HOW ADRIANA AND HERLINDA MADE THE RUNOFF: On Tuesday, November 5, 2013, HCC Board Member Herlinda Garcia finished second in a tight (3) three candidate field and was forced into a runoff by Adriana Tamez for the Houston Community College Board Trustee for District III seat. The other candidate in the race was Dane D. Cook. Adriana Tamez ended the night with 3,466 votes for 38.95% of the vote to finish first. Herlinda Garcia finished the night with 3,017 votes for 33.91% of the vote to finish second and force the runoff.
GET TO KNOW ADRIANA TAMEZ
According to her website, beginning at an early age, Dr. Adriana Tamez has been an advocate for educating and empowering individuals and communities, especially those from lower socio-economic circumstances. Her career as an educator and community engagement specialist have been marked by challenging the status quo and developing best practices to meet the needs of students and the larger community. Her rise through the ranks of educational and community leadership attest to her many successes. Because of her love for family and community, Tamez most recently adjusted her professional journey. She now serves as an educational consultant to local school districts, which allows her the flexibility to continue her much enjoyed community involvement and fulfill her most prized role as mother to her 24 month old son, Adam Gabriel.
Dr. Tamez earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in 1992 and a master’s degree in educational administration and supervision in 1999, both at the University of Houston. She earned her doctorate in Educational Administration while a Fellow in the nationally acclaimed Cooperative Superintendency Program at the University of Texas at Austin.
She began her educational career as a bilingual-education teacher at Mario Gallegos Elementary School from 1992 to 1994. She served as the associate director of development for UH’s College of Education until 1995. Rejoining HISD as a parental involvement specialist (1995–1996).
Dr. Tamez was one of the founding members of the Raul Yzaguirre School for Success, serving as the director of education at the Raul Yzaguirre Middle Charter School for Success before assuming the principalship at Rufus Cage Elementary School. Subsequently, she was principal at Project Chrysalis Middle School and Thomas Edison Middle School. In 2005 she was selected to serve as the HISD Central Region Superintendent, where she supervised 54 schools — 97 percent of which earned the states highest accountability rating of “Recognized” or “Exemplary.” Her vision and direction was responsible for high-performing instructional programs and enriching educational experiences for more than 35,000 students.
Dr. Tamez’s civic involvement has included being awarded the Willie Velásquez Excellence Achievement Award (1997) and the Tejano Center for Community Concerns’ 1999 President’s Award. Dr. Tamez received the East Region’s 2003–2004 Principal of the Year Award and the Association of Hispanic School Administrators’ 2003–2004 Outstanding Principal of the Year Award. She is a past member of the Association of Hispanic School Administrators, founding board member of the Tejano Center for Community Concerns, and served on the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s Go Tejano Education Committee from 1994 to 1997. Dr. Tamez is a member of the advisory council of Neighborhood Centers, Inc. In 2013 the Houston City Council voted to reappoint Dr. Tamez to both the Houston Clean City Commission and the Houston Center for Literacy Board of Directors.
GET TO KNOW HERLINDA GARCIA
CLICK HERE TO VISIT WEBSITE
According to her campaign website, Herlinda Garcia has been a champion of education serving as principal of J. P. Henderson Elementary for three decades. As a member of the Houston Community College Board of Trustees for 14 years from 1989-2003, Ms. Garcia served as Chairman of the Board in 1996 and was instrumental in expanding HCCS with new buildings in the southeast, northeast and Medical Center. In May 2011 the HCCS Board of Trustees recognized and honored Herlinda Garcia with an Award for her dedicated service to HCCS from 1989 – 2013. In May 2010 Herlinda was the HCCS recipient of the Chairman’s Legacy Award, District III.
Advocate of Students
An Advocate of children and community education and civil rights, she served on the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund National Board for six years. An American Leadership Fellow Class IX, Ms. Garcia is the recipient of numerous awards and recognition including the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Triunfando Award, the Ford Dealership Award, Certificate of Congress and Recognition by Member of Congress Sheila Jackson Lee, and the 2003 YWCA Outstanding Women of Achievement Award for Education.
Leadership
Under her leadership, J. P. Henderson received the State Exemplary Award for four consecutive years and the Texas Business and Education Coalition Award. Most recently J. P. Henderson Elementary was rated the fourth best performing school in all of Harris County by the Children at Risk 2010 Greater Houston Public School Ranking. In 2013 J. P. Henderson received an “A” rating. Ms. Garcia’s school was visited by Governor Rick Perry and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2008.
In recognition of her tireless effort and dedication, General Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier recently recognized Herlinda Garcia for her campus leadership, and named her one of the most effective principals in HISD. In September 2013, Ms. Garcia was promoted to Lead Principal to mentor other HISD principals and replicate “best education practices”
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