Kevin O’Connor Kommentary April 19

Texas A&M Vice President Of Student Affairs And Former Corps Of Cadets Commandant Joe Ramirez Announces His Retirement

Texas A&M vice president of student affairs (VPSA) and former corps of cadets commandant Joe Ramirez announces his retirement. In an e-mail Ramirez sent to employees on Wednesday (October 30), he wrote “I have truly been blessed to have had the opportunity to serve the best university in the world as the 45th Commandant of the Corps of Cadets for 11 years and as the Vice-President for Student Affairs for almost four years.” Ramirez went on to say “These past 14 years have truly been rewarding for my wife and me, and we leave with nothing but fond memories of great people and great times at my alma mater.” Ramirez, A&M class of 1979, returned to his alma mater in 2010 following a 31 year career in the Army where he retired as a brigadier general. When he retires January 1, 2025, Ramirez said “I am extremely excited to start a new chapter in my life – one in which I can dedicate more time to my amazing wife Terry, our nine children and eight grandchildren.” Ramirez added that his plans include “spending some quality time with Terry somewhere in the Caribbean dipping my toes in some warm water, sipping on an umbrella drink, and smoking a good cigar!” Courtesy of the office of Texas A&M’s vice president of student affairs, here is the text of Joe Ramirez’s e-mail to VPSA employees: Howdy! I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the school year as we head into the last month of what has been a very successful Fall 2024 semester. As always, I remain in awe of the superb work you all do every day in support of our students and our university, and I am proud to work alongside each of you every day. It is with mixed emotions that I send this email to you today to announce that my wife and I have decided to retire effective January 1, 2025. I am extremely excited to start a new chapter in my life – one in which I can dedicate more time to my amazing wife Terry, our nine children and eight grandchildren. Because of the nature of the work I chose to do over the years, my family has had to endure many sacrifices as a result. As much as I love what I do, I also realize that I need to dedicate time and energy to spend quality time with the ones I love the most, my family. And that is what I plan to do upon my retirement – including spending some quality time with Terry somewhere in the Caribbean dipping my toes in some warm water, sipping on an umbrella drink, and smoking a good cigar! However, I also know that I am going to miss being on campus every day, working with the dedicated professionals in the Division of Student Affairs and across the campus. I fell in love with Texas A&M the first day I stepped on the Quad as a naive fish in the Corps and Aggie Band in 1975, and those feelings have never subsided. After having served our great nation for 31 years in the U.S. Army, I have truly been blessed to have had the opportunity to serve the best university in the world as the 45th Commandant of the Corps of Cadets for 11 years and as the Vice-President for Student Affairs for almost four years. These past 14 years have truly been rewarding for my wife and me, and we leave with nothing but fond memories of great people and great times at my alma mater. I am going to miss the interaction with our incredible students, who reassure me every day that the future of this great nation will be in the capable hands of talented and gifted young leaders who represent our proud university with dignity and honor every day. Texas A&M is a special place because of its students, who continue to honor the past through the traditions that we hold so dear, while also searching for innovative ways to make this world a better place. Texas Aggies will shape the future of our world, and I am proud of having had the opportunity to work with these amazing young people over the past 14 years. I am also going to miss you all, my colleagues, co-workers, and friends in the Division of Student Affairs. Texas A&M boasts the nation’s No. 1 student experience, and it is because of the tireless effort and compassion you all put into your work every day. The Division of Student Affairs at Texas A&M is a unique and remarkable place to work, and I am humbled and honored to have had the opportunity to work beside you all over the past 3.5 years. You truly are the best of the best. Thank you again for all you do for the students of Texas A&M University. You make a difference every day in the lives of those you work with, and you do it all with a positive attitude while upholding this great institution’s core values. I will continue to work alongside you and the students of Texas A&M every day until my retirement date, and I look forward to the last couple of months of interactions we will share together. Thank you all for what you have done for me, professionally, and for Terry and me personally. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to have worked with all of you and to have shared so many good times with you. We will never forget you and all that you do every day for Texas A&M University. God bless all of you, God bless the Division of Student Affairs, and God bless Texas A&M. Gig’ Em! With deepest respect and appreciation, Joe BG Joe E. Ramirez, Jr. ‘79, USA (Ret.) Vice President for Student Affairs

Bryan ISD Central Administration Office Reorganization

Bryan ISD’s central administration office undergoes a reorganization. Three positions recommended by the superintendent were approved at the end of the BISD school board’s October 21st meeting. The only public comments by board members preceding unanimous votes were congratulating the new hires. Two are current BISD employees and the third was returning in a new position. Filling a two year vacancy as BISD deputy superintendent is one of the district’s school leadership directors, Brian Merrell. A BISD spokesman says Merrell was the only person who applied. The district’s new operations director, Warren Lamphier, returns to BISD after leaving two years ago as transportation director. The board also agreed to move the principal at Bryan Collegiate High School, Tommy Roberts, to become the district’s new human resources director. WTAW News asked how many applications were received and how many candidates were interviewed for the operations and human resources positions. A BISD news release announcing the positions approved by the school board also included the superintendent’s decision to reclassify employee and community relations director Hugo Ibarra as the district’s executive director of community affairs. Dr. Ibarra’s former position will not be filled. Click below to hear comments from the October 21, 2024 Bryan ISD school board meeting about hiring the district’s new human resources director, new operations director, and new deputy superintendent. Listen to “Bryan ISD school board comments when hiring three new central office administrators” on Spreaker. News release from Bryan ISD: Deputy Superintendent: Accomplished Bryan ISD Leader Hired for Even Bigger Role In March 2022, Ginger Carrabine became Bryan ISD Superintendent. Prior to this role, Ms. Carrabine served as Deputy Superintendent, a position that has remained vacant since her promotion. Stepping into the role of Deputy Superintendent today, is Dr. Brian Merrell. Dr. Merrell has been with Bryan ISD since 2018, where he has served in the role of Executive Director of School Leadership, most currently overseeing secondary campuses, fine arts, career and technical education, and multiple student, family, and community engagement initiatives. Prior to Bryan ISD, Merrell served as principal in Waller ISD for 13 years and has now been serving in education for over 26 years. Dr. Merrell received all three of his degrees (Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Education) from Texas A&M University. He currently holds teacher, principal, and superintendent certifications. As Deputy Superintendent, Dr. Merrell will oversee the district operations division while ensuring the effective execution of operational systems across the district. The Deputy will also supervise the leaders of the Career and Technical Education Department, and the Fine Arts Department, while also managing special projects as determined. In addition, Dr. Merrell will lead long-range strategic planning, master facilities planning, and a multitude of district initiatives. This position emphasizes community, family, and student engagement while interacting with internal and external stakeholders. Executive Director of Human Resources: Proven Leadership Success to Lead Bryan ISD Human Resource Department Bryan Collegiate High School principal, Tommy Roberts, was unanimously approved by the Bryan ISD Board of Trustees on Monday, October 21 as the Executive Director of Human Resources, most recently vacated in the Summer of 2024. Tommy Roberts, who has led Bryan Collegiate High School as principal since 2017, has been instrumental in maintaining the school’s U.S. News and World Report Best High School rankings for 11 consecutive years. Mr. Roberts started his career at Bryan ISD in 2005 and has served in a variety of roles, including teacher, instructional coach, associate principal, and principal. Roberts received his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics degree and Master of Education degree from Texas A&M University. He completed his postgraduate studies and principal certification program at Sam Houston State University and is completing his Superintendency Certification Program through the University of Texas at Tyler. Roberts currently holds teacher and principal certifications. As the Executive Director of Human Resources, Roberts will provide strategic leadership and direction for all HR functions within the school district consisting of over 3,000 employees. The role emphasizes talent acquisition, management, development, compensation, and retention of employees while ensuring legally sound and effective systems. The Executive Director will be instrumental in creating a positive work environment that aligns with the district’s educational goals and standards through effective Human Resources practices. Executive Director of Operations: Experienced Director to Return in Leading Role Former Bryan ISD Director of Transportation and current Director of Operations at School Bus Inc. Sioux Falls, Warren Lanphier, was unanimously approved by the Bryan ISD Board of Trustees Monday, October 21 as the Executive Director of Operations, most recently vacated in September 2024. Since 2022 and leaving Bryan ISD, Lanphier has served and overseen over 175 employees at School Bus Inc. He has done this while managing a $10 million budget successfully implementing recruiting strategies and achieving Department of Transportation standards. Lanphier received his Bachelor of Science and Associate in Applied Science in Behavioral Sciences from Lewis Clark State College and his Master of Science in Human Resource Development from Texas A&M University. As the Executive Director of Operations, Lanphier will oversee and manage the auxiliary support services within the school district, which include transportation, maintenance, food services, custodial services, warehouse operations, safety and security, and construction projects. He will ensure that all operations services are delivered efficiently, effectively, and in alignment with the district’s educational goals and standards. Executive Director of Community Affairs: Reclassification of Roles: Successful and Experienced Leader to Oversee Community Affairs Recently, Dr. Hugo Ibarra, was reclassified as Executive Director of Community Affairs. Prior to serving in this role, Dr. Ibarra was the Director of Employee and Community Relations at Bryan ISD. (Ibarra’s previous Director position will not be filled.). This reclassification has been a part of Ms. Carrabine’s restructuring of her executive leadership team. With over 12 years of experience in the district and 20 years in education, Dr. Ibarra has served in a variety of district leadership roles including Director of Employee and Community Relations, Community Outreach Officer, principal, assistant principal, and teacher. With a background in […]

More Money Spent To Fix Drainage Issues Between The Brazos County Tax and Extension Offices

Brazos County commissioners agree to spend more money to fix drainage issues between the tax office and extension office buildings. There was no public discussion before Tuesday’s (October 29) unanimous vote. What was an original cost of over $672,000 dollars went to almost $825,000. And the change order added another two months of construction time to deal with undisclosed structural foundation issues. Click HERE to read and download the change order that was approved at the October 29, 2024 Brazos County commission meeting. Click below to hear the motion and vote from the October 29, 2024 commission meeting.