HOUSTON – The Texas Education Agency announced the appointment of a nine-member Board of Managers for the Houston Independent School District and the selection of a new superintendent Thursday.
The appointed Board of Managers temporarily replaces the current elected board of trustees and will be responsible for overseeing the management of the school district.
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In addition, the board is expected to work with new HISD Superintendent Mike Miles to accomplish the exit criteria set forth by TEA that must occur before the transition back to the elected board, a news release said.
Meet the newly appointed board members:
- Audrey Momanaee: Momanaee is an HISD parent and native Houstonian who grew up in a family of public school teachers, the TEA said. She is an experienced litigation attorney and advocate for pro bono legal work.
- Ric Campo: For more than 40 years, Campo has served on numerous public and private boards. Campo is the grandson of immigrant farmworkers and was the first in his family to graduate from college before building his own company in Houston.
- Angela Lemond Flowers: An experienced educator, Flowers began her teaching career at Jesse H. Jones High School in HISD, where her mother also taught. She has served as a high school English teacher and in administrative leadership for over 20 years in Houston-area schools. She is the mother of four, including two Houston ISD graduates.
- Michelle Cruz Arnold, Ph.D.: The mother of an HISD student, Arnold earned a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Planning and has spent more than 20 years as an education policy advocate working to create college and career opportunities for students, the TEA said. Arnold, a Houston native, currently leads government relations and advocacy work for a national non-profit college access organization.
- Cassandra Auzenne Bandy: Bandy is an HISD graduate and parent of fourth-generation HISD students. She is an active PTO volunteer at her children’s school. She is a chemical engineer by training and currently works as a business strategy manager at a global consulting firm, according to TEA.
- Janette Garza Lindner: Garza Lindner is a wife and working mom of two children who attend HISD schools. She is a management consultant within the energy industry, and her civic advocacy spans education, the arts, and making neighborhoods in her community safer and healthier, Morath said.
- Rolando Martinez: Martinez is a native Houstonian, an HISD graduate, and a parent of three children who all attend HISD schools. He currently serves on the District Advisory Committee and works as a human resources manager at a large healthcare system in the Texas Medical Center.
- Paula Mendoza: Mendoza is a longtime Houston resident, the mother of an HISD graduate, a community leader and an entrepreneur. She is a small business owner and has “demonstrated her commitment” to the Houston community through service on numerous non-profit and governmental boards, including the University of Houston Board of Regents, Texas Ethics Commission, and Texas State Board of Public Accountancy, TEA said.
- Adam P. Rivon: Rivon is the parent of an HISD student and is the founder and owner of a small business in the real estate industry. Rivon served in the United States Army, earning a Bronze Star for leadership as an Army Artillery Officer during combat operations in Iraq.
The board will hold its first public board meeting on June 8 and is expected to work in collaboration with Miles to ensure that educators and staff have the necessary tools and resources at their disposal to facilitate student success in the classroom and beyond, the release said.
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