lubbock to fund development. The civic group should focus on public-private partnerships and bond proposals to pay for improvements, one Lubbock legislator said.

Georgetown votes down one option for a former grocery store

Georgetown City Council members recently voted against one of two proposals to develop an abandoned, city-owned grocery store into a new conference center. The city paid about $4 million for the property to use for housing offices for police, fire and municipal court and has placed that property on the market for $3.6 million

.

After learning the conference center complex could cost from $15.5 million to $31.7 million, council members rejected the proposal directing city staff to study the cost of the project along with the market and traffic effects of renovating the former retail building into an exposition and conference center. The council, however, took no action on a second option to sell the property on North Austin Ave. 

City officials already agreed to purchase a new conference center at the Summit at Rivery Park for $10 million that is scheduled to begin construction later this year on 23.6 acres of land west of Interstate 35, noted one council member. That member voted against the option to perform a cost analysis on renovating the city-owned property into another conference center. 

Bellaire weighing options for aging city facilities

Presented with a plan for a $15 million civic center building, Bellaire City Council members recently began weighing options for repairing and renovating several existing facilities as opposed to building a new facility to house city offices, a police station, municipal court , a new library and space for civic functions.

City Manager Bernie Satterwhite (pictured) explained the options contained in a facilities assessment delivered to Council in late February. The updated study presented several options, including an option to spend $6.8 million to merge the police and municipal court in renovated space, $1.7 million to renovate city hall and $5.5 million to replace city hall.

Satterwhite is working with financial advisors to prepare a report on options for financing the various plans for improving city facilities, most of which were built in the 1970s or 1980s.

Corpus Christi takes first step to establish street maintenance fee

Corpus Christi City Council members recently took the first official step to establish a street maintenance fee to repair streets and roads neglected because of budget shortfalls.

After some business owners warned that high fees could put them out of business, city officials pledged to work with business owners to address concerns about the new street maintenance fee during the six weeks before a final vote on the new fee is expected.

The current proposal calls for residents to pay about a $7 monthly street maintenance fee, with some large commercial businesses paying as much as a $2,147 monthly fee to generate about $15 million annually for the street maintenance program. A committee appointed by Council held discussions for two years to identify how to pay for the estimated $1 billion needed to upgrade streets and roads not properly maintained and proposed the street user fees similar to programs in Austin and Bryan. Council members last year expressed support for adopting the proposed street maintenance fee.

Canutillo ISD demotes administrators for accountability actions

After a recent audit found administrators of the Canutillo Independent School District wrongfully classified students to meet federal accountability measures, school board members demoted several administrators identified in the audit.

District officials declined to identify the administrators, who also received a pay cut, because the decision was a personnel matter, said Armando Rodriguez (pictured), the school board president. The demoted employees include both district staff and administrators at Canutillo High School who were moved back to the classroom as teachers and are no longer in decision-making positions, Rodriguez said.

The audit by the Texas Education Agency revealed that administrators manipulated the number of limited-English students transferring from Mexico to inflate the federal accountability ratings for the high school.

San Elizario ISD officials admit to wrongfully classifying students

The superintendent of San Elizario Independent School District recently acknowledged that an internal investigation and a state audit revealed that some district administrators wrongfully classified students in an effort to improve scores on federal accountability standards. School district officials in nearby El Paso and Canutillo also have admitted to manipulating the classification of students to improve their federal accountability scores and the El Paso superintendent is serving time in federal prison for a similar incident of cheating.

During the time between 2008 and 2011, administrators for the San Elizario district wrongfully classified about 31 students as limited-English proficient who were held back or promoted, noted Superintendent Sylvia Hopp.

District officials are taking steps to correct the student classifications and ensure those students have the appropriate number of earned credits, Hopp said.

Keller ISD hires architectural firm to assess facilities

Keller Independent School District trustees recently selected a Plano-based architectural firm to assess all district facilities more than five years old. The firm was chosen from three finalists selected by administrative staff.

Trustees agreed to pay the firm about $247,000 to study 18 elementary schools, 10 middle and intermediate schools and three high schools along with some other district facilities, said Hudson Huff (pictured), director of planning and construction. The study should be completed in about four to five months and will review facilities for meeting accessibility standards, code compliance upgrades and for instructional support such as the availability of security and technology, he said.

With more than 5 million square feet of space in 39 schools in addition to other facilities such as athletic and service facilities, board members plan to use the study to prioritize projects to include in a possible bond election, Huff said.

Brownsville/South Padre airport eyeing $10 million upgrade

Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport officials recently announced a $10 million plan to improve the taxiway and extend the main runway in the next three years. The plan also may include expanding the passenger terminal, said Larry Brown, airport director.

Airport officials plan to pay 90 percent of the cost of the taxiway and runway upgrades using a grant from the Airport Improvement Program of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that are available only to airports that offer commercial air service. Revenue from the Passenger Facility Charge fund also will be used to pay for the improvements, Brown said. Airport officials plan on using $5 million to $7 million from an FAA fund reserved for such projects, he added.

Before construction on the project can begin on the taxiway and runway upgrades, however, the FAA must grant approval for airport officials to seek bids on the project. Expanding the passenger terminal to accommodate increased security is expected to begin in 2014 and cost about $15 million, Brown said. Airport officials plan to begin the second phase of the study to develop a more detailed view of the kind of terminal needed in light of the increased passenger and cargo activity expected in the future, he added. City officials most likely will need to ask voters to approve bonds to pay for expanding the passenger terminal, Brown said.

Wichita Falls ISD delays proposed November bond election

Wichita Falls Independent School District trustees recently agreed to postpone a bond election planned in November to help pay for consolidating and closing some schools as part of the district Choice Plan that would change attendance zones in the district.

Trustees, however, are still making changes to the Choice Plan and still need to complete a facility analysis of each building, decide on possible school closures, develop cost estimates of the plan and appoint a committee of community members to help prioritize and recommend projects for the proposed bond election. That must be completed before a bond election can be held, district officials said.

After agreeing more work is needed before asking voters to approve bonds, trustees scheduled a community forum next week to give the community a chance to discuss the proposed plan. District staff also is compiling a list of community members to serve on a bond committee and work has begun on a $128,000 facility analysis.

Hewitt approves $3.85 million for new police and fire facility

Hewitt City Council members recently approved the sale of $3.85 million in certificates of obligation to build a new facility for the police and fire departments.

Council members also approved the purchase of 10.39 acres of land on Richie Road for the new public safety complex instead of building on land the city purchased earlier, noted City Manager Adam Miles (pictured). The city plans to auction 1.25 acres of land on Richie Road and the current land on which the fire station is located to pay for the new site, Miles said.

The current fire station will remain open until the new police and fire facility is completed in late 2014 or early 2015 and then will be sold, he said. The land on Temple Road the city previously bought for the fire complex will be offered for sale or auction later when the city can earn a greater return, Miles said.

New Braunfels unveils propositions for $86 million bond election

New Braunfels city officials recently released an information guide to help educate voters on a proposed $86 million bond election on May 11.

The four propositions included in the bond ballot are:

• Proposition 1, funding for street improvements;
• Proposition 2, asks voters to approve funding for drainage and flood control;
• Proposition 3, seeks funding for parks and recreation and to improve open spaces; and
• Proposition 4 that authorizes funding for economic development.

The bond election information guide is available online or in hard copies at the municipal building, the public library and the administrative office of the parks and recreation department.
 

Bexar Co. to take over duties of Alamo Regional Mobility Authority

The board of the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) recently agreed to transfer all responsibilities of that agency to Bexar County Manager David Smith (pictured) or his "designee." The transfer permits county employees to handle any duties performed previously by RMA employees.

The vote was the first step in consolidating RMA operations with the county, a move recommended by Commissioner Kevin Wolff in June. Wolff argued that the $1.6 million annual operations budget for the nine-member staff of the RMA was too large as the toll authority has not yet built any toll roads. Ongoing environmental studies have delayed toll roads planned on US 281 and Loop1604, RMA officials said.

Currently, the RMA has only three remaining staff members, including a part-time office manager and the executive director, Terry Brechtel, whose resignation is effective on May 1. Plans call for an engineer to remain on the RMA staff until the interchange project at Loop1604 and US 281 is completed in June. Board members of the RMA retained the right to amend the new organizational model.

Midland approves $2.2 million to buy Midland County Courthouse

Midland City Council members recently approved $2.2 million to buy the former Midland County Courthouse as part of a project to revitalize the downtown area.

Council members are expected to enter into a public-private partnership to build a high-rise tower featuring a hotel, office space, a retail area, residential units and an entertainment center on the site on the old courthouse built in 1930. The courthouse remained vacant after county offices moved to a larger courthouse in 2010.

Fort Worth looking at privatizing some utility services

In the light of a possible $50 million budget shortfall next year, Fort Worth city officials recently appointed a Water Utility Task Force to study methods for the city to reduce water costs, including the possibility of privatizing some water services and management functions.

The water department, with more than 900 employees, is the only department large enough to study to help determine if the city can be more effective by outsourcing some services and management duties to private companies, said Assistant City Manager Fernando Costa (pictured).

Currently, the water department serves about 1.1 million users and any changes will occur only if privatizing some water services ensures consumer water bills remain reasonable while maintaining a high level of service, Costa said.

Denton updated on plan for new $85 million convention center

Denton City Council members recently heard an update on a proposal using a public-private partnership involving the city, the University of North Texas and a hospitality management firm to build a new $85 million convention center with a hotel and restaurant.

Assistant City Manager Jon Fortune told Council that hospitality management company officials agreed to be responsible for $60 million of the cost to build a hotel with a restaurant and bar with the city to provide $25 million for the convention center to be located on land near IH35E. The land would be leased from UNT, which plans to use the hotel in its school of hospitality. The convention complex would be exempt from some taxes because of the college involvement, Fortune said.

Current plans are for the city to sell bonds and use revenue from property taxes and hotel occupancy taxes to pay the $25 million contribution required from the city. Council is expected to vote on the convention center project in the next few months, Fortune said.

TGI to publish day early next

week because of Friday holiday

The Texas Government Insider will publish a day early next week. Because of the Good Friday holiday on Friday, March 29, the next edition of TGI will be on Thursday, March 28. We will resume our Friday publication dates on Friday, April 5.

The offices of Strategic Partnerships, Inc. will be closed on Friday, March 29, in observance of  Good Friday. SPI offices will re-open on Monday, April 1.

Bids for new Leander High

School to be sought next fall

Bids are expected to be sought next fall for the newest Leander High School. Expected to cost about $102.2 million, the new 435,000-square-foot building is expected to be completed within 24 months of the start of construction, in time for use in fall 2016. In addition to classroom space, the facility also will include space for 16 laboratories. It also will include space for culinary arts and construction schools.

School officials recently saw schematic plans for the school, which will be located off Bagdad Road near Benbrook subdivision in northern Leander. It and a middle school will share space on a 168-acre site.

Clamp tapped as new chair of Alamo Regional Mobility Authority

The governor recently appointed John Clamp (pictured), a former City Council member in San Antonio, as the chairman of the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (RMA), a transportation agency with tolling authority.

If confirmed by the Texas Senate, Clamp will replace Bob Thompson, the interim chairman of the Alamo RMA. Thompson assumed the post in June after county commissioners began efforts that successfully moved operations of the RMA to the county manager, David Smith.

Clamp, a Certified Public Accountant who was a Council member representing District 10 from 2007 to 2011, currently is the executive director of the San Antonio Hotel and Lodging Association. He also was a member of the Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization that oversees transportation planning for that region.

Coryell County seeks economic development consultant

Coryell County Economic Development Board members recently agreed to request proposals from an economic development consultant firm to help the county prepare an economic development strategy for unincorporated areas.

Carrying a $35,000 price tag, the economic development plan is needed to provide strategies and actions to increase the tax base by improving the business climate and creating higher paying jobs, said Barbara Burrow, a city councilwoman in Gatesville who joined the economic development board on Feb. 11.

Belton selects Huber as

new director of public works

Belton city officials recently selected Michael Huber as the new director of public works, effective April 1.

A professional engineer, Huber currently is the public works director in Aztec, New Mexico. He previously was a program manager for the Drinking Water Department Bureau of the State of New Mexico Environment Department and a project manager for a private data company in Texas.

Huber has a bachelor's degree from the New Mexico Tech University and a master's degree from Colorado State University. He holds professional engineer licenses in Texas and New Mexico.

New Braunfels selects Camareno as its new interim city manager

New Braunfels City Council members recently appointed Robert Camareno (pictured), the assistant city manager, as the interim city manager. Camareno replaces former City Manager Michael Morrison, who council dismissed on March 11.

Council members also voted to use city human resources staff to conduct a search for a new city manager rather than hire an outside agency or consultant for the search. The mayor predicted the search for a new city manager would take about six months.

Casas retiring as manager
of MUD in Duval County

Vic Casas, general manager of the Municipal Utility District in Duval County, recently announced he will retire after 20 years in that post. Casas attended Texas A&I University and was employed as a laboratory technician at a private company before joining the Duvall County MUD.

Rudy Torres of San Diego won selection to take over the duties of general manager of the MUD. This includes oversight of budget, finances, billing, construction projects and of both field and administrative staff that provide water and sewer service to county residents and businesses.

Round Rock Council appoints bond advisory commission

A 13-member bond advisory commission has been named by the city of Round Rock to assist the city as it prepares for a possible November bond vote. The commission will study the City Council's recommendation for a possible upcoming bond vote. Plans are to meet in April to discuss the recommendations and then present those recommendations to Council by late August.

At that point, if the Council decides to go forward with a bond referendum, it would likely call a vote for November.

Mendez to retire as superintendent of ECISD

After 38 years in public education, Superintendent Hector Mendez (pictured) recently announced plans to retire in June. Mendez was employed by the Ector County school district for 33 years and served as superintendent for six years.

Mendez previously was a teacher at San Angelo ISD and Midland ISD before joining Ector County ISD in 1980 where he was a teacher, principal, executive director and assistant superintendent. He was appointed as interim superintendent in July 2007 before being named superintendent in May 2008.

The retirement agreement permits Mendez to remain as superintendent until June 30 or work as a consultant until that date if the district hires a new superintendent before June 30.

Paris ISD hires Jones as

its new superintendent

After considering more than 40 applicants for the job, trustees for Paris Independent School District recently hired Paul Jones as the new superintendent.

Jones, a superintendent for Saltillo ISD for 11 years, began his career as a teacher at Greenville ISD. He will replace Superintendent Paul Trull, a superintendent for 12 years of his 44-year career with the Paris school district.

Arlington prepares for bond

sale for capital projects

The city of Arlington is preparing to sell bonds this summer, the proceeds of which would be used for longstanding infrastructure projects. The city also is proposing close to $55 million in capital projects for this year.

Most of the $20 million that officials hope to raise through the bond sale would go toward projects of the Public Works Department, including road repairs and upgrades to parks and buildings. A new fire station could also benefit from the sale of the bonds, as would water and sewer system projects.

Fort Bend ISD selects Dupre as lone finalist for superintendent

Fort Bend Independent School District trustees recently selected Charles Dupre (pictured), the superintendent at Pflugerville ISD, as the lone finalist for superintendent.

Dupre previously served 11 years as the chief financial officer and associate superintendent at the Fort Bend school district, the seventh largest in the state with almost 70,000 students enrolled in 74 schools. He joined the Pflugerville district in 2006.

Pflugerville ISD trustees plan to meet next week to decide the process to choose a new superintendent and develop a transition plan, district officials said.

Rowling $25M gift to kick

off building project at UT

The University of Texas' McCombs School of Business is on its way to getting a new building for its graduate programs, thanks to a $25 million gift from UT graduate and Dallas businessman Robert Rowling and his wife Terry. The gift is also expected to be used to help defray the costs of expanding the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center.

The Rowling donation is being used to help launch a capital campaign at UT, with a goal of raising $58.25 million to construct the Robert B. Rowling Hall, which is expected to open in 2017. Rowling, owner and chair of TRT Holdings, is a member of the McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame.

Hewitt approves bond sale

for new police, fire building

Officials in the city of Hewitt this week approved the sale of $3.85 million that will be used for construction of a new joint police and fire building. The decision to build a new facility is the result of information that reveals the current facilities are not up to code, and has damages that cannot be repaired.

The facility is expected to be built on land the city bought in 2009 at Old Temple and Spring Valley roads as a proposed new site for city buildings.

Bickley named new TxDOT

district engineer in Abilene

Herbert Bickley, a veteran of three decades of work with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), has been chosen as the new district director for the TxDOT Abilene District. The district includes Borden, Callahan, Fisher, Haskell, Jones, Kent, Mitchell, Nolan, Scurry, Shackleford, Stonewall and Taylor counties.

Bickley started with TxDOT in 1976 as a summer employee in San Augustine. He has served as director of transportation operations in the Lufkin district since 2000.

Bickley holds a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University. He replaces Lauren Garduno, who accepted a position as chief procurement and deputy administrative officer for TxDOT.

Check the GOVERNMENT NEWS section of the SPI Web site for these and other press releases.

• Round Rock's Parks and Recreation Department wins awards

• UTSA's Romo receives UC Berkeley leadership award

• TABC partners with businesses to reduce alcohol sales to minors

Cameron City selects Little

as interim city manager

Citing the need to manage large infrastructure projects, Cameron City Council members recently hired Lambert Little of Hamilton as the new interim city manager.

Little will work with City Manager Ricky Tow on a $1.2 million water system upgrade and an airport improvement project currently under way until the end of March. That will ease the transition when Tow leaves to serve as city manager in Bowie, city officials said.

A former city manager in Mexia, Edna, Clarendon and Hico, Little also has managed municipal water systems, said Tow, who recommended Council hire Little for the interim post.

Three earn appointments

to TAMU Board of Regents

Three new members have been appointed to the Texas A&M University Board of Regents - Tony Buzbee of Friendswood, Morris Foster of Austin and Charles Schwartz of Houston. Their appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.

Buzbee is an attorney and former adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center. He holds a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University and a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. Foster is a retired president of ExxonMobil Production Co. Foster received a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University. Schwartz is partner and office leader of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP. Schwartz received a bachelor's degree, a master's degree and a law degree from The University of Texas at Austin, and a master of laws degree from Harvard University.

Todd Williams resigns as superintendent at Kaufman ISD

Superintendent Todd Williams (pictured) of Kaufman Independent School District recently resigned, effective April 5, to become superintendent at Pleasant Grove ISD.

Kaufman ISD officials also named Assistant Superintendent Lori Blaylock to serve as interim superintendent for the remainder of the school term.

Williams, who served six years as superintendent at the Kaufman district, previously was employed as a superintendent at Mill ISD.

• Leslie Bingham of Brownsville, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs;
• Lowell Keig of Austin, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs;
• John Clamp of San Antonio, presiding officer, Alamo Regional Mobility Authority

Lee selected as interim city administrator in Ovilla City

Ovilla City Council members recently selected Jacqueline Lee as the new city administrator.

Lee, a former assistant city manager in Dallas and city manager in Glenn Heights, has agreed to work on a part-time basis four days a week until council finds a new city administrator. Lee will replace Robert Dormier, the mayor pro tem who has served as acting interim city administrator for several weeks.