By Juan Montoya
Even though Texas Southmost College board president Kiko Rendon sits on the Workforce Solutions Cameron board and college president Lily Tercero was granted an extension to submit an application for the funds, the college lost out on part of $10 million of an Economic Development Administration training grant for students.The announcement of the grants was made Sept. 22 and included $1,202,145 in Economic Adjustment funds to the University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas, to fund the build out of the internal sections of a business incubator including radio frequency labs, classrooms, incubator offices, warehouse space, and outdoor radio systems at the STARGATE Technology Park in Lower Rio Grande Valley region.
It also included $1,199,999 in Public Works funds to the City of Port Isabel, Texas, to fund the acquisition and renovation of an historic building to serve as a new Culinary Arts Institute and $1.2 million in Economic Adjustment funds to the City of Pharr, Texas, to support the construction of an International Trade Center in the City of Pharr.
The TSC application for the grant – which already had the letters of support from Texas Rep. Rene Oliveira, U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, and Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez – was never completed. This even thought EDA officials – primarily Pedro R. Garza, head of the Austin EDA office – informed local Workforce officials and the college, that he was ready to grant them yet another extension after they missed the Aug. 16 deadline to file the completed application.
"It wasn't because it took any techinical know how," said a Workforce board member. "It seems like they are just inept over there. This was anon-competitive grant. All TSC had to do was do their part and they would have gotten it."
The incomplete TSC EDA application, he said, is till sitting on the shelf.
The fact that Tercero has not hired a grant writer may have played a part in the failure by the college to get the grant, sources say. Even though she has access to a grant writer working for UT-Brownsville, Tercero has proved reluctant to use the staff member.
"She hired a paid consultant to help her with grants at $40,000, " said a TSC staffer. "They told her that they didn't do that type of (EDA) grant."
As far as Rendon, sources at Cameron County may he has told them that he is considering resigning from the Workforce board because he wants to dedicate his time to other endeavors.
"We don't know how many millions TSC students lost out in training funds," said the source. "But there are other grants out there that they are in danger of missing if they don;t shape up."
15 comments:
Inept is a very soft and warm word for Tercero and her crew at TSC. It is chaotic there and Tercero keeps on grinding the gist of the chaos mill with her micro-management and procrastination. She seems to be unable to allow others to may significant decision and she won't make them until the very last second.
That place has no chance until she is moved on down the road and a competent leader put in place.
All that woman knows how to is squeeze people and assets and wring every minute of overtime work and every cent and scrap of paper out of everybody and everything.
She doesn't seem to understand that people need a positive workplace free of unnecessary pressure and unreasonable demands. The result of her lack of skills in this area is low moral and high turnover of employees. The work that is produced of of very low quality, because the workers don't give a shit and resent being there.
She doesn't seem to understand that there are times and places to pinch pennies and times and places where you should not.
The net result is an overworked bunch of employees that are very unhappy because they are asked to make bricks without straw. They also lack the resources to do their jobs correctly.
This time her squeeze has cost TSC millions of dollars. She does not know how to manage either people or a college. All she knows how to do is squeeze all within her grasp, thinking that is leadership.
The TSC Trustees need to take a deep breath, admit they made a mistake, buy out her contract and try to do it again and better. Look beyond the political correctness and put the best person there regardless of gender, age or ethnicity. There are many good people out there, but most of them don't want to take on the culture of corruption that seems to be the norm here in Brownsville. Good people that have choices don't want to come here.
That separation from UT-B now, juan? You pushed for it and even pumped-up this Tercero. 'Member, ese?
Kiko is an IDIOT like most of the Rendon family.. get RID of Him!!
Poor TSC. It should have never gone into the partnership to begin with. TSC was looted by Garcia and now Looted by Tercero. The community needs a community college desperately. The trustees were so wrong on this choice. Tercero has no experience and no leadership skills. The board needs to regroup and just get rid of her before it is to late.
Juan it's time to eat humble pie and admit that Tercero is an incompepent leader.
Youe three readers told you time and time again that she is no good ajd yet you kept on going with the cheer squad. And now look at TSC looking at the end of the barrel with a possible third strike on the acreditation process, the fact that they paid million to a third party IT institution who is completely inept and now the loss of millions of dollars in grants.
Time to send Tercero and Rendon packing.
Rendon and Tercero are not joined at the hip. They have very public differences going on. If they are a couple they are a couple on the brink of divorce.
Rendon is a big disappointment. He missed three meetings this year from the workforce board (which is automatic expulsion) but so far everyone has turned a blind eye! If he had any dignity he would resign.
Rendon and Tercero are not joined at the hip, of course not. That would mean they are equals which they are not. She is the boss and he obeys. It is that simple.
Is she related to Rep. Lucio the Terd.?
No, she isn't related to Edie the Terd. She is related to your mama.
No his mama is not that ugly or vindictive. Tercero is a work of art ask any employee in private. They will tell you. Ugly ugly ugly
I like Kiko. Its a shame no one ran against Adela. Seems eveyone is fed up with that lady's crap. I nominate a UTB professor. Next time, she's a goner...
Kiko could be a goner sooner. He is up in a year and a half. Keep that UTB professor ready she only has five years and some months left.
No one ran against Adela because they kept it hush hush until after the 5: pm deadline.
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