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Communities promote excellence in education in schools

'Dallas Achieves' example of how one district affecting change

Arnold Viramontes Michael Hinojosa

Huge shifts in the cultural makeup of students along with low achievement statistics inspired Dallas school district officials to massively reform the way they educate children.

Dallas Achieves is a complete top-to-bottom transformation initiative designed with the objective of making Dallas the nation's premier urban school district by 2010. It's a bold goal-oriented plan built this year by a coalition of community leaders and school officials. It has been embraced by school trustees and will be implemented by Superintendent Michael Hinojosa (top right).

SchoolMuch of the plan was driven by visible changes in the district. A large influx of Hispanic students over the past 10 years, many with language challenges, and the fact that thousands of students switch campuses each year in the district have made teaching more difficult. The district has been very concerned about not being able to turn around low state ratings in math, science and reading year after year. Community leaders and school officials agreed that the district wasn't meeting the needs of the majority of its students. Dallas Achieves is the result of their collaborative efforts.

The plan not only changes the district's culture, but it also refocuses district priorities. Everything is geared toward boosting student achievement and ensuring that all students graduate ready for college and the workforce.

Even the district's central office has been downsized down by 150 jobs to route more money into classrooms. There's also been an overhaul of the district's key administrators. Arnold Viramontes (top left) in May was appointed to lead the district's Transformation Management Office. He came to the district in 2005 to head up the technology department.

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Weber appointed Deputy AG for Legal Counsel

Andrew Weber

Andrew Weber (pictured), former Clerk of the Texas Supreme Court, has been named Deputy Attorney General for Legal Counsel by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. Weber, who has seven years experience working at the Supreme Court, will begin his new role Oct. 15. He will serve as legal advisor to state agencies while overseeing multiple divisions of the OAG, including the Open Records Division and Opinions Committee.

Weber brings both public and private sector expertise to the OAG. While serving as Clerk of the Texas Supreme Court, he supervised eight deputy clerks and was the court's chief administrator. He also was Clerk of the Multi-District Litigation Panel and judicial tribunals. He has since served as a partner in a Fort Worth-based law firm, overseeing the firm's Austin appellate litigation section.

He is a graduate of Baylor Law School and worked with Abbott as a briefing attorney when Abbott was a Supreme Court Justice. He also served as former Justice Priscilla Owen's staff attorney.


Strategic Partnerships salutes Texas' Lone Stars

Buddy Garcia

This week's salute is to Buddy Garcia, chairman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Career highlights and education: I was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry on Jan. 25, 2007, to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The Texas Senate confirmed my appointment on March 13, 2007, which means my term will expire on August 31, 2011. Prior to my appointment to the TCEQ, I was Texas' deputy secretary of state. I also served as Senate liaison for the governor's office and as a special assistant to the governor on Texas border affairs with Mexico. I also served as the border commerce coordinator where I worked on trade issues with Mexico and Canada, dealt with water and wastewater issues, and coordinated sales of electricity from Texas to Mexico. Previous to serving in the governor's office, I was legislative director for Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. and later served as border advisor to then-Lt. Governor Perry. In 2006 I received the Ohtli Award from the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, received on the 196th Anniversary of the Independence of Mexico. OHTLI, which means enlightened path or journey in the ancestral Aztec Nahuatl language, is the highest honor bestowed by the Mexican government to individuals who have distinguished themselves by working to build a stronger relationship with Mexico. I am a native of Brownsville, a graduate of St. Joseph Academy and I received my bachelor's degree in political science from Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State University.

What I like best about my job is: As a native, multi-generational Texan, I love serving the state by helping protect the environment. I have always appreciated Texas' environmental and natural resources. Growing up on South Padre Island and in Brownsville, I learned to appreciate the outdoors. Texas has an abundant coastline, mountain ranges with Mexico, a natural lake in East Texas, the magnificent Hill Country...there is certainly not a shortage of natural beauty. In addition to working on issues that I enjoy, I also appreciate the people who also work at TCEQ. We have the best staff in the country. They know their individual areas and they perform well. With so many issues to deal with, you have to have a capable staff to handle it all and we have that expertise.

Best advice I've received for my current job: Do what's right and you will be fine.

Advice I would give a new hire in my office: My philosophy is straightforward and simple: Let's get the job done. Lets do whatever we need to do to achieve the goals that have been set for us, whether it be by the legislature, EPA or the federal government.

If I ever snuck out of work early, I could probably be found: with my wife and kids swimming or playing outdoors.

People would be surprised to know that I: used to have long hair and rode a motorcycle. I am also a certified scuba diver, I love to BBQ and I also do my own yard work. I also love to coach and teach my boys to play all the sports I played well.

Book, magazine or newspaper article I've read recently that really influenced my thinking: I regularly read Discover magazine. Recently they had an article titled "Politically Incorrect: Is the Sun Causing Global Warming."

Each week, the Texas Government Insider profiles a key government executive or decision-maker. If you would like to suggest a "Lone Star," please email us at editor@spartnerships.com.


Rogers selected first DFPS medical director

James Rogers

Dr. James Rogers (pictured), a recognized child and adolescent psychiatrist, has been named the first medical director of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The agency was authorized to create the new executive position in the last legislative session. He begins on Dec. 3.

Rogers has spent the past 30 years heading a private psychiatric group geared for children in San Antonio. He holds a bachelor's degree from North Texas State University and a medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio (UTHSCSA). He has served on the psychiatry faculty of UTHSCSA since 1977.


Another Texas 'first' with offshore wind power leases

Texas recorded another "first" this week as the Lone Star State became the first state in the nation to award competitively bid leases for offshore wind power. Once operational, the wind farms are expected to add $132 million to the state's Permanent School Fund over their 30-year leases.

Wind EnergyThe leases were awarded to Louisiana-based Wind Energy Systems Technology (W.E.S.T., LLC) and construction will begin immediately on the testing towers on each of the four tracts. The company is the first to hold an offshore lease for wind power and will begin collecting meteorological data at the site off the coast of Galveston.

"This is real technology, real business, real energy," said Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson in announcing the award of the leases. Because of discounts for the present value of the leases, W.E.S.T.'s actual dollar commitment to the Permanent School Fund will be $258 million, but state officials expect the gross revenue from the wind farm's production of energy will result in revenues of $433 million over the terms of the leases.

Ranging in size from approximately 12,240 acres to 23,000 acres, the four tracts total more than 73,000 acres. They are located offshore near Jefferson, Calhoun, Brazoria and Cameron counties. Not only will W.E.S.T. pay into the school fund for the right to develop wind farms, but it will also pay the fund a percentage of the electricity produced on the leases.


Only cat lovers need apply!

Cats

Northeast Texas Community College is looking for a new Director of Physical Plant Services. Just be sure to read the fine print in the job posting!

The posting for the position describes the campus as "located in a beautiful wooded and rural setting." Job responsibilities are similar to most other physical plant director jobs - provide leadership for the overall physical plant, maximize the potential of the physical plant staff regarding custodial, maintenance, renovation, and construction functions of all of the college's facilities, provide a safe environment, yadda, yadda, yadda.

However, the last line of the job responsibilities reads, "Adopt the College cats who presently live on the grounds of the College house and the Physical Plant Building - Wrinkles, Callie and Allie." Awwwwww...

There's a residence provided on campus for the new director. Apparently the "residence" comes with "residents" - of the feline variety!


El Paso company awarded $2 million from ETF

SecureOrigins, Inc. of El Paso, will use a $2 million grant from the state's Emerging Technology Fund to develop its Intelligent Software Agents, which allows computers to process data and make decisions without human control.

Texas Secretary of State Phil Wilson made the announcement of the grant award saying, "This new technology will touch a variety of industries ranging from the medical field and first responders to international commerce logistics and our efforts in border security enforcement."

Some 2,500 first adopters, including the United States military, are already utilizing this new technology. SecureOrigins produces special sensors that can be placed in trucks carrying goods across the border to report container conditions as well as compliance with scheduling checkpoints and appropriate shipping routes.


Texas voter registration deadline approaches

Phil Wilson

With more than $9 billion in local government and public school bonds at stake as well as 16 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, Texas voters are being encouraged to be sure they are registered to vote in the upcoming Nov. 6 election.

Texas Secretary of State Phil Wilson (pictured) recently toured the state, encouraging Texans to register to vote. In last May's constitutional amendment balloting, only a little more than 7 percent of Texans registered to vote cast ballots.

Vote

With the constitutional amendments on the ballot, Wilson said voters can play a major role in shaping the direction of the state for the future. "Since it was enacted in 1876, our constitution has set the framework for how our state and its legislature operate," Wilson said. "Once again, Texans will have the opportunity to let the leadership know what they want the future of Texas to look like."

The last day to register to vote in the Nov. 6 election is Tuesday, Oct. 9. Voter registration applications are available on the Secretary of State's Web site, and in county Voter Registration offices. Applications also are available in many libraries, post offices and high schools.


Plan puts police at border to catch car thieves

Carlos Cascos

The Border Security Council proposed during a public hearing in El Paso this week the creation of permanent southbound police checks at the international bridges along the Texas/Mexico border. The council has been charged with deciding how to spend about $100 million in border security funds and has been holding hearings in border cities to get input from public officials and citizens.

Council Chairman and Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos (pictured) said the idea of establishing southbound checks to help reduce car thefts and other crimes also was suggested in hearings held earlier in the week in McAllen and Laredo.

Cascos directed Texas Homeland Security Director Steve McCraw to work with local law enforcement agencies on the southbound checks project. State money could help pay overtime for local officers making the checks.


Texas to get small portion of 700-mile border fence

Texas is likely to see only 40-50 miles of the projected 700 miles of fencing along the United States-Mexican border, according to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. This information comes as mayors in Brownsville, Del Rio and El Paso are denying or limiting access to parts of city property to workers readying to do preliminary work on the fence.

Chertoff said most of the fence approved by the U.S. Congress will be built in California, Arizona and New Mexico. Construction on the fencing is expected to be completed by the end of 2008, despite claims that the fence will have an adverse effect on the environment, the border economy and relations with Mexico.

The fencing is designed to shore up border security and curb illegal immigration into the United States. Some private and public landowners are fearful the U.S. Congress could use the power of eminent domain to ensure the fence is built.


DeBakey to receive Congressional Gold Medal

Michael DeBakey

Famed heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey (pictured) of Houston, will soon be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian honor. DeBakey, 99, is chairman emeritus of the Baylor College of Medicine and is known worldwide for his cardiac surgery work.

DeBakey served on the staff of Baylor College of Medicine from 1948 to 1993, and was elected the college's first president in 1969. During his career, he performed more than 60,000 heart surgeries.

The Congressional Gold Medal has been awarded to only 300 individuals since its inception in 1776. DeBakey was previously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon B. Johnson and the National Medal of Science by President Ronald Reagan.


Disaster declaration issued for six Texas counties

Six Texas counties have been declared disaster areas by President George W. Bush, qualifying residents in those areas for federal assistance for recovery from damage in August from Tropical Storm Erin. Residents of Bexar, Harris, Jones, Kendall, Medina and Taylor counties who suffered storm damage are eligible for grants for temporary housing, home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured losses and programs for business owners whose businesses also suffered damages.


Defense bills promise big projects for Texas

Globemaster jet

Texas lawmakers have inserted almost $2.6 billion in earmarks, or special funding items, into several 2008 defense authorization measures recently approved by the U.S. House and Senate. Most of the earmarks are for equipment and research not included in the budget submitted by the Pentagon.

Top among the House earmarks is a requirement that the military purchase 10 more C-17 Globemaster III jets - partly manufactured at plants in the Dallas area - at a cost of $2.4 billion. Texas A&M University in College Station garnered three earmarks worth $3.5 million for defense research. Other Texas earmarks include funding for border security, trauma care and the Johnson Space Center.

But none of the funding is final. The various defense appropriations bills carry a total of $11.7 billion in earmarks. A committee of House and Senate members has the task of merging the defense spending measures into one appropriations bill that will be sent to the president for his signature.


Federal funds will help improve colonias in Hildago

Hidalgo County's Urban County Program has received $768,651 in Community Development Block grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The funds will be used to extend sewer service to colonias located near Weslaco and Donna.


TCA allocates $2.9 million to arts groups

The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) recently approved $2,906,079 in grants to arts organizations for the 2008 fiscal year, with more than $750,000 going to arts education programs in communities across the state.

These are the first grants of the year TCA has disbursed. Additional grants will be allocated throughout the year.


Schenk selected to head Art Museum of South Texas

Joseph Schenk

Joseph B. Schenk (pictured) has been named director of the Art Museum of South Texas, an affiliate of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the South Texas Institute for the Arts. He begins on Oct. 22.

Schenk, the former executive director of the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Okla., holds a master's degree from Ball State University. He also served as director of the Mobile Museum of Art in Mobile, Ala.


Texas receives federal grant for haz-mat training

Texas has received a $668,460 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to improve planning and training for the possibility of hazardous materials transportation accidents. A total of $12.8 million in hazardous materials grants has been disbursed throughout the country.

"This program is a valuable tool that builds upon and enhances the foundation of emergency response capabilities," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters. "The umbrella of hazardous materials safety offered from this DOT-funded basic training is extensive."

The grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration are funded by user fees paid by shippers and carriers of certain hazardous materials.


Nursing faculty at Texas Tech University honored

Patricia Allen, Carol Boswell, Sharon Cannon, Sharon Decker, Patricia Yoder-Wise

Five faculty members at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing (TTUHSC) have been recognized by the National League for Nursing for their contributions to the field of nursing education.

Patricia Allen R.N., Ed.D. (pictured from left), Carol Boswell, R.N., Ed.D., Sharon Cannon, R.N. Ed.D., Sharon Decker, R.N., Ph.D. and Patricia Yoder-Wise, R.N., Ed.D., FAAN recently were inducted into the league's inaugural class of 41 fellows from nursing schools across the country.

Alexia Green, Ph.D., dean of the school of nursing, said the selection of the five faculty members demonstrates the excellence of education students receive at TTUHSC.

"We strive to prepare the next generation of nurses with an exceptional educational program that competes at a national level," Green said. "It is exciting to have five of forty-one fellows in the nation inducted into this academy. This reaffirms our confidence in this faculty's leadership and furthermore recognizes their expertise in health issues."

According to the latest projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 1.2 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2014. Government analysts project that more than 703,000 new nurse positions will be created through 2014, accounting for two-fifths of all new jobs in the healthcare sector.


Wind turbine database would aid developers, agencies

Randy Neugebauer

A West Texas congressman has proposed the development of an Internet database that would alert wind energy developers, government agencies and landowners to potential aviation issues posed by planned wind turbines.

U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer (pictured), R-Lubbock, wants the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct a study to determine if the creation of a database is doable and what it would require.

The U.S. House recently approved the measure as an amendment to an aviation funding bill. The Senate is working on its version of the bill.


Williamson County could get out of detention business

Williamson County officials are studying whether they should tell the federal government that they will end their contract next year for a prison-turned-detention center that houses immigrant families waiting on deportation or outcomes of their immigration cases.

Officials said they are fearful that because the county administers the contract, it could be liable for the facility even though the county does not operate it. The contract termination date being studied is Oct. 2, 2008.

The facility, with more than 500 beds, is a former state prison and is operated by a private company. The federal government pays approximately $180 per day per person for those housed there, or more than $2 million each month. Most of that money goes to the firm that operates the facility.


Clint ISD school trustees earn top grade

Clint Trustees

The Clint Independent School District Board of Trustees (pictured) was named Outstanding Texas School Board of the Year this week during the annual Texas Association of School Boards/Texas Association of School Administrators conference. This is the second time the El Paso County board has received the award.

The board members are James R. Pendell, Mary Macias, Paul T. James, Janice Armstrong, Fred Martinez, Robert Lara, Alfred P. Gonzalez and Ricardo Estrada.

The annual award is given to school boards that have demonstrated a strong desire to benefit the children they serve. Judges use interviews with board members and the academic performance and financial status of school districts to make their selection.


TCU nursing school awarded $1 million grant

Texas Christian University's Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences has received a $1 million, five-year grant to start an oncology education and research program.

The grant from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas' Moncrief Cancer Foundation also fosters a partnership with UT Southwestern's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, which offers a student rotation.


UT Southwestern faculty member wins national award

Tawanda Gumbo

Dr. Tawanda Gumbo (pictured), an assistant professor of infectious diseases with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, has won the National Institutes of Health Director's New Innovator Award. The honor comes with $1.5 million for research over the next five years.

Gumbo's research focuses on tuberculosis and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis. He will use the award to work on developing a treatment regimen for the resistant strain of bacteria.

The award is are part of the National Institutes of Health's Roadmap for Medical Research program, which promotes interdisciplinary and innovative research.


Midway school board opts for $40.3 million expansion

Midway Independent School District trustees last week took a step closer to calling a 2008 bond election by approving a $40.3 million proposal to build an elementary campus and an intermediate school to accommodate student enrollment growth.

The selected proposal estimates building the new elementary campus would cost the district about $16.3 million and the new intermediate school, $24 million. The district already owns property where the schools will be built.


Burns chosen school Superintendent of the Year

Joe Burns

Joseph Burns (pictured) of the Kirbyville Independent School District last week was named Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Association of School Boards. The annual award recognizes excellence and achievement in educational leadership.

Burns, who has 14 years experience in school administration, has been head of the Kirbyville district for six years. Burns was educated at Stephen F. Austin State University, where he earned bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees.


Judson to post open superintendent job

The Judson Independent School District is looking for someone to permanently replace former Superintendent Ed Lyman, who resigned in July to head the Westwood Independent School District in Palestine.

District trustees had spent weeks debating whether to appoint an interim superintendent or search for a permanent replacement. Thursday night the board voted to advertise the superintendent position for two weeks, with an annual salary of $180,000-$200,000.


Hinojosa named first associate VP at UT-Pan American

Magdalena Hinojosa

Magdalena Hinojosa (pictured) has been named the first associate vice president and dean of Admissions and Enrollment Services at The University of Texas-Pan American. She began her duties Sept. 1.

Hinojosa holds a bachelor's degree from Texas A&I University, now Texas A&M University-Kingsville, a master's degree Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and a doctorate from Texas A&M University-Kingsville/Corpus Christi.


Houston first to have defibrillators throughout district

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the first large school district in Texas to have automatic external defibrillators at every school and other district facilities, as required by state law.

Last year, a private hospital donated 300 defibrillators to the district. The donation, valued at $650,000, also paid for training 600 employees to use the devices. The district also purchased an additional 225 defibrillators and then trained 720 more employees on their use.


Northside school district plans ahead for overcrowding

The Northside Independent School District, the largest district in San Antonio, opens 200 to 250 new classrooms a year because of the huge numbers of residents moving northwest.

Because Northside welcomes 400 new students each year, district officials must plan for future overcrowding before its new schools are built. The district has contingency plans until 2050 to ensure that schools can accommodate students. Seven new high schools are in the works to get the district up to 2010.

The $693 million bond package approved by district voters last May will pay for the new construction. Officials already are talking about next bond referendum in 2010.


Green Guardian to protect Laredo parks

Green Guardian

Laredoans were introduced to the city's newest superhero, the Green Guardian, this week. That's the name 11-year-old Marcario Ramirez gave the flying, green-caped crusader pictured in a city logo. The city's Park and Recreation Department had asked Laredo school children to name the superhero that will become part of a citywide anti-vandalism campaign.

Three hundred children submitted suggestions. Marcario, a Los Obispos Middle School student, won the contest and a chance to present his winning idea to the City Council earlier this week.

With the help of a private advertising firm, the Green Guardian, or el Guardia Verde, will soon come to life and launch a massive campaign to reduce vandalism in community parks. Last year, the city spent $70,000 repairing park damage caused by vandals.


Anna council ready to fill city manager post

The Anna City Council is getting closer to hiring a new city manager from a finalist field of five. Philip Sanders, currently community development director for the city of Greenville, appears to the lead candidate.

Three council members last week voted to hire Sanders, but the motion failed for lack of a quorum vote. Two council members abstained because they had not yet interviewed Sanders, and two other members were absent. The council is expected to revisit the hiring decision at its Oct. 9 meeting.


Houston port workers to be cleared for security

Port workers

The Port of Houston is one of 11 ports that will be enrolled in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Worker Identification Credential program next month.

The program ensures that any person who has unescorted access to secure areas of port facilities and vessels has received a thorough background check and is not a security threat.

Port workers, longshoremen, truckers and others will be able to enroll in the program for a fee of $132.50, which includes the cost of the threat assessment, program management, card production and issuance. The credential is valid for five years.


Friendswood buying new camera system for meetings

Included in the city of Friendswood's $29.1 million budget for fiscal 2007-08 is the $25,000 purchase of a new multi-camera system to improve televised City Council meetings and $19,000 for its operation.

The new camera will have a zoom feature in response to many viewer complaints that they can't see who is speaking at any given meeting. Once the system is installed, the city will hire someone to oversee the recording and editing of the meetings. The city has been broadcasting council meetings on a tape-delay basis since January using a single $1,400 digital camcorder.


City of Denton bringing in new recycling plant

Perry McNeill

Up to 32,000 tons of recyclables will be processed at a new recycling plant to be built and operated in Denton. City council members this week approved the deal to bring in the plant, which will be located at the city landfill and eliminate the need for having to haul recyclables out of town.

A private firm will build a 40,000-square-foot facility and operate it for at least 20 years, while paying the city for leasing the six-acre site at the landfill. Denton Mayor Perry McNeill (pictured) said the effort will help put Denton "at the forefront of environmental concerns" while earning money for the city coffers - with 80 cents for every ton of curbside material collected spent on recycling education. If other cities opt to use the recycling center, they would pay a fee to the city of Denton.


Alvin trustees hire search firm for superintendent

A Houston-based search firm has been hired by the Alvin Independent School District trustees to find a new school superintendent to replace Greg Smith, who tendered his resignation last week. His final day with the district is Dec. 21. Trustees said they would like to have a new superintendent onboard by Jan. 1. However, if they cannot find a replacement by that date, an interim superintendent will be appointed.


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State has new mandates
on recycling e-waste

Mary Scott Nabers

By Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.

In the recent past, letters were hand-written. Students used spiral notebooks. Businessmen and women recorded schedules and appointments in zippered organizers. Bank statements came through the mail at the end of each month and paying electric bills required an envelope and stamp. Renewing a driver's license required a road trip to the nearest state driver's licensing office.

And then the world moved into the Electronic Age - and e-mail, e-commerce, e-government...and now, e-waste became a way of life!

Electronic waste (e-waste) is the fastest growing municipal waste stream in the country, with some 2.6 million tons generated in 2005. It is waste created because computer technology that almost everyone uses daily becomes obsolete very quickly. E-waste occurs when it is time to toss out an old computer.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) estimates that only a little over 10 percent (162,000) of the 1.5 million computers discarded in Texas every year are recycled, while more than 1.3 million are either kept and stored by the owners or end up in landfills.

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O'Leary resigns as San Marcos city manager

Dan O'Leary

A 28-year career with the City of San Marcos will come to an end for City Manager Dan O'Leary (pictured) on Dec. 13. O'Leary announced his resignation from the city position this week.

The longtime city employee began his career with the City of San Marcos in 1979 as a firefighter. He later became fire chief and then assumed the city manager position in 2002. He also previously served as the city's interim planning director and interim city manager.

O'Leary holds a bachelor's and master's degree from Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State University.


Heath, Meade join SPI consulting team

Doug Heath

Doug Heath (top) and Alex Meade (bottom) have been added to the growing list of veteran senior consultants at Strategic Partnerships, Inc.

Heath has 28 years of corporate experience with AT&T, starting as an outside technician and then becoming Executive Director of HR Services. He retired in 2006 as Executive Director of Legislative Affairs. Other corporate experience includes having been director of network services for Ameritech in Illinois and manager of network services for Illinois Bell. He has business expertise in community advocacy, finance, human resources, engineering, quality control and compliance capacities.

Heath is chairman of the board of the Alamo City Black Chamber of Commerce and has held numerous board positions, including on the Alamo Work Source Board and the Alamo City Community College District Oversight Board. He holds a bachelor's degree from Roosevelt University and a master's from Northwestern University. He also earned a Human Resources Certification from DePaul University.

Alex Meade

Meade is well-established in the Rio Grande Valley area, where he was manager of business development in the Economic Development Department of the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce from 2005-2007. He has experience in economic development, project management, government economic studies, financial analysis and community and public relations.

Meade previously was a senior accountant for Long Chilton, LLP, in Harlingen, was manager of Litigation Support for a McAllen law firm and was a senior consultant for a Washington, D.C., consulting firm.

The new SPI consultant holds a bachelor's degree from St. Edward's University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Brownsville.


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research – nobody does it
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How about knowing which cities and counties throughout the state are planning infrastructure overhauls, water and sewer projects or major technology or software purchases...would that interest you?

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Would you like to know all the same things about a state other than Texas?

Strategic Partnerships, Inc. boasts one of the nation's finest business development research divisions. We are known for being able to provide "early identification of upcoming opportunities." Our researchers and analysts can provide information guaranteed to provide a competitive advantage.

If you're one of those "gotta' see it to believe it" folks, then click here to view our comprehensive list of some $9 billion in November bond issues for school districts, cities, counties and community colleges.

Or click here to view our San Antonio Metro Profile that includes valuable information for vendors regarding the city's governance, meetings, budget, decision-makers, purchasing practices and current issues/drivers along with current and future projects. We have other metropolitan area profiles as well.

Helping clients find and capture government contracts is what we do and we do it well. If you're interested in hearing more, checking out our operations, or if you're interested in talking about services we provide throughout the United States, call Reagan Weil at 512-531-3900 or 531-3917.

Sooner or later, we should talk if you sell products or services to governmental agencies!


Freeport not rushing into naming interim manager

Freeport City Manager Ron Bottoms is leaving his job next week after accepting a similar post in LaMarque, but city officials are not hurrying to name his interim replacement. A consulting firm recommended Paul Feazelle, former interim city manager in Angleton and Navasota. Current City Finance Director Gary Beverly is also being considered for the interim job. Council members could not come to a consensus and tabled the issue until next week.


Shaw new presiding officer of Texas Arts Commission

Billye Proctor Shaw

Billye Proctor Shaw (pictured) of Abilene is the new presiding officer of the Texas Commission on the Arts. Gov. Rick Perry announced the appointment this week. The commission encourages appreciation for fine arts in Texas and acts in an advisory capacity regarding the construction and remodeling of state buildings and works of art. Shaw received a bachelor's degree from Rice University.


Tyler school district
razing old schools

Two of Tyler's oldest schools are coming down to make way for replacement campuses already under construction. The Tyler Independent School District several weeks ago began razing the old Douglas and Bell elementary schools to provide space for the completion of the new schools.

The construction of the elementary schools was included in the $95.9 million bond program approved by district voters in 2004. The demolition work, which is costing a total of $285,000, is scheduled to end Oct. 12.


Disability rights advocate joins UT Health faculty

Lex Frieden

Disability rights advocate Lex Frieden (pictured) has joined the University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences at Houston as a professor of health informatics. He will direct the school's new Laboratory for Adaptive Technologies.

Frieden, one of the architects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is a former executive director of the National Council on the Handicapped (now called the National Council on Disability). He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Tulsa and a master's degree from the University of Houston.


Baytown Express
Park & Ride launched

The Baytown Express Park & Ride, about four years in the making, had a successful maiden voyage this week, providing residents near the East Freeway Corridor a new commuting option to downtown Houston.

The project is a joint venture between Harris County and the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO). A $124,000 grant from the Houston Galveston Area Council and $1.7 in federal funds got the project off the ground.


UTEP names new dean
for College of Science

Anny Morrobel-Sosa

Anny Morrobel-Sosa (pictured) is the new dean of the College of Science and professor of chemistry at the University of Texas at El Paso. Morrobel-Sosa has held senior faculty and administrative appointments at the University of Alabama and California Polytechnic State University. She served as dean of the Allen E. Paulson College of Science and Technology at Georgia Southern University.

She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Puerto Rico, a master's degree from the State University of New York-Stony Brook and a doctoral degree from the University of Southern California.


Texas projects get $1.7 million in technology grants

Texas has received $1,787,848 in distance learning and telemedicine grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grants are designed to connect rural communities to educational programs and medical services through the use of technology.

Texas recipients are: Odem-Edroy Independent School District, $ 245,374; Texas A&M University- Kingsville, $ 446,697; Education Service Center, Region 17, $ 499,920; Education Service Center, Region 12, $ 338,936; Education Service Center, Region 5, $256,921.


Bolivar-Galveston bridge project scrubbed

Plans for a bridge to connect the Bolivar Peninsula to Galveston Island are being scrubbed. Commuters will continue to have to depend on ferries to traverse the 2.7 miles across the entrance to Galveston Bay. The projected cost of the bridge - at one time estimated at $240 million, was high.

A proposal to make the bridge a toll bridge would defeat the purpose, as ferries would still have to remain operational as an alternative to paying a toll, costing $16 million annually. Instead, a sixth ferry has been ordered and will join the ferry fleet next year.


McElreath, Parrish reappointed to board

Norman Parrish

Richard Earl McElreath of Amarillo and Norman W. Parrish (pictured) of The Woodlands have been reappointed to the State Pension Review Board. Gov. Rick Perry made the appointments this week. The board provides an early warning system to detect pensions in need of corrective action and brings attention to such problems before they become critical.


Image update planned
for Missouri City

Missouri City could be getting a makeover soon. The City Council will vote Oct. 15 on a new logo and slogan for the 50-year-old bedroom community. The city hired a private consultant to craft a new image.

While the details are being kept under wraps until an unveiling ceremony on Oct. 27, word is that the new slogan emphasizes the city's deep roots and opportunities for growth. The new logo will retain a form of the sunburst symbol long used on city flags, uniforms and stationery.


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Prisoner growth expensive issue for Navarro County

Experiencing a marked growth in its prisoner population, the Navarro County Justice Center jail is booked solid. Rather than face expensive sanctions from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards , the county is paying other counties to house 70 inmates at a cost of $3,110 a day or $93,300 a month.

County commissioners are expected to begin discussing the purchase of additional property for a jail expansion. With a five-year planning process ahead, the county is looking at spending in excess of $1 million annually to farm out prisoners.


TEEX gets grant for safety training development

The Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) has received more than $458,000 in federal grant funds to develop and conduct new safety training courses for chemical and oil refinery employees.

The funding is from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Susan Harwood Training Grants program. The grants were named in honor of the late Susan Harwood, a former OSHA employee who helped develop standards designed to protect employees exposed to toxins.

Waco considers installing red light cameras

Waco city officials are looking into installing red-light cameras on signal lights throughout the city by the first of the year. The City Council was briefed this week on a new state law that gives cities the option of creating and enforcing the red light photo program.

The city plans to start with five or so intersections and eventually have cameras mounted at 27 intersections. Funding is still an issue, and the city is considering several vendors.


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San Antonio facility to help in children's health study

The University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio (UTHSC) will participate in a landmark national study, tracking the health of 1,000 area children from the womb to adulthood.

The National Institutes of Health on Thursday awarded the San Antonio facility a $33.7 million contract to help manage participant recruitment and data collection for the National Children's Study. The center will recruit families from Bexar, Hidalgo and Travis counties for the study.

The federally funded study will be the largest analysis of child health ever conducted in the United States, eventually following 100,000 children from before birth to age 21.

A total of 22 facilities nationwide will be selected to help with the study, which received a $69 million initial appropriation from Congress. Officials have said they hope the study yields information on health issues like autism, birth defects, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.


Texas Tech scientist earns climate study grant

Katharine Hayhoe

Katharine Hayhoe (pictured), an atmospheric scientist at Texas Tech University, has received a $1.1 million three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to study how global climate change will affect populated areas.

Hayhoe will join five other researchers from the University of Chicago, University of Illinois and Harvard University to develop better estimates of how climate change influences urban areas.


Sealy begins search
for new city manager

The Sealy City Council has appointed City Secretary Krisha Langton to serve as interim city manager and hired a consulting firm to search for a new city manager.

City Manager John Maresh resigned his post last week to accept a new position heading up the city of Tomball's public works department. His last day with Sealy is Oct. 28.


Smith County adds law building to bond

Smith County commissioners Monday approved a $13.4 million law enforcement and adult probation building that will include room for four future courtrooms.

The building is part of the $125 million jail bond package on the Nov. 6 ballot.

The measure answers the question of where to house the sheriff's department, adult probation and other departments displaced when the Smith County Office Building (the old Carlton Hotel) is demolished to make way for a new jail tower.


District judge rules in favor of WISD bond issue

A state judge has ruled that the $49.29 million in school bonds approved by Waller Independent School District voters last May are valid.

The ruling clears the way for the Texas Attorney General to release the bonds to fund the construction of a new elementary school, purchase new school buses, renovations on all school campuses, technology improvements and the construction of a new district stadium.


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The Texas Government Insider is a free weekly e-newsletter detailing important happenings throughout the state and summarizing current political issues relevant to individuals interested in government.

Publisher: Mary Scott Nabers

The Insider is published by Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI), a research and consulting firm. Founded in Texas in 1994 by former government executives and public sector experts, SPI has developed a national reputation as the premier marketing partner dedicated to helping companies secure contracts in the $1.5 trillion state and local government marketplace.

To learn more about SPI services click here or contact our sales department at 512-531-3900.

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San Antonio hosts Texas Homeland Security Conference

Representatives of law enforcement, border and port security, transportation and cyber security, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, Texas Military Forces, voluntary organizations and the private sector will be on hand Monday through Friday, Dec. 3-7, for the 2007 Texas Homeland Security Conference. The conference is planned for the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. Sponsored by the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and the Governor's Division of Emergency Management, those attending will hear from a variety of professionals from organizations and agencies that exemplify the Texas homeland security goals of prevention, protection, response and recovery. Attending will be representatives of higher education, public education and health and medical care, along with local, state and federal government officials. Also on hand will be representatives of more than 30 state agencies that are members of the Governor's Emergency Management Council. For more information, click here.


TxDOT plans briefings for small, minority-owned firms

Small and minority-owned businesses in Texas seeking to do business with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and with the state will benefit from one of four upcoming TxDOT-sponsored briefings in locations around the state. The briefings will provide attendees with contracting opportunities and information on how to do business with Texas. There will be General Industry sessions that include specific information regarding doing business in the construction, goods and services, information technology and professional engineering service industries. Breakout sessions will cover small and minority-owned business certifications, resources for small business development, business marketing for state contracts and information on TxDOT toll projects. Each briefing will also include a Contracting Opportunities Showcase, an Industry Networking Session and a Reception. The registration fee is $25 per person. For more information and to register online, click here.

Following are the dates and locations for the briefings:

  • Oct. 24-25: Beaumont, Holiday Inn Plaza
  • Nov. 14-15: Corpus Christi, Omni Marina Tower
  • Feb. 20-21, 2008: Fort Worth, Radisson Hotel Fort Worth South
  • March 25-26, 2008: San Antonio, Radisson Hill Country Resort and Spa

Executive Women in Texas Government sets conference

Commissioner Hope Andrade of the Texas Transportation Commission and Claudia Stravato, executive director of Planned Parenthood of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle, will be keynote speakers for the upcoming Executive Women in Texas Government 21st Annual Professional Development Conference. The conference will be from 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 19, at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. During lunch, attendees will hear from businesswoman Linda Larsen on "The 7 Principles of Powerful Persuasion: Mastering the Art of Getting to 'Yes!'" Other activities during the conference will include a silent auction, more than two-dozen exhibits and numerous networking opportunities. Proceeds from the silent auction will benefit the EWTG scholarship program. There also will be some 30 workshops that will provide participants with opportunities for hands-on learning and development of leadership skills for multiple career levels. The 2007 Woman of the Year presentation and reception will begin at 3:30 p.m. The conference is open to all professionals and is designed for those who work in Texas government at all levels or those in affiliated organizations that support the purposes of EWTG. For more information, click here. To register, click here.


E-records conference offered in October

Those hoping to reach up to 300 Texas government officials involved in the management of electronic records and compliance can exhibit at the annual e-Records Conference on Oct. 30, 2007 at the Pickle Center in Austin. Hosted by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the Department of Information Resources, this one-day event provides an opportunity to meet staff from Texas agencies and universities who may be interested in content and records management products and services. The cost to exhibit is $350. The agenda focuses on implementing a program for effectively managing electronic records, including e-mail, instant messaging, wikis and blogs. The featured speaker is Jesse Wilkins, who has worked in the document industry for 12 years as a vendor, user and consultant. He has worked with public and private sector clients to develop strategies, design processes and implement systems to manage electronic records, e-mail and collaboration tools more effectively. For more information and to register, click here.