- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free.
With all their declarations about working together and setting aside their differences, trustees of the Houston ISD didn't seem all that warm and cuddly Thursday night when they voted in their new officers for the year.
Diana Davila, who's been on and off the board and back again, was elected president. What made last night different was that instead of the usual practice of one name being offered for each seat and approved by all the board members in deals obviously worked out in advance, there were challenges.
Wanda Adams put forth Sergio Lira's name after Davila's nomination had been named. He quickly declined and the vote was taken: 7-2 with Adams and Jolanda Jones (who for a while was BFFs with Davila) voting against her.
Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca was elected first vice president (Jones against, Adams abstained), Elizabeth Santos second vice president (Jones and Adams against), Lira was elected secretary (the only one to receive a 9-0 vote in the evening) and Sue Deigaard was elected assistant secretary (Elizabeth Santos nominated Anne Sung but she declined and Deigaard was elected by an 8-1 with Santos against.) So the top four positions will all be held by Hispanic board members.
With Rhonda Skillern-Jones handing over the gavel to Davila as president there are no African-Americans in leadership positions on the board. Which probably doesn't bode well for Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan's chances for getting the superintendent's job permanently since they have been her biggest supporters.
Keep the Houston Press Free... Since we started the Houston Press, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Houston, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Houston with no paywalls.
