By Juan Montoya
A unanimous board of trustees of Texas Southmost voted Thursday to appoint Dr. Ruben Gallegos, a Texas Southmost College graduate and Distinguished Alumni, to finish the unexpired term of the late Ramon Champion Hinojosa.
With family members standing next to him, Gallegos took the oath of office from 103rd District Court judge Janet Leal, who told the audience that not only was she acquainted with his successful lifetime career in education, but that they were also cousins through marriage.
"We're family," she said, remembering that Gallegos and his late wife Norma Martinez Gallegos had given has a bedroom set when she had left home for college. She also said that his resume indicated that Gallegos had gone from working with his family as agricultural migrants in Colorado and other northern states and had risen through his educational achievements to give advice presidents on education.
"No one gave him anything," she said.
Before the presentation, a video tribute was played on the board room screen showing Hinojosa when he was trustee with chair Adela Garza and interim TSC President Mike Shannon remembering his dedication to make the community college succeed.
Each of the trustees spoke lauding the accomplishments of Gallegos, a past TSC Distinguished Alumni Award winner, longtime educator, principal and now owner of International Education Services who has a school named after him in the BISD.
Trustee Dr. Tony Zavaleta spoke of how his University of Texas professor Americo Paredes had told him there were less than 100 Latino Ph.Ds in Texas, and that Gallegos was one of them.
Ruben Herrera, before the vote was taken, said he was ready to welcome Gallegos to the board "if he could muster the six votes."
Mendez said that since he was younger than the rest, he could not share any anecdotes but that "anybody who has shaken the hand of the Pope" was alright with him, "unless it was Photoshopped."
Trustee Art Rendon spoke of how his late father in law Antonio A. Benavides, the principal of Cromack Elementary spoke highly of Gallegos when he was alive an welcomed him to the board.
Dr. Ray Garcia called him "a true professional."
A reception followed the installation of the new TSC trustee. Hinojosa's term expires May 2018 and Gallegos did not say whether he would seek election then.
8 comments:
no one cares about this TSC crap, juanito. Only you.
In Brownsville, nobody gives a crap about anything...it's a third world border town. Its politics, just like the city, are equally dirty.
I'm bout to cook me a whole mess of greens
Thanks Juan!!
And yes, done of us do care.
Who recommend this man to the Board?
Gallegos is overrated...very few people know that he was fired when he was employed by the Dallas ISD. I don't understand why a school was named in his honor. He didn't perform any extraordinary deeds while he was with BISD...he simply did his job. And as far as earning an EDD in education...East Texas State, at the time, was giving them away...especially to Hispanics
Anonymous Anonymous said...
In Brownsville, nobody gives a crap about anything...it's a third world border town. Its politics, just like the city, are equally dirty.
August 31, 2017 at 7:28 PM
Go to Houston. I am sure you would love to liv there. Especially right now.
Dr. Gallegos is NOTHING LIKE his children.
He is a humble and VERY knowledgeable man. From humble beginnings, went to LA ENCANTADA in El Ranchito, grew up on Military HWY.
He was my professor @ PAN AM.
He is a very good choice.
Doubts exist when actions show two different sides of a person. Dr. Gallego was poor as most of us were during that time and he was smart enough to get an education and make sure his immediate family got educated. But when he uses his money to earn brownie points, like he did right now that he donated $1000 to the Hinojosa fund and like he does when he wants something to go his way, it makes people wonder when they see that in his own family, a member had to hold a fund-raiser to help out with the medical expenses for his sister. Charity begins at home and since he was not going to get any publicity here, he made a meager donation to his own sister. I respect him as an educator, but when someone holds money dangling when he wants something, that is simply not right. Oh, I almost forgot! Did he not give a lot of money to Gallegos Elem to have the library named after his late wife? You see why it is so hard to swallow? But I just wish him well and that his expertise helps TSC.
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