Alamo Community Colleges' Board Chair Zárate Named to Key Task Force by Governor Perry

Governor Rick Perry has named Alamo Community Colleges’ Board Chairman Roberto Zárate to the Task Force on Higher Education Incentive Funding, which will make recommendations to the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker regarding guidelines for implementing higher education incentive funding programs. Incentives for public colleges and universities will be based on student and institutional achievements that are aligned with state and regional priorities.

“Establishing an innovative incentive-based performance funding system is essential to furthering Texas’ goal of having institutions of higher education prepare students for the demands and opportunities of the 21st century marketplace," said Gov. Perry. "We must change the paradigm from funding institutions solely based on students enrolled to funding based more on the quality of students produced.”

“I am honored to serve on this task force, and I am deeply aware of the tremendous responsibility this position carries with it,” said Zárate. “This is a very important task force, and I hope that my representation will benefit not only community colleges but
all institutions of higher education.

Zárate has served on the Alamo Community Colleges’ Board of Trustees for four and
a half years, and as chairman since May 2006. He recently retired from Northside Independent School District after a 36-year career in education. He was principal at Mary Hull Elementary School for 16 years. Under Zárate’s guidance, Mary Hull Elementary has been honored as a Texas Recognized School, a Commended Title I School, a Texas Blue Ribbon School and a National Blue Ribbon School. The school also received the Hispanic Magazine Exemplary School Award in 1999.

Zárate is a lifetime member of the Texas and national PTA, and was recognized by the National Association of Elementary and Secondary Principals as a Blue Ribbon Principal. He also received the Yellow Rose of Texas Outstanding Educator Award, bestowed by the Constance B. Allen Heritage Guild for Lifetime Learning.

Zárate has served on the board of directors of the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, the Community Guidance Center, the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, the Alamo Area Rape Crisis Center, the Taft High School Band Boosters, the Harvard Principal's Center Advisory Board and the city of San Antonio Commission on Literacy. Zárate received a bachelor’s from Howard Payne College and master’s from San Diego State University in California.

The task force will submit their report no later than July 15, 2008. Their recommendations will focus on:

• Structuring higher education funding to reward student and institutional outcomes that are aligned with state and regional priorities consistent with the objectives of H.C.R. 159. Examples include incentives for graduating students in critical fields such as science, math and engineering, graduating at-risk students and expediting time-to-degree and transfers from community colleges to four-year institutions

• Use of the $100 million in incentive funding appropriated by the 80th Legislature

• Establishing a system of incentive funding for all public institutions of higher education for consideration by the Texas Legislature during the 81st session.

St. Philip's College's Hadley Named Student of the Month for January

(l to r) ACCD Board Chair Roberto Zárate and St. Philip's College President Dr. Adena W. Loston congratulate Janna Hadley, January Student of the Month, together with Alamo Community Colleges' Chancellor Dr. Bruce H. Leslie. (Photo by Robert Bruce)

St. Philip's College student Janna Hadley was recognized at the January board meeting as the January student of the month. Hadley was born November 25, 1985, the third of three children. She graduated with honors in the top ten percent of her high school class in 2004, having completed nine college credit hours. She transferred to St. Philip’s College, where she now studies English and music with the goal of creating a music-oriented campus organization. Hadley is an active member of the SWIM team and a success in Sigma Alpha Pi, the society leadership organization at St. Philip’s College .

Garcia Named District-Wide Employee of the Month for January

(l to r) ACCD Board Chair Roberto Zárate congratulates Cristal Garcia, district-wide employee of the month for January. He is joined by Dr. Federico Zaragoza, vice chancellor of economic and workforce development and Alamo Community Colleges' Chancellor Dr. Bruce H.Leslie.(Photo by Robert Bruce)

Cristal Garcia, an Alamo Community Colleges' employee for eight years, who is currently a Workforce Development Specialist at the Westside Education & Training Center, was presented with her award as district-wide employee of the month at the January board meeting.
 
During her tenure at the Alamo Community Colleges, Garcia has matured into just the type of employee many managers seek. A mother of four, Cristal rarely misses work. Further, she has earned her associate degree through Palo Alto College, and is moving rapidly through her bachelor degree requirements at the University of the Incarnate Word. 

Garcia has assisted in opening two ACCD workforce specialty campuses.  She works closely with business partners on various grant activities, and is very well respected by those partners for her work ethic, customer service, and willingness to help.  She ensures that she understands every nuance of her job.  She develops systems and methods that help her supervisor and co-workers manage a special campus, gather data, track programs and participants, report to the vice chancellor, manage large sums of funding, and all other activities associated with operating a workforce specialty campus and multiple grants.