Kent Hance to step down as Texas Tech System chancellor

Kent Hance (pictured), who has served as Texas Tech University System Chancellor since December 2006, is exoected to announce that he will step down from the top spot at the System in the summer of 2014. The Lubbock Avalance-Journal reports the announcement will likely be made during a Board of Regents meetng today, Friday, in Lubbock. 

Hance is a former member of the U.S. Congress, the Texas Senate and the Texas Railroad Commission. He also ran unsuccessful campaigns for Texas governor and the U.S. Senate.

Since his arrival at the Texas Tech System, Hance set a $1 billion fund raising goal for the System's capital campaign, and topped that mark earlier this year.

Amelang selected as new vice president for College of the Mainland

Mary Ann Amelang (pictured) recently agreed to return to College of the Mainland (COM) as the vice president for institutional advancement, a recently created position charged with fundraising. The position will also assume the responsibilities of at least two former departments.

First joining COM in 1999 as executive director of resource development, Amelang also served in a similar position at Lee College. She later became a grant consultant for several nonprofit and educational institutions, including the Harris County-City of Houston Coalition and Space Center Houston.

Amelang has a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston and a master's degree from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. In her new role at COM, she also will assume responsibility for marketing and communications and the COM Foundation, a nonprofit organization that maintains relations with alumni and provides scholarships to COM students.

TSTC Foundation selects Moore as new president

Board members of the Texas State Technical College (TSTC) Foundation recently elected Virgil Moore III president of the Breckenridge Economic Development Corp., as the new president of the charitable organization created to support TSTC and its students.

Other executive officers elected to the foundation board are Past President Curtis Cleveland of Central Texas Iron Works of Waco, Vice President Keith Honey of American Electric Power of Longview, Secretary Rene Capistran of SpawGlass in Harlingen and Treasurer Dr. Harold Rafuse of Waco.

TSTC Waco President Dr. Elton E. Stuckly, Jr., Frank Espinoza of American Electric Power-Texas in San Benito, Gregg Dodds of Texas Bank in Brownwood and Brian Green with Cypress Street Station in Abilene also serve as members on the board of directors of the foundation.

Sudhof, former UT Southwestern professor, wins Nobel Prize

The former chairman of the Neuroscience Department at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dr. Thomas Sudhof (pictured), recently became one of three scientists awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Now at Stanford University School of Medicine, Sudhof first began as a postdoctoral fellow in 1983 and his pioneering research at UT Southwestern over 25 years focused on synaptic transmission, or the process by which brain cells communicate with each other through chemical signals.

Sudhof's research of nerve-cell interaction and neurotransmitter release, or the process initiating communication between one neuron and other brain neurons, has resulted in a better understanding of brain function under normal conditions, or pathologic conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease. He also served on the faculty from 1986 until 2008, when he left to become a professor of molecular and cellular physiology at Stanford University.

Texas education group name two as Texas Teachers of the Year

At a ceremony at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) officials recently selected Monica Washington of the Texarkana Independent School District as the Texas High School Teacher of the Year. The group also named Jillian Howard of Clear Creek Independent School District as the Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Washington, an English teacher, also will represent Texas in the National Teacher of the Year competition. Howard is a third-grade bilingual teacher at C.D. Landolt Elementary School. To be selected, each teacher was chosen from a campus and a district and then a region. From this group of 40 teachers, six finalists are selected and interviewed by a panel of judges.

Four other finalists for the award are Connie Bagley of San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District, Julie Woodard of Rockwall ISD, Carlos Briano of Socorro ISD and Christian DeBerry of Northside ISD.

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Denton gearing up for bond election in November 2014

Denton City Council members recently began gearing up for a proposed bond election in November 2014 asking voters to approve from $30 million to $50 million to pay for construction projects for the next five years.

In a recent council session, city department heads outlined their priorities for capital improvement projects, including street reconstruction, a new library branch and numerous upgrades to parks. The cost of the priority projects backed by staff ranged from $141 million to almost $162 million. Council members also agreed they support $4 million yearly in bond funds allotted for street reconstruction and to renovate fire stations, at a total cost of $19 million, while the mayor supported building a downtown parking garage.

Council members plan to appoint 50 members to a bond committee that will be charged with planning the November bond election in addition to reviewing and prioritizing the capital improvement projects to be included in the bond proposition. 

The Texas Association of Community Colleges, Texas Completes and Educate Texas sponsored the conference in Houston at a campus of the Lone Star College (LSC) System attended by almost 300 persons. Major speakers and panel discussions included a state senator and representatives from The Meadows Foundation, Houston Endowment and the Lumina Foundation who focused on issues such as use of data, strengthening the pathways for transfer students and changing state policy.

LSC Chancellor Richard Carpenter shared the efforts of the LSC system to streamline and accelerate the paths of students to successfully complete their educational goals. These efforts include encouraging students to sign a pledge or contract to complete their studies and increasing faculty efforts to highlight the importance of completing a certificate or degree, Carpenter said.

The coalition of eight institutions that educates 316,000 students, or 43 percent of community college students in Texas, began about two years ago with representatives of the Lone Star College System, Alamo Colleges, Dallas County Community College District, El Paso Community College and South Texas Community College. This summer representatives from the Austin Community College District, Kilgore College and Odessa College joined Texas Completes. 

City of San Antonio OKs funding related to UIW medical school

A $7.7 million funding agreement has been approved by the San Antonio City Council toward projects related to the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) proposed medical school. The university is planning to build an osteopathic medical school in downtown San Antonio and the city is prepared to fund infrastructure improvements and job incentives related to the project.

UIW recently signed a letter of intent with the San Antonio ISD to lease land at its Fox Tech High School on which to build the medical school. The deal is contingent on UIW receiving financial support from Bexar County to help fund a parking garage at the school and on the university's ability to raise $50 million in private donations. UIW has named a second site in case the Fox Tech deal does not go through. That choice is Brooks-City Base.

The city of San Antonio funding would include $6.9 million for construction of a new road, extension of a water line and improvements to another street toward the Fox Tech campus. Another $800,000 from the Inner City Incentive Fund would be allocated in incentives for job creation and talent recruitment. An allocation of $138,000 from the city would be used to monitor the funding agreement.

PTSD researcher Lapiz-Bluhm earns national nursing honor

M. Danet Lapiz-Bluhm, Ph.D., R.N., an assistant professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, is one of only a dozen nursing educators throughout the United States to be awarded a highly competitive grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program this year. The Nurse Faculty Scholar award is given to junior faculty who show outstanding promise as future leaders in academic nursing.

Lapiz-Bluhm will receive a three-year, $350,000 award to promote her academic career and support her research in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She is the first professor from the UTHSCSA nursing school to earn this honor.  Lapiz-Bluhm said the award will allow her to conduct research on cognitive and neurotrophic markers for PTSD and response to treatment.

As part of her research plan, Dr. Lapiz-Bluhm will collaborate with the South Texas Research Organizational Network Guiding Studies on Trauma and Resilience, commonly called STRONG-STAR, a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research consortium funded by the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. They will work to develop and evaluate the most effective early interventions possible for the detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of combat-related PTSD in active-duty military personnel and recently discharged veterans.

El Paso delays decision on $3M in tax breaks for downtown hotel

El Paso city officials recently agreed to delay action on a request by a hotel company for $3 million in tax breaks to help build a new $17 million Courtyard by Marriott Hotel next to an existing hotel in the downtown area.

The city has hired a consultant to review the proposal before city staff makes a recommendation on the request for $3 million in tax incentives, noted Mathew McElroy (pictured), director of the City Development Department.

The review, which should be completed in about 45 days, is expected to include projected construction costs, management costs, occupancy rates and room rates to determine if the city should participate in the new hotel project. 

Clear Lake ISD unveils plans for $98.6 million high school project

Clear Lake Independent School District officials recently unveiled plans for a new $98.6 million project to renovate Clear Lake High School into a more modern and larger facility, as seen in the accompanying artist's rendering.

Current plans call for connecting an existing field house to the main campus, moving the main entrance and creating a more impressive main entrance. The futuristic design also calls for the extensive use of glass and creates an S-like main corridor to science labs for the two-story facility.

Construction is scheduled to begin in late April 2014 with the first phase to include the fine arts complex with an auditorium, library, theater, art rooms, practice rooms and counseling center. The second phase calls for renovating the classroom section, while the third phase is expected to address locker rooms, gym lobby, practice fields and building or renovating parking lots. Voters approved a $367 million bond election in May 2013 to pay for the renovation. 

Missouri City seeking public input on proposed bond proposal in May

Missouri City officials recently scheduled a public meeting of the Bond Exploratory Committee to seek public input on proposed projects to be included in a possible bond election in May 2014.

After meeting for nine months, committee members proposed $10 million to pay for a feasibility study and upgrades to the city hall, $8 million to build a new fire station and expand the Public Safety Center and $13 million for improvements to roads, bridges and sidewalks.

Other recommendations for inclusion in the proposed bond election are $6.5 million for drainage projects and $2.5 million to upgrade parks and recreation projects. After the public meeting, committee members plan to present their recommendations to city council in December, who will then decide whether to schedule the election. 

Blinn College taps Caton as director of campus in Sealy

Blinn College officials recently tapped Lisa Caton (pictured) as the new campus director in Sealy. She replaces the former campus director, Jeri Dulaney, who resigned in June.

Beginning her career as an advertising representative for a newspaper in Corsicana, Caton then moved to administrative positions at Navarro College, where she later won promotion as director of marketing. She also worked in business development for two private health care companies.

Caton has a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University and a master's degree from Texas A&M University.

Texas A&M could be opening branch campus in Israel

After administrators of the Texas A&M University System's recent trips to Israel, the Bryan-College Station Eagle is reporting that Texas A&M could be close to opening a branch campus there. The Eagle today, Friday, is quoting a source close to the university as saying the A&M System officials - Chancellor John Sharp, Provost Karan Watson and Rabbi Peter Tarlow, former executive director of the A&M Hillel - made trips to Israel to negotiate the partnership.

Sharp announced during a fundraiser earlier this week that the System was working on a collaboration with Israel, but declined to give specifics. Sharp said he would make an announcement within the next two weeks.

Leander creates committee to develop a veterans park

Leander city officials recently created a Veterans Park Committee to oversee the development of a new park to provide a place for veterans to reflect on their time in the service and for residents to remember service members lost in military action.

Committee members are charged with raising funds for the park to be located on a 3.3-acre site donated by developers of a subdivision near the public library. Preliminary plans call for a pond and a wall listing those who served in the armed services for the park with an estimated price tag of $800,000. A planned sculpture of a rotating eagle is not included in that estimate, said Steve Bosak, director of parks and recreation for the city. The city has no plans to allocate funding from the city budget for the proposed park, the city manager said. 

El Paso approves plan to buy and renovate historic Lincoln Center

El Paso City Council members recently agreed to develop a plan to buy and renovate the 100-year-old, state-owned Lincoln Center into a community building in the south central area of the city.

City officials previously leased the building from the state and operated it as a recreation center and offices for the parks department until it was closed in 2006. The city terminated the lease in 2011 after deciding the estimated cost of $3.6 million to remodel the building into a full-service recreation center. Plans to demolish the building have been put on hold several times.

At the urging of Mayor Oscar Leeser (pictured), council directed city staff members to explore both options of leasing or buying the building from the state transportation department. The mayor also urged the city to work with the Lincoln Conservation Committee and other community groups to explore the best use of the facility and help identify funding for the renovation. Texas Department of Transportation officials also have agreed to allow a year for officials of El Paso Community College to decide whether to enter into a multiple-use agreement for Lincoln Center. 

Group buys El Paso hotel property for $8 million renovation project

With the prospect of receiving $3.06 million in incentives from the city of El Paso, a group of hotel operators recently purchased the former 100-room Artisan Hotel with the goal of starting work on an $8 million renovation of the downtown hotel before the end of the year.

While the city council has approved $3.06 million in tax rebates and other incentives, the ownership group has not approved an agreement with one of the approved six national hotel brands specified by the city. The managing partner of the group said a hotel brand would be selected in the next 30 to 45 days. He also said he plans to obtain a city permit within weeks to begin inside demolition of the hotel.

Under the agreement with the city, the upgraded hotel must be open for business by June 2015, but the group plans to complete the hotel renovation by the end of 2014, a spokesman for the hotel operators said.

The Woodlands put plans on hold to renovate fire station

Officials of The Woodlands Township recently agreed to delay a planned renovation of Fire Station 2 on

Gosling Road.

The station currently is too small to accommodate both the fire department and Montgomery County Hospital District and city officials had planned to add dormitory space, storage and offices to the 27-year-old building. Township officials later determined the building was "functionally unsatisfactory" to support daily use by personnel from both agencies. Staff had explored two options and recommended a minor renovation costing about $1.65 million, rather than the $2.78 million renovation calling for demolishing all exterior walls and redesigning the exterior to meet current standards for the township.

Currently, the Montgomery County Hospital District operates an ambulance at Fire Station 8 because of the lack of space at Station 2, but hospital district officials said they prefer to move back to Station 2 because it would hasten response times to more populous areas. 

Rand to take over as commander of AETC in San Antonio

Gen. Robin Rand (pictured) will take over from Gen. Edward A. Rice, Jr. as the new commander of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC), headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.

Rand is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he was awarded a bachelor's degree in aviation science. He attended Squadron Officer School in 1982 at Maxwell AFB in Alabama, and earned a master's degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida, and a master's degree in national security policy from the Naval College of Warfare at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

During his military career, Rand served as an air liaison officer with the U.S. Army. His previous commands include the 36th Fighter Squadron, USAF Weapons School, 8th Fighter Wing, 56th Fighter Wing and 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad Air Base in Iraq.

Williamson sets aside $8 million for radio upgrade, maintenance

Williamson County commissioners recently approved $8 million to pay for capital improvement projects that include a new $4.5 million radio tower in Cedar Park, microwave upgrades and $700,000 to upgrade plumbing at the county jail.

Other upgrades on tap include $476,146 to repair parking lots at county parks and the county jail in Georgetown. County officials also plan to spend $400,000 to buy new software, $130,000 to apply waterproofing to the courthouse and $125,000 for new video display dockets for courtrooms.

County officials plan to use $6.3 million from county reserve funds, $1.5 million from previous bond elections and $436,000 in certificate of obligation approved in 2006 to pay for the capital improvement projects. 

Texas A&M extension service to offer online course for fire officers

The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) recently began the launch of a new online version of the agency's popular Fire Officer I course to be available on Nov. 4. The online course allows fire departments to save money on travel and overtime costs because most employees must spend less time on travel status, said Robert Barron, training manager for TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute.

The 40-hour, Internet-based course is aimed at online fire company officers and fire department supervisors in Texas and from other states, Barron said. Once students complete the online course, they are required to attend and successfully complete a one-day training session and receive a skills assessment in person to earn certification from the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association or Texas Commission on Fire Protection. To earn certification from the ProBoard, however, students must complete a two-day session on skills and an assessment. 

City Manager Massoud Ebrahim (pictured) of Greenville recently urged city council to consider approval of a $12 million plan to extend water and sewer services to 4,000 acres of property along Interstate 30.

The city annexed the property in 1996 and still offers no water or sanitary sewer service to the area identified as having the most potential for future growth, Ebrahim said. He urged installing the new infrastructure now to take advantage of the current high interest of those wishing to locate along the I-30 corridor between FM1570 and Monty Stratton Parkway.

Presenting the results of a preliminary design for a lift station with a million-gallon-per-day capacity, Ebrahim said the project also includes installing 35,000 feet of gravity pipelines and force mains to deliver the effluent to the wastewater treatment station on the city's east side at a total cost of about $12 million for the entire project. Construction could be completed in 18-20 months, he said. Council members took no action on the recommendation.

Crews begin demolition of portions of Astrodome

With Harris County voters set to decide in November whether to renovate the Astrodome into an events center or demolish the domed stadium, work crews recently began demolition on portions of the Astrodome.

Harris County commissioners are asking voters to approve a $217 million bond proposition on Nov. 5 to fund the renovation of the Astrodome. If the bond fails, Edgardo Colon, chairman of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corp. (HCSCC), said the stadium most likely faces demolition. The HCSCC plan calls for removing exterior seating and raising the floor of the domed stadium to street level to create 350,000 square feet of exhibition space and 400,000 square feet set aside for green space and a plaza.

Demolition work will be limited to the extremities such as ticket booths. Much of the demolition work will be needed whether or not voters decide to repurpose the facility, county officials said. The National Trust for Historic Preservation also listed the Astrodome as among 37 sites included in its "National Treasures" campaign to reuse and preserve historic sites.

East Texas COG declines to join statewide health care coalition

The executive committee of the East Texas Council of Governments, which represents 14 counties, recently declined to join a statewide coalition of navigators providing help to Texans to find health insurance on the federal exchange operated under the Affordable Care Act.

ETCOG executives plan to team up with Tarrant County United Way and 11 councils of government on the CHIMES Consortium that was created with $206,000 in federal funding to provide one-on-one counseling. That counseling would be available to nearly 79,000 in Northeast Texas living near or below the poverty line and who have no health insurance. 

City of Pearland to explore park-and-ride options

Following a decision by Metropolitan Transit Authority to postpone plans to build a $14 million park-and-ride facility in the Pearland area, Pearland city officials recently agreed to discuss options to create a park-and-ride facility without involving the transit authority.

Metro purchased 15 acres near northbound SH288 for a facility with 1,000 parking spaces along with a three-bay bus facility with a canopy and seating. The new interim president of Metro, however, said his board members are refocusing the agency's efforts on three new rail lines under development and has no start date planned for the proposed park-and-ride facility. The price estimate for the facility also may be too low, he added.

Metro officials also said they question how much investment the agency should make in areas outside its service area because no tax revenue is available to the transit authority. Voters in Pearland could approve a 1 percent sales tax and join the service area, but Metro officials said they had seen little or no support for that effort. 

Alpine City Council members recently selected Virgil Clark as the interim utility director. He replaces the former utility director, Cindy Hollander, who decided to retire earlier than planned. Clark, who now operates a utility services company in Alpine, previously served as utility director for the city. City officials expect to launch a search for a new utility director soon.

Water technology, policy conference available on-site and online
The University of Texas at Austin's Center for Lifelong Engineering Education will host a Water Technology & Policy conference on Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct 22 and 23. The event, which is available both on-site and online, will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. The conference will provide participants an overview of water and its role in society. The program includes an introduction to quantitative concepts in water, including an introduction to the hydrological cycle (including sources and types of water, flows/fluxes and basics of hydrogeology); differences among treatment methods and technologies; water infrastructure; and societal aspects such as culture, economics, war and international affairs. The course will cover brief snippets of water history, use real-world examples and look toward the future. Emphasis will also be given to the role of water in Texas. Cost for groups of three or more from the same company is $400. Government and senior costs are $400 and the interactive online video fee is $250. Registration is now open.

Conference to address construction project construction, startup
The University of Texas at Austin's Center for Lifelong Engineering Education will host "Construction Industry Institute Project Management: Project Construction and Startup," a conference to address these topics: Managing the Small Project, Planning for Startup, Project Delivery and Contract Strategies, International Project Risk Assessment (IPRA), Construction Safety: Zero Accidents, Materials Management. The conference is set for Monday through Thursday, Oct. 14-18. The Monday through Thursday sessions will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Friday session is from 8 a.m. to noon. The conference will be in the Thompson Conference Center, 2405 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin, TX 78712. For more information and to register, click here.

Belton gains almost $3 million

for planned bridge project

The Killeen-Temple Metropolitan Planning Organization recently approved $2.99 million for Belton to help pay for a $5.99 million bridge project to expand 9th Avenue to ease traffic congestion in the downtown area.

Current plans call for extending 9th Avenue from Loop 121 to University Drive to connect the loop with Main Street and provide additional routes for emergency vehicles and reduce response time, city officials said.

A 2011 cost benefit analysis estimated the reduced congestion and actual miles traveled as a result of the road extension would provide an estimated $48 million in cost savings. 

Edinburg wins $10.5 million

loan to expand water plant

Edinburg city officials recently won approval of a $10.5 million loan to pay for expanding the city's water plant.

City officials expect to expand the plant by 8 million gallons per day to meet state requirements that water districts must plan for growth as use reaches current capacity. Currently, the two water plants are at 92 percent capacity, said City Manager Ramiro Garza (pictured).

Current plans are to seek construction bids for the water plant expansion project in early 2014. The expansion project should be completed in two years after construction begins, city officials said. 

Humble kicks off $3.5M project to renovate school into theater space

Humble city officials recently allotted $3.5 million to remove asbestos from and renovate a former high school to become a performing arts center.

Current plans call for cleaning out the first and second floor while adding a stage, seats and several rooms on the first floor for pre-show activities or meetings. The former auditorium will be used as a performing arts center for local and traveling performers, city officials said.

The city acquired the former high school from the school district, which had planned to demolish the facility. City officials are searching for grants to help pay for the renovation project.

Taylor begins work as public

works director in Conroe

Scott Taylor recently began his new duties as public works director in Conroe. He replaced former Public Works Director Dean Towery, who retired after 32 years with the city.

Most recently with the North Texas Water District, Taylor also worked for the Harris County Flood Control District and for 17 years with the city of Wichita Falls. Taylor earned two degrees from Texas Tech University, with both degrees focusing on water resources. 

Nueces County taps Rock for board of regional transportation authority

Nueces County commissioners recently appointed Curtis A. Rock (pictured), the chief administrative officer for an engineering and testing laboratory, to the board of directors of the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority (CCRTA). Rock is one of three appointments to the authority made by county commissioners.

Rock has served as chair and as a member of the City of Corpus Christi Transportation Advisory Committee, a member of the planning commission and a treasurer of the alumni board of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He holds a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and won appointment to a two-year term that began on Oct. 9.

Commissioners also reappointed Angie Flores-Granado, the chief of staff to a state representative and the secretary to the CCRTA board, and Lamont Taylor, a former employees of the CCRTA, who served on the planning commission in Corpus Christi and now serves on the operations, rural affairs and governmental relations subcommittees for the transportation authority. 

Longview ISD selects Williams

as assistant superintendent

Longview Independent School District trustees recently selected Horace Williams (pictured) as the new assistant superintendent tasked with improving the academic performance of students.

Williams previously served as superintendent of Cedar Hill ISD and at Diboll ISD and as a teacher for Houston ISD.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur proceeding with $6.6M dorm plans

Officials of Lamar State College-Port Arthur recently received a $6.6 million cost estimate to build a dormitory with 100 beds to establish student housing on campus.

Current plans call for the facility to provide both double and single-occupancy rooms available for students enrolled in on-campus classes at LSC-PA, said President Sam Monroe. The facility also would include laundry rooms in addition to access to the Internet and cable.

LSC-PA officials are meeting with the Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation to request $3 million from the city to help pay for the new dormitory facility as now permitted under new legislation approved during the last legislative session. House Bill 2473 allows economic development corporations operated by cities to use tax proceeds for projects involving housing facilities for institutions of higher learning. 

Waters to lead San Antonio Economic Development Foundation

Steve Waters (pictured), general counsel for USAA Real Estate Company, recently won appointment as chair of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation.

Waters succeeds Henry Cisneros, the former San Antonio mayor who had served as chairman of the economic development group. Cisneros, however, will continue to serve on the executive committee of the foundation, which is credited with assisting 14 companies to locate or expand in the city and the addition of more than 2,000 new jobs, according to the president of the economic development group. 

Bastrop to play host to 16th

annual wildfire academy

Camp Swift at Bastrop will be host to firefighters from across the nation today, Friday, through Thursday, Oct. 24, for the 16th Annual Capital Area Interagency Wildfire Academy. The academy is intended for all levels of municipal, rural volunteer and wildland firefighters. The wildfire academy is one of the nation's largest.

Attendees are able to pick and choose classes ranging from basic to advanced firefighting and leadership to emergency vehicle and dozer operations. The academy is set up like a wildfire incident so those attending will know exactly how a real incident plays out. "The academy gives our guys the opportunity for hands on practice and world class training from some of the leaders in firefighting," said TFS Wildland Urban Interface Specialist Andy McCrady. "It doesn't get more real than this."

The academy is a joint effort coordinated by Texas Army National Guard, Texas A&M Forest Service, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Weather Service, The Nature Conservancy, National Wildfire Coordinating Group and Texas Wildfire Association.

Warren Ernst selected

as city attorney in Dallas

Dallas City Council members recently selected Warren Ernst (pictured) as the new city attorney to replace former City Attorney Tom Perkins.

Serving as the interim city attorney since Perkin's retirement, Ernst joined the city in 2003. He previously spent 20 years in private practice. Ernst holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from the University of Maryland in addition to a J.D. degree from Boston College Law School.

Steve Howerton retiring

as city manager in Ennis

City Manager Steve Howerton of Ennis recently announced he is retiring from that post.

Responding to the announcement, city commissioners approved a contract with a search firm to help in their efforts to hire a new city manager. Howerton has agreed to provide assistance if needed in the search effort, the mayor said.

Cook promoted to marketing, communications post at DCCCD

Kathy Cook (pictured), director of advertising for the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD), has been promoted to the post of director of marketing and communications for the district. Cook began her career with DCCCD more than 35 years ago and since 2001 has managed the district's advertising campaigns, media buys and promotional efforts.  She works with all media, on community outreach activities and marketing.

Her career with DCCCD started with Cook as coordinator of public information at Richland College. She progressed from there to director of public information at Mountain View College, public information specialist in the district's administrative offices and, most recently, district director of advertising and promotions. 

Cook holds a bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin and an associate's degree from the paralegal program at El Centro College.

Gold-Burg ISD selects Ellis

as new superintendent

Trustees for the Gold-Burg Independent School District recently selected Roger Ellis as the new superintendent. Ellis, who began his new duties on Oct. 10, previously was a high school principal for Tom Bean ISD.

Ellis replaced former Superintendent Kenny Miller, who resigned in June to take a job at the Region 9 Service Center in Wichita Falls.

Richardson chamber executive

to head international council

William C. "Bill" Sproull (pictured), president and CEO of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce, Metroplex Technology Business Council and the Richardson Economic Development Partnership, has been elected chair of the Board of Directors of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Sproull will retire from his former role as vice chair and begin his new one-year term next January.

The (IEDC) is a nonprofit membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 4,000 members, it is the largest organization of its kind. Sproull has previously held senior economic development positions at the Greater Dallas Chamber, the McKinney Economic Development Corporation and at the EDC of Kansas City, Missouri.

Sproull holds a bachelor's degree from Baylor University.

Pine Tree ISD allots $500,000 to upgrade security at all campuses

Pine Tree Independent School District board members recently approved $500,000 to upgrade security at each of the campuses in the district.

The plan calls for spending $300,000 for security modifications to facilities, including new security fencing at the high school, said Judy Downing, chief financial officer for the district. Entrances to each campus also were secured and visitors will be required to register before gaining access to any other areas of the campus, she said.

The district also plans to spend $200,000 to pay campus security personnel, with $120,000 set aside for resource officers at the high school and junior high school and $80,000 for off-duty officers for each campus, Downing said.

Wilson to retire as city manager

of city of El Paso in September

City Manager Joyce Wilson (pictured) of El Paso recently notified city council members she plans to retire when her contract expires in September 2014.

Selected as the city's first city manager in 2004, Wilson began her career as an executive assistant to the city manager in Richmond, Virginia. She also was a planning and research associate for Cambridge Community Services in Cambridge, Massachusetts; an assistant city manager in Richmond, Virginia; a city administrator in Yuma, Arizona; and the deputy county manager for Arlington County, Virginia.

Wilson has a bachelor's degree from Virginia Commonwealth College in Virginia and a master's degree from Harvard University. She plans to work with the mayor and council members in the transition and to assist in their search for a new city manager. The mayor said the search for a new city manager could begin in about six months.

Ritter selected as new

finance director in Huntsville

Huntsville City Council members recently selected Steve Ritter, who has served as interim finance director since December, as the new finance director for the city. Ritter has a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston. 

Tornillo ISD terminates Ruybe

as interim superintendent

Citing the need to provide relief from performing two jobs, trustees for Tornillo Independent School District recently terminated Margaret Ruybe as interim superintendent.

Board members appointed Ruybe, who also has continued to serve as principal of Tornillo High School, as interim superintendent in November to replace former Superintendent Paul Vranish, who was placed on leave and then resigned in December. The action came following questions surrounding reimbursements made to him and his wife, also a district employee. 

Longview city manager to assume duties of assistant city manager

Longview City Manager David Willard (pictured) recently told city officials he plans to take over the duties of former Assistant City Manager Chuck Ewing, as a money-saving effort until he finds a new assistant city manager.

In assuming those duties, Willard will directly supervise the Development Services, Community Services, Information Services and Human Resources departments until spring. Ewing agreed to resign in early August after becoming assistant city manager in 2007. 

Morris Foster elected

chairman of UTIMCO

Morris Foster has been elected chair of The University of Texas Investment Management Co. (UTIMCO). The nonprofit manages higher education endowments and other assets that generally benefit The University of Texas System and the Texas A&M University System. He succeeds Paul Foster of El Paso as chair.

Morris Foster is a regent for the Texas A&M System, chair of Stagecoach/Millcreek Resort and a former oil company executive.

San Antonio Water System

board to have new members

With three members of the board of the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) remaining in place, the San Antonio City Council this week added former City Councilman Reed Williams to the board and reappointed trustee Louis Rowe to his Northeast Side post.

By Oct. 22, the board will have new representation in the Northwest, South, Southeast and Southwest sectors. Three of the seven remain on the board, including Mayor Julian Castro an ex-officio member. The board then will include the mayor, Chair Berto Guerro, Rowe, Williams, Pat Jasso, Patricia Merritt and Ernesto Arellano.

East Texas COG selects McKinney as new first vice chairman

The executive committee of the East Texas Council of Governments recently named Wade McKinney (pictured), a commissioner in Henderson County, as the new vice chairman.

His duties include presiding over meetings of the executive committee when the chairman, Mayor Angela Raiborn of Rusk, is absent. McKinney was the second vice chairman in 2012-2013. Committee members also attend grant hearings to determine which entities are selected for grant funding that becomes available.

• Jaime E. Tijerina of Mission, judge of the 92nd Judicial District;
• Rick J. Kennon of Round Rock, judge of the 368th Judicial District in Williamson County;
• Marc Brown of Houston, justice of the 14th Court of Appeals;
• Stacey Mathews of Austin as judge of the 277th Judicial District in Williamson County;
• Gene Adams of Frisco, Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee;
• Mario R. Anzaldua of Mission, Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee;
• Oralia V. Bazaldua of San Antonio, Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee;
• Donna Burkett of Austin, Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee;
• Michelle Farmer-Driscoll of Spring, Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee;
• Rene Garza of Austin, Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee;
• Harris M. Hauser of Houston, Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee;
• Bob Hillert Jr. of Dallas, Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee;
• Scott Schams of College Station, Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee;
• Dawnelle Schatte of Houston, Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee;
• Carl Tapia of Houston, Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee;
• David Landis of Perryton, Texas Municipal Retirement System Board of Directors;
• Julie Oakley of Spicewood, Texas Municipal Retirement System Board of Directors;
• John "Neal" Rutledge of Austin, chair, Texas Council on Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke;
• Suzanne Monsour of Pearland, Texas Council on Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke;
• Tonya Baer of Austin, Office of Public Utility Counsel;
• Elizabeth Beach of Fort Worth, judge of the Tarrant County Criminal District Court No. 1;
• Joe Colonnetta of Dallas, Texas Teacher Retirement System Board of Trustees;
• David Corpus of Humble, Texas Teacher Retirement System Board of Trustees;
• Dolores Ramirez of San Benito, Texas Teacher Retirement System Board of Trustees.

Killeen purchases new facility

for water, sewer department

Killeen City Council members recently approved $435,000 for the purchase of a warehouse and two adjacent buildings with parking on a 1.25-acre site to house the city's water and sewer department.

Current plans are to renovate the property over a three-year period to create 10 offices, a training room, lab, meter shop and parking area at a total cost of about $776,000 allotted in the city's 2014 budget, said Scott Osburn, the deputy city attorney.

Sugar Land Independent School District trustees recently ended the iAchieve program, a $16 million plan to use iPads to improve science scores by expanding the interactive curriculum. The action followed a study revealing several major problems.The study conducted by a consultant hired by the board indicated managers in the program possessed inadequate skills and that the vendor developing the learning platform was a start-up company with no previous curriculum experience. The superintendent and chief information officer who led implementation of the iAchieve program also are no longer employed with the school district.