With her majority on the board evaporated by the recent elections, Texas Southmost President Lily Tercero is now facing scrutiny on a variety of issues that the former board members had let her slide, to the detriment of the finances and academic achievement of the community college.
El Rrun-Rrun has learned that several trustees have met with Tercero – noticeably new trustee Dr. Tony Zavaleta – with pointed questions about her performance, or nonperformance, on a number of matters critical to the progress of the institution.One of Zavaleta's main concerns has been TSC's application to the state's JET application.
The Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant program allocates $10 million each biennium to defray start-up costs associated with the development of career and technical education programs to public community and technical colleges, and independent school districts. Formerly under the direction of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Legislation passed by the 84th Texas Legislature transferred oversight of the state-funded program to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
The JET program is limited to funding community and technical colleges and independent school districts in partnership with those institutions. The program is designed nurture new, emerging industries or high-demand occupations and to offer new or expanded dual-credit career and technical educational opportunities in public high schools
At a recent meeting, Tercero was asked point blank whether TSC had applied for the critical funding provided community college's by this program and blithely replied that the college's application had been filed two weeks earlier.
But Zavaleta, with family and personal contacts in Austin in the persons of State Rep. Rene Oliveira and his administrative aide Tony Gray, was informed that they could find no application from TSC either with the Comptroller, the TWC, or any other state agency.
That, among other issues, has created a schism of credibility between the new board majority and the now-beleaguered president. Adding to the tension is the fact that the former board majority, just before the new crew took over, voted to give Tercero a three-year extension on her contract.
That majority was headed by former chairman Kiko Rendon, Ed Rivera, Art Rendon, Dr. Rey Garcia, and joined by Trey Mendez. Now-chair Adela Garza and Raymond Hinojosa voted against the extension.
But that support has vanished in light of new revelations about the inadequacy of the Tercero administration. Right now, about the only steadfast vote she has on the board is Garcia's, with even Art Rendon conceding to close associates that it might be time for her to go. Now even if Mendez's association with OP 10.33's Mike Hernandez might tie his hands on issues pushed by Tercero, the super majority under chair Garza has the votes to push through or defeat any of her initiatives.
But that support has vanished in light of new revelations about the inadequacy of the Tercero administration. Right now, about the only steadfast vote she has on the board is Garcia's, with even Art Rendon conceding to close associates that it might be time for her to go. Now even if Mendez's association with OP 10.33's Mike Hernandez might tie his hands on issues pushed by Tercero, the super majority under chair Garza has the votes to push through or defeat any of her initiatives.
Insiders say that the outgoing majority left the new majority with chairperson Garza with the option of either buying out Tercero's contract – she had applied and was not chosen to Laredo Community College – or of building up a case to fire her for cause.
"If she lied to the board members about the JET application, that would be enough for the board to start a case for her dismissal for cause," said a TSC staffer. "If they haven't seen TSC's JET application in Austin and she told them two weeks ago that it had already been filed, that could be lethal to he tenure here."
And hanging over the suddenly-administratively challenged president is the ongoing investigation that the board ordered TSC's legal counsel Frank Perez to launch after they discovered that the college's windstorm insurance contract had been extended without the matter going before the board.
The extension – and the cost of rebidding and awarding the coverage – will cost additional funds that could have been saved if the administration had been on top of things and had informed the board months before the coverage expired.
Perez hired outside counsel to investigate how the windstorm coverage lapsed without the board being informed and who ordered the extension.
During a recent meeting, Tercero said she had approved the extension based on recommendations from"staff."
When pressed on which "staff" had made the recommendation, she pointed to Carlos Pecero, TSC's administrator in Business Services, Finance & Administration. But the fact that Tercero had renewed the windstorm policy without sending the item out for bids or even consulting the board irked the members.
The board, caught in a dilemma between Tercero's action and the hurricane season which is upon the Texas coast, put a majority in the mood of rescinding the contract which currently runs from April 7, 2016 to April 6, 2017.
Pecero said that when the administration discovered the policy was about to lapse, there were only two weeks left in the policy and felt they had no choice but to extend it.
Reports by other blogs, notably Jim Barton's Brownsville Observer, said that the coverage by BTW calls for an annual premium for basic windstorm of $829,789, but, adding the excess windstorm protection for damage beyond a certain threshold, adds another $214,000, taking the premium to over $1 million annually.
Mendez suggested aiming for an August termination, not liking the thought of a company benefiting from an illegal, unlawful or voidable contract.
Pecero hinted that rescinding the contract might lead to recovering a very small amount of the premium, "possibly only $40,000." Two buildings, currently on the policy as qualifying for a "superior construction discount," no longer qualify for that discount and would have to be insured at a higher rate.
This is not the first time a local administrator has bypassed his or her board or commission to "act in the best interest" of their entities without the members' approval. In all cases it has not ended well for them.
Mark Yates, currently Cameron County Planning and Program Development director, got in hot water in a previous stint as a county auditor when he renewed an insurance contract without commissioners court approval. He ended up in an orange jumpsuit and state charges. A similar thing happened to former CFO Lucio Mendoza at the Brownsville Independent School District with an insurance contract that was "about to lapse." Mendoza is no longer in his position as BISD CFO.
To make matters worse, Luis De la Garza, the attorney who was put in charge of investigating the insurance award, is a former Cameron County Asst. District Attorney with a renown prowess for in-depth investigation.
"Luis is not a smooth litigator," said a source in the DA's Office. "But if you want someone to dig and get at the bottom of things, you couldn't pick a batter investigator. If there has been any act that would reveal any criminal acts or wrongdoing, Luis is your man."
Sources say that Tercero has yet to meet with De la Garza on the matter.
"At this point, there are other clouds in the horizon having to do with other academic and financial matters that are coming back to haunt this administration," said the TSC insider. "Tercero can hang around and get terminated for cause if she wants to. But the writing is on the wall. One thing this board is not going to do is to pay ridiculous sums of money to buy out her contract."
The board, caught in a dilemma between Tercero's action and the hurricane season which is upon the Texas coast, put a majority in the mood of rescinding the contract which currently runs from April 7, 2016 to April 6, 2017.
Pecero said that when the administration discovered the policy was about to lapse, there were only two weeks left in the policy and felt they had no choice but to extend it.
Reports by other blogs, notably Jim Barton's Brownsville Observer, said that the coverage by BTW calls for an annual premium for basic windstorm of $829,789, but, adding the excess windstorm protection for damage beyond a certain threshold, adds another $214,000, taking the premium to over $1 million annually.
Mendez suggested aiming for an August termination, not liking the thought of a company benefiting from an illegal, unlawful or voidable contract.
Pecero hinted that rescinding the contract might lead to recovering a very small amount of the premium, "possibly only $40,000." Two buildings, currently on the policy as qualifying for a "superior construction discount," no longer qualify for that discount and would have to be insured at a higher rate.
This is not the first time a local administrator has bypassed his or her board or commission to "act in the best interest" of their entities without the members' approval. In all cases it has not ended well for them.
Mark Yates, currently Cameron County Planning and Program Development director, got in hot water in a previous stint as a county auditor when he renewed an insurance contract without commissioners court approval. He ended up in an orange jumpsuit and state charges. A similar thing happened to former CFO Lucio Mendoza at the Brownsville Independent School District with an insurance contract that was "about to lapse." Mendoza is no longer in his position as BISD CFO.
To make matters worse, Luis De la Garza, the attorney who was put in charge of investigating the insurance award, is a former Cameron County Asst. District Attorney with a renown prowess for in-depth investigation."Luis is not a smooth litigator," said a source in the DA's Office. "But if you want someone to dig and get at the bottom of things, you couldn't pick a batter investigator. If there has been any act that would reveal any criminal acts or wrongdoing, Luis is your man."
Sources say that Tercero has yet to meet with De la Garza on the matter.
"At this point, there are other clouds in the horizon having to do with other academic and financial matters that are coming back to haunt this administration," said the TSC insider. "Tercero can hang around and get terminated for cause if she wants to. But the writing is on the wall. One thing this board is not going to do is to pay ridiculous sums of money to buy out her contract."
15 comments:
Maybe she likes to wear Orange
Tony "The Tomb Robber" Zavaleta as ring leader on any Tercero overthrow only delays the inevitable, that being that TSC will die a painful death. The little college is at the mercy of ghouls!
As a TSC insider, there are so many things wrong with Tercero's administration and have been from the start. The Board hired the wrong person, and knew if after just a few short months, but lacked the cojones to admit their mistake.
TSC is already on hospice care and it remains to be seen if it can recover. They best shot was when the wrong person was hired. It may be too late now.
Is tsc capable of get anything right? You have to be poor and desperate to go there.
To 10:58
Estas pero bien pendejo, TSC will not die, in fact, despite many attempts by many people, TSC will return to it's glory years. Zavaleta has the experience in higher education to help lead the Board and whoever replaces Dr. Tercero who is on her way out.
"He's not obsessed with Lard Ass Barton, just tormenting him. There's a difference, lad."
Obsessing or tormenting, however you characterize your activities, Duardo, it's still sick. The day Google shut down your blog, August 5, 2015, started a flood of hundreds of obscene posting attempts to my blog. None were clever or funny, just gross and juvenile. They now rest in my spam filter.
You claim you can afford a website. Don't just brag about it. Do it! Post your fake stories, adding fake comments from "the high school student," "single mother" and "concerned citizen." Don't worry about pageviews. You seldom get many. Just read your stories, admire the "journalism," and laugh at your feeble attempts at humor. In other words, amuse yourself. Anything will beat spending 24/7 trolling Brownsville's established blogs. Get a life, son!
There has never been a person from outside Cameron County that Tony Zavaleta has liked or trusted. Tony considers himself a local "elitist"...which he is not. Tony mistrusts anyone who does not think the way he does. Tony has long been critical of outsiders; regardless of their activities or intents. He has been heard calling groups re-enacting Civil War battles as "tobacco chewing rednecks". He was opposed to ROTC at UTB because "having uniformed military students was an insult to Mexico". And, we know that Tony sold his soul (a poor soul at that) to Julieta Garcia and her efforts to be crowned "Queen Julieta". I didn't vote for Tony and don't believe he has the capability to set his arrogance and ego aside to benefit our community.
She is already gone....
Tercero's micromanagement of faculty and administrators has depleted TSC. Successful adults do not tolerate being constantly told how to teach or administrate. Now that the TSC board has been slighted, circumvented on contracts, many expect the duardo to hit the fan. Tercero will be out.
TSC needs a president like Arnulfo Oliveira or Albert Besteiro. Needs better salaries for faculty and staff, needs a Vocational-
Technical division like the one under Desi Rios, a Nursing department like the one under Margarita Barradas, needs for BISD to stop telling parents that their children are well prepared in Early College HIGH SCHOOLS but when they make the transition to TSC they find out that they fail an entrance exam . TSC needs to be able to compete with Kaplan College (or whatever the name is now), TSTC, STVT, and all the other technical schools that appeared when UTB-TSC was formed. That union DESTROYED the Vocational-Technical division at TSC.
TSC needs for their students to identify themselves with the Junior College concept. They don't have a bookstore that sells them a TSC shirt or even a water bottle but UTRGV memorabilia is found everywhere.
TSC needs board members that look after TSC and the LOCAL community not after themselves and their local interests.
Arnulfo Oliveira was an honorable man who had no hidden agenda. He only wanted to create the best learning enviorment possible for the community's college bound students. I was young when he passed, but that event saddened me. We can only hope for another college president with his vision and drive. TSC must return to the glory days that existed under
Dr. Oliveiras's leadership. ¡VIVA TSC!
of course .... water bottles and t-shirts. That should do it!
(Maybe she likes to wear Orange)
Orange scrubs,huh? Like the wear at the county jail. Makes sense.
Mayim.
Erasmo for BISD!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
of course .... water bottles and t-shirts. That should do it!
July 17, 2016 at 11:35 AM
FYI Water bottles and T-shirts will NOT make TSC successful BUT it will give the students a SENSE of IDENTITY with THEIR Junior College.
TSTC, STC, STVC have that in their bookstores. TSC in the 1970's and 1980's and even at the start of the 1990's HAD many TSC memorabilia for students. UTB and UTRGV sells that to the student population. If that is not important then WHY does it sell so well with the student population in those campuses? By the way, ASK THE STUDENTS at the current TSC and you will see that ONE of their requests to the administration was JUST THAT.
Post a Comment