Austin ISD losing its superintendent after five years

Carstarphen pulling up stakes in Central Texas to lead Atlanta Public Schools

Austin Independent School District is losing its superintendent of five years. Superintendent Meria Carstarphen (pictured) Thursday was named the lone finalist for the superintendent post in the Atlanta (Georgia) Public Schools.

AG's office to relocate 300 workers to downtown San Antonio

Three hundred members of the Texas Attorney General's Office in San Antonio will be getting new office space in the downtown area. The San Antonio Business Journal reports the OAG office will be located in 50,000 square feet of space instead of in other leased spaces in San Antonio.

The OAG will not specify the location downtown because of the secure nature of its work there. Moving the workers in various leased spaces is part of the OAG's effort to consolidate office space in urban centers in the state, according to the Business Journal.

State to memorialize fellow Texans lost in Vietnam War

Dedication of Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument set March 29

The more than 3,400 Texans who died in the Vietnam War will finally have a memorial to their service on the Texas State Capitol grounds when the Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument (piictured) is dedicated Saturday, March 29. The ceremony dedicating the statue will occur 41 years to the day after the last American combat troops left Vietnam after nine years of war.

The dedication ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and will include veterans, active-duty military, families of veterans and elected officials. Robert Floyd, who chaired the monument committee, said the monument will be a "long overdue 'welcome home' for a generation of veterans who served during a divisive time in our nation." He said the monument will "stand forever in honor of Texans who served with courage, skill and dignity, some at the cost of their lives, when their country asked them to do so."

In addition to dedication of the monument, there will be a "Welcome Home Fair' with Vietnam war equipment and a display of 3,417 personalized dog tags representing the Texas military souls lost in Vietnam. Among the speakers will be U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson of Dallas, an Air force aviator held captive as a Prisoner of War for seven years in Vietnam, and Lt. Gen. Mick Kicklighter, director of the United States 50th Commemoration of the Vietnam War.

The monument was produced at the Deep in the Heart Art Foundry in Bastrop. It was designed by artist Duke Sundt, with finishing artists Clint Howard and Jake Jokovich sculpting the final details. For more information on the monument, click here.

Two canine teams graduate from DPS training school

One of the DPS canine teams in action.

Two new troopers and two canines recently completed a multi-week training program at the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). The teams will join 41 other canine teams stationed throughout the state tasked with helping fight crime by detecting explosives and illegal drugs.    

Both of the dogs are Belgian Malinois and were obtained from the U.S. Department of Defense, according to the DPS. One dog will be used to detect explosives and the other will be used for drug detection. 

DPS has six explosive-detection canine teams stationed in Austin and other canine teams stationed throughout the state. 

Those canine teams in 2013 assisted in seizing about 455 pounds of cocaine, 16 pounds of heroin, 338 pounds of methamphetamine and $6.2 million in cash. 

Hadlock to retire from North Central Texas College

TEA appoints 13 to Expanded Learning Opportunities Council

Texas Education Agency officials recently selected 13 members to serve on the new Expanded Learning Opportunities Council (ELOC). Created by the 83rd Texas Legislature, the new council is charged with studying expanded learning opportunities such as extended school days and reviewing structured programs such as before- and after-school programs to increase learning opportunities for public school students.

Serving on the ELOC are Lizzette Gonzales Reynolds, chief deputy commissioner of education at TEA; Terry Conner, a partner at the Haynes & Boone law firm; Leila Membreno Hernandez, an associate professor at The University of Texas-Pan American; Mark Kiester, president and chief executive officer of the Boys and Girls Club of the Austin Area; Dr. Robert Sanborn, president and CEO of Children at Risk; and Donna Wasielewski, program director of Williamson County Juvenile Services.

Also appointed were Aimee Clapp, a teacher at Ysleta Independent School District; Dr. Kurt Hulett, a principal for Killeen ISD; Mynder Kelly, a teacher at Sulphur Springs ISD; Dr. Jodi Duron, superintendent at Elgin ISD; Terese Stevenson, senior program officer for the Rees-Jones Foundation, Angel Toscano, manager of after school programs at ACTIVE Life; and Susan Baskin, co-owner and director of Camp Champions. Council members agreed to meet at least three times to focus on innovative, hands-on learning activities to complement current curriculum and deliver a report to the governor, legislators and TEA.

Blinn College raises general fees to pay for capital projects

Blinn College trustees recently increased student general fees from $37 to $44 per credit hour to raise about $2.8 million per semester to pay for capital projects and facility upgrades.

Students taking 12 credit hours will pay an additional $84 a semester to provide more funding for student services, institutional support and spending for non-academic facilities to meet the demands of anticipated enrollment growth, said Kelli Shomaker (pictured), chief financial officer for Blinn College.

Trustees also approved new housing fees expected to raise about $179,075 a year to pay for upgrades to housing facilities on the Brenham campus.

Alamo Colleges issues RFP regarding administrative facility

Alamo Colleges is seeking proposals for construction of a new administrative headquarters just off the Broadway corridor in San Antonio. The facility, to be built on the old Playland Park amusement center site, will also be a mixed-use complex. Plans are to seek a public-private partnership for the project, which could also include either an exchange of property for an administration building or building on the new 12-acre site.

That site, which the college district has owned since 2008, is currently being used for overflow parking for San Antonio College. Other pieces of the project include the administrative building with a chancellor's suite; mixed-use residential, commercial or retails spaces; green spaces, a plaza and walking trails; a parking garage with approximately 1,000 spaces and retail surface parking; a physical plant and sustainable design that includes energy, water and water conservation measures; and security measures. The deadline for submitting proposals is May 20.

Greenville to take ownership of $6.87 million airport building

The Greenville City Council recently discussed acceptance of a new $6.87 million warehouse facility under construction at Majors Field, the municipal airport. The new warehouse will be a 206,000-square-foot building with a mezzanine, racking system, two offices, a common area, a break room and restrooms and should be completed in April 2015.

The agreement with the Greenville Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) calls for L-3 Mission Integration, a defense contractor, to immediately transfer ownership of new buildings and any renovation or expansion of existing buildings at the municipal airport to the IDC, which then transfers ownership of the new or upgraded facilities to the city.

Breslin to lead American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Eileen T. Breslin (pictured), dean of the School of Nursing at The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio (UTHSCSA), recently took over the reins as president of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). She was sworn in at the group's annual meeting in Washington D.C.

Since joining UTHSCSA as the dean of nursing in April 2008, Breslin has focused on addressing the nationwide shortage of nurses and improving the quality of care in South Texas. She also has served as president-elect, treasurer and a member of the Government Affairs Committee of the AACN, promoting better education for nurses.

Breslin earned certification as a nurse practitioner from the University of New Mexico, a bachelor's degree from Northern Arizona University, a master's degree from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado.

Frisco agrees to partner to build new neighborhood park

Frisco City Council members recently approved agreements to work with the school district and a developer to build a 12-acre neighborhood park.

The agreements permit the city to buy land from the Frisco Independent School District to build a neighborhood park that will feature practice fields for sports events, city officials said. Partnering with the developer should result in the city saving from $200,000 to $300,000 on the cost of developing the park to be located just west of a new high school, city officials said.

Buda eyeing $30 million bond election in November

Buda City Council members recently began discussions on whether to ask voters to approve about $30 million in bonds in November to pay for upgrades to infrastructure.

A financial advisor presented bond options ranging from $10 million to $40 million and council members tentatively agreed that a $30 million bond issue would best address projects in the city's master plan, including upgrades to drainage to respond to floods and to upgrade city facilities.

Two bond committees currently are studying projects for a possible bond election, with one panel reviewing proposed capital improvement projects to include in a bond election and the other studying the feasibility of improving library facilities.

Council members plan to continue discussing the possible bond issue until August, the deadline for the city to schedule a bond election in November.

TWDB OK's funds for La Joya for wastewater service

Financial assistant totaling $602,600 was recently approved for the city of La Joya by the Texas Water Development Board. The funds include a $425,000 loan and $277,600 in loan forgiveness from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

Because the Havana community does not have centralized water services, the funds will allow the city of La Joya to plan and design a project to provide first-time wastewater service for the community. The City will evaluate collection system alternatives and determine the most cost-effective option to serve Havana. The city is expected to save more than $230,000 over the life of the loan.

Vega new interim general manager for McAllen Public Utility

Assistant General Manager Mark Vega (pictured) of McAllen Public Utility recently won selection as the interim manager for the city-owned utility.

Vega begins his new duties as interim general manager on April 1 and will replace Roy Rodriguez, the general manager, who recently was selected to be the acting city manager when City Manager Mike Perez retires in April.

Joining the utility in 2003, Vega has a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. He previously worked for a private engineering firm.

Three border mayors sign bi-national development agreement

Mayors Tony Martinez of Brownsville, Chris Boswell of Harlingen and Lety Salazar of Matamoros, Mexico, recently signed an agreement to establish a bi-national economic development zone to be located on both sides of the United States-Mexico border.

The agreement calls for creating an advanced manufacturing zone to attract some of the advanced manufacturing now growing in the interior of Mexico, said Mike Gonzalez, president of United Brownsville, which represents Texas Southmost College, the Port of Brownsville and Brownsville Public Utilities Board in the project. Representatives from Harlingen and Matamoros also will serve on the board of the proposed bi-national economic development zone, he said.

United Brownsville officials have applied to the U.S. Department of Commerce for funding to pay for a study exploring the backwards integration of the supply chain, Gonzalez said.

Six-member Commission for High-Speed Rail appointed

Former Texas Transportation Commissioner Bill Meadows (pictured) will chair the newly created Commission for High-Speed Rail, appointed recently by the Texas Transportation Commission. Other members appointed were: Vonciel Hill, Dallas City Councilwoman; Jere Thompson, CEO and co-founder of Ambit Energy; Jeff Williams, president of Graham Associates; Glen Whitley, Tarrant County Judge; Lorraine Miller, interim president and CEO of the NAACP; and Dee Kelly, managing partner at Kelly Hart and Hallman LLP.

The group will advise the Commission and executive director regarding development of community outreach and education programs, intercity rail routes, state and federal legislative policies and funding strategies related to implementing high-speed rail lines that connect the Dallas and Fort Worth areas.

Texas educators will respond to TELL Survey in April

Educators throughout Texas will have the opportunity to share information regarding professional development and learning support at their schools in an upcoming statewide survey of teachers and administrators. The Teaching, Empowering, Leading, and Learning (TELL) Texas Survey is in response to legislation from last year that requires the Texas Education Agency to develop the survey that will be distributed every two years to teachers, principals, counselors and other school-based professional staff. The survey is anonymous and the data collected will be used for planning improvements for respective districts.

"Every educator's response is an essential component to helping improve the learning environment all Texas teachers should expect in the years ahead," said Education Commissioner Michael Williams. The survey period will extend from April 7-May 5. Survey questions cover subjects on teaching conditions such as instructional practices and support, time, school and teacher leadership, facilities and resources, community engagement, professional development, managing student conduct and new teacher support.

State, district, and school results will be posted on the TELL Texas Web site about five weeks after the close of the survey for schools who have at least 50 percent of educators and five staff members responding. A separate survey of school superintendents will occur later this year.

Eagle Pass studying development of municipal airport

Eagle Pass City Council members recently began studying a report on the feasibility of building a municipal airport on donated land adjacent to the Maverick County Hospital District, the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center and a sports complex operated by the Eagle Pass school district.

Conducted by a former public works director for the city and another engineer, the preliminary report focuses on the feasibility of building an airport on the proposed site of 211 acres of land donated by the Winn family with an estimated value of $3 million to $4 million. Still to be determined are whether the proposed airport project is fundable and if the area business community supports it, said Robert Gonzalez, the former public works director.

Revenue from the municipal airport would be earned from the sale of fuel, mechanic services and leasing land on which hangars would be built, Gonzalez said. Another possibility for revenue is contracts with federal and state agencies such as the U.S. Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety, which are paying $7,000 a month to rent similar facilities at an airport in Uvalde County, he said. Officials of the Texas Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration expressed interest in meeting with local officials to discuss the proposal to build a new municipal airport in Eagle Lake, Gonzalez said.

Klein ISD looking at 2015 bond election to build new schools

Citing the need to build a new high school, an elementary school and an intermediate school in the next five years, Superintendent Jim Cain (pictured) of Klein Independent School District recently urged the board of trustees to schedule a bond election in 2015. The bond proposal ranges from $224 million to $646 million to pay for new facilities and upgrades to infrastructure.

A bond election in 2015 is critical because a high school would take at least two and one-half years to build, Cain said. To maintain quality education, the district also needs bond funding to pay for upgrades to technology, security and safety, buy new buses, repair and renovate campus facilities and possibly build a second childcare center, he added. While the district most likely will need three new elementary schools within five years, Cain included plans for only one new elementary school in this bond proposal.

District officials this month began a series of meetings with community and business leaders along with stakeholders and plan two conferences to receive community feedback and educate voters about the needs of the district. Members of a bond steering committee will use the data collected during these meetings to prioritize projects to include in a bond proposal no later than November 2015, Cain said.

South Dallas wins $1.2M grant to upgrade infrastructure

South Dallas city officials recently won a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Economic Development Administration to pay for infrastructure upgrades to attract new businesses to the city.

Funding from the grant will be used to upgrade roads, sewers, landscaping and security at the Briscoe Carpenter Center livestock facility.

Lewisville paves path for new Denton County government center

Lewisville City Council members recently approved variances to allow Denton County officials to build the new Lee Walker Government Center in that city.

Current plans are to complete the government center project in two phases, with the first phase calling for construction of a 40,700-square-foot building in the northwest corner of the intersection of Valley Parkway and Civic Circle.

The second phase calls for building a 26,450-square-foot facility on the southwest corner of that intersection. The new government center is designed to house officials of Precinct 3 and offices of the county health department and the tax-assessor collector.

Austin will be among 40 cities throughout the country to host a "Meet Your Mentor" Bizwomen Mentoring Monday event on April 7, hosted locally by the Austin Business Journal. Billed as the "first event of its kind and the beginning of an annual tradition that brings women together in a casual, fast-paced coaching atmosphere," participants will choose from 40 mentors who are among the most influential women in the community and spend five minutes with them for one-on-one coaching. The Austin event will be from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Westin, 11301 Domain Dr., 78758. Participants in all of the Business Journal markets - from Sacramento to Houston to Washington, D.C. - will see a broadcast keynote address from Lori Greiner, a "shark" on ABC's hit entrepreneurial business show, Shark Tank. She also has had her own show on QVC TV for the last 16 years. The attendees will stand in line and wait for a particular mentor or move to the next mentor available, with expectation of each attendee having the opportunity to meet up to seven mentors. Among the dozens of mentors already confirmed for the Austin event are: Chris Plonsky, Women's Athletic Director/Executive Sr. Associate Athletic Director for men's and women's athletics external services, The University of Texas at Austin; Mary Scott Nabers, president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships Inc. and co-founder of the Gemini Global Group; Elizabeth Christian, president, Elizabeth Christian & Associates Public Relations; Cindy Matula, president - Austin Region, JPMorgan Chase Bank; Debbie Bresette, president, United Way of Greater Austin; Amy Simmons, owner, Amy's Ice Creams; Lorrie Schultz, executive director, Dell; and Catherine Morse, general counsel and director of public affairs, Samsung. Registration is now open.

Fort Stockton looking for land

for new, $1.5M police station

The Fort Stockton city manager recently updated city council on efforts to find property to build a proposed $1.5 million police station to replace the current police station housed in a 100-year-old former bank. Council members have discussed preliminary design plans for the new police facility and plan to develop a budget to begin construction on a new police station in 2015.

Kaup to take over as executive director of Port of Victoria

Former Port of Corpus Christi Bulk Terminal Manager Paul "Skip" Kaup (pictured) has been chosen as the new executive director for the Port of Victoria. Former Executive Director Jennifer Stastny will become director of port operations.

An increase in business related to Eagle Ford Shale activity has led the port to executive changes, and Kaup brings experience focused on profit and loss management, sales and operations to his new position. "With the Eagle Ford Shale oil business and the numerous business inquiries, it became obvious to commissioners that we needed to expand our team," said Port Chairman Robby Burdge. Burdge said Kaup will focus on managing new business development and Stastny will be responsible for port operations.

SPI is seeking additional outside consultants who have experience in county/city government in Texas.

Currently, there is a need for procurement consultants who are retired or former county or municipal elected officials, experts in health care, K-12 in the DFW, Houston, El Paso, Corpus Christi and South Texas/Lower Rio Grande Valley areas. If you are interested in this opportunity, contact lmatisi@spartnerships.com.

New Braunfels appoints Wuest

as director of human resources

New Braunfels city officials recently selected Gary Wuest as the director of human resources, effective on March 31. Wuest currently serves as director of human resources for the Schertz-Cibolo-University City Independent School District, where he began his career shortly after earning a master's degree from Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

Lee to retire as superintendent

at Georgetown school district

An educator for 39 years, Lee first served as superintendent in Georgetown from 2004 to 2007, returned in 2010 as an interim superintendent and later won appointment to the permanent position.

Lee previously was a superintendent at Redwater ISD and Pine Tree ISD.

Mata resigns her position

as city manager in Elsa

City Manager Melissa Mata recently resigned as city manager in Elsa after city council members discussed the possibility of issuing a reprimand or terminating her employment contract. 

Mata previously served as city secretary and won promotion to city manager following the death of former City Manager Javier Rodriguez.

Council members plan to meet this week to appoint an interim city manager, but must wait at least 60 days following the May 10 city election to hire a new, permanent city manager, according to the mayor pro tem.

Freeman selected Highland

Park's new superintendent

Buddy Freeman (pictured) recently won selection as the new superintendent of the Highland Park Independent School District.

Freeman will succeed Superintendent Mike Brown, who is retiring at the end of this academic school year.

A superintendent for Quanah ISD since 2010, Freeman also was a superintendent at Prairieland ISD for 16 years.

Fate selects three finalists

for city manager position

Fate City Council members recently selected three finalists from a field of applicants to interview for city manager. The interviews with the three finalists are scheduled on March 29.

Selected as the three finalists are Amy Buckert, a city administrator in Balcones Heights; Michael Kovacs, a former city manager in Galveston and Port Aransas; and Cyndy Powell, a city manager in Ovilla, who previously was an assistant director of economic development in Rosenberg.

Dr. Larry L. Earvin (pictured) recently announced plans to retire as president of Huston-Tillotson University in Austin when his contract expires in June 2015.

Earvin has served as president of Huston-Tillotson for 14 years and is recognized for transforming the college into a university in 2005, which resulted in nearly doubling enrollment and the school's endowment.

The board of trustees established a search committee to find a new president, which will be the sixth for the institution since it was founded.

El Paso ISD plans to save

$600,000 merging departments

El Paso Independent School District board members recently merged and reorganized several departments to reduce administrative jobs from 37 to 25. The 12 remaining administrators will be offered teacher jobs or other positions in the district, according to district officials.

The personnel changes will take effect when the fall semester begins later this summer. District officials cited new state requirements for students that have reduced the number of state-required tests to graduate high school as reason for the reorganization.

Cleveland ISD selects Myers as

lone finalist for superintendent

Trustees for Cleveland Independent School District recently selected Dr. Darrell D. Myers (pictured) as the lone finalist for superintendent.

A superintendent for Livingston ISD for the last seven years, Myers also served as superintendent for school districts in Bridge City, Big Sandy and in Del Norte, Colorado. Myers also has worked as a teacher, principal, coach and a county extension agent.

Myers has a bachelor's degree from Sam Houston State University and a master's degree from Stephen F. Austin State University. He also graduated from the Lamar University Superintendent Academy XI and has a Ph.D. from Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

El Paso ISD taps Lozano

as director of school leadership

El Paso Independent School District officials recently tapped Ramon Lozano, currently a high school principal, as the executive director of school leadership.

Slated to begin his new duties with the El Paso school district this week, Lozano will report to Chief Academic Officer Ivonne Durant and provide support to schools with greater academic needs and help share instructional leadership knowledge with principals. Lozano began his career as a teacher and has served as the principal at Horizon High School since May 2008.

Superintendent Juan Cabrera, who began that job in September 2013, has recently hired a new chief academic officer, new general counsel and selected three administrators as area superintendents to fill positions vacated following conviction of a former superintendent on felony charges for a conspiracy to improve test scores at the district. Cabrera also is interviewing candidates for budget director for the school district.

Cedar Hill ISD selects Riddick

as finalist for superintendent

Trustees for Cedar Hill Independent School District recently selected Orlando Riddick (pictured) as the lone finalist for superintendent. He will replace former Superintendent Horace Williams, who resigned in 2013.

Selected from 50 applicants, Riddick currently serves as an assistant superintendent for Houston ISD. He is expected to begin his new duties at the Cedar Hill school district on April 21. Riddick also was a director for Austin ISD and a principal for Dallas ISD.

Ann Dixon has served as interim superintendent for the Cedar Hill school district since 2013.

Rockdale ISD to interview five applicants for superintendent

Trustees for Rockdale Independent School District recently selected five finalists from 33 applicants to interview in their effort to find a new superintendent. District officials plan to interview the five finalists through this weekend.

Middlebrook resigning

as city manager in Smithville

After 13 years at the helm, City Manager Tex Middlebrook (pictured) of Smithville recently said he is resigning from the city manager position on April 23.

Middlebrook said he is accepting a job with a Smithville-based private company. He also volunteered to help with the search for a new city manager and the transition once the new city manager begins his or her duties.

Electra city commissioners

pick Harris as new city attorney

Electra City Commissioners recently appointed Bruce Harris as the new city attorney. He replaced the former city attorney whose contract was not renewed by council members. Harris retired as municipal judge for the city to assume his new duties as city attorney.

Commissioners also appointed Diane Gribble, currently the associate municipal judge, as the municipal judge to replace Harris.

Trustees for Alamo Colleges recently approved a new incentive program that could pay up to $6.5 million to eligible retirees, a cost that college officials estimated can be recouped through savings in two years.

As many as 200 of the 343 eligible staff, faculty and administrators could decide to participate in the incentive to retire, noted Diane Snyder, vice chancellor for finance and administration. The retirement incentives will not be offered to college presidents, vice chancellors or the chancellor, she said.

Alamo College officials also plan on leaving unfilled 35 currently vacated positions and allot some of that funding to hire 45 advisors to work with students, Snyder added.

Pilot Point selects Dean

as its new city manager

Pilot Point city officials recently appointed John R. Dean Jr. to serve as the new city manager, effective April 14. Dean will replace City Manager Tom Adams, who is retiring after four years in Pilot Point and 31 years as a city manager.

Dean also was a city manager in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, and an assistant city manager in El Reno, Oklahoma. He also served 20 years in the U.S. Army prior to his career in municipal government. Dean has a master's degree in human resources and is expected to complete in May his master's degree in public administration.

Detroit ISD taps Howie

as its new superintendent

Detroit Independent School District board members recently tapped Brian Howie as the new superintendent.

Currently a high school principal, Howie replaced Interim Superintendent James Morton, who was in that post for the last three years. Howie is a former teacher and coach who began his career as an administrator at Cooper ISD nine years ago and then moved to Sulphur Bluff ISD before joining the Detroit school district in 2012.

Howie has an associate's degree from Paris Junior College in addition to a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Manor ISD approves Allison interim superintendent deal

Manor Independent School District trustees recently approved a six-month contract with Esthela Allison (pictured) to serve as interim superintendent.

Allison replaces former Superintendent Kevin Brackmeyer, who left the school district in January after signing a separation agreement banning district officials or Brackmayer from commenting on his departure. The contract with Allison permits her to be employed on a month-to-month basis after six months and requires a 30-day notice before her employment ends.

The contract also permits Allison to be reassigned as an assistant superintendent for a lower salary if a superintendent is hired. Allison served since 2011 as superintendent for Pearsall ISD.

• Alan D. Conner of Dayton, Coastal Water Authority Board of Directors;
• Bruce Esterline of Dallas, OneStar Foundation;
• Anna Maria Farias of Corpus Christi. OneStar Foundation;
• Helen Soto Knaggs of Austin, OneStar Foundation;
• Alison Meador of Austin. OneStar Foundation;
•  Erin Ford of Crockett, Product Development and Small Business Incubator Board;
• Jon Burrows of Temple, Governing Board of the Texas Indigent Defense Commission;
• Olen Underwood of Willis, Governing Board of the Texas Indigent Defense Commission;
• Glen Whitley of Hurst, Governing Board of the Texas Indigent Defense Commission

Marshall convention, tourist

bureau eliminates top job

Citing budget constraints, board members of the Marshall Convention and Visitors Bureau voted to eliminate the job of the executive director, now held by Ed Michel. Michel will end his employment with the CVB on March 31, according to a board member, who recognized Michel for his hard work to develop tourism in the city.

Katy selects Hebert as

new city administrator

Katy city officials recently selected Byron Hebert as the new city administrator. Hebert will replace City Administrator Johnny Nelson on April 1. A 14-year city employee, Hebert currently serves as the finance director. He previously owned a private business and served as a manager of a home health company.