BISD hires key administrators

The Brownsville Independent School District on Tuesday hired longtime budget administrator Tony Fuller as chief financial officer and named Janna Hawkins, a former area assistant superintendent, as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

Fuller, who has worked in BISD’s business office throughout his 26-year career, served as interim chief financial officer from 2001-2003 and interim payroll administrator from 2000-2001. He has been the district’s budget administrator from 1994-2001 and since 2003, overseeing a budget of $493.1 million in the current fiscal year.

Hawkins replaces Salvador Cavazos, who left the district in July to become superintendent of the Alice Independent School District. Hawkins holds a master’s degree in school administration and was hired at a salary of $120,000.

Fuller replaces interim CFO Robert Ruiz, who had replaced former CFO Tony Juarez in late 2008. Fuller holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting but qualified for the position based on his administrative experience with BISD. He was hired at a salary of $110,000.

The vote Tuesday night by BISD’s Board of Trustees was 3-2-1 for hiring Fuller, with Trustees Joe Colunga, Ruben Cortez Jr. and board president Rolando Aguilar voting in favor, Minerva Peña and Rick Zayas abstaining and Catalina Presas-Garcia voting against.

Susan Fox, assistant superintendent for human resources, said Fuller was the only applicant among four who applied who met job qualifications. The job had been posted since July.

The announcement of vacancy lists a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s in accounting or finance as prerequisites but allows either being a certified public accountant or having five years of administrative experience in a multi-high school 5-A district to substitute for the MBA requirement.

Fox said the San Antonio Independent School District, as well as districts from Laredo to Mission to Harlingen, has similar requirements.

"Each district puts their own spin on the requirements because they’re looking for a certain type of employee," Fox said. "(Superintendent Brett) Springston took the previous posting and tweaked it a little bit to be able to get as wide a range of people as possible."

Springston said Fuller was the ideal candidate for the job because of his knowledge of BISD finances.

"He’s a hometown guy who has worked his way up through the system," Springston said. "He’s a success story and I look forward to working with him because he’s very knowledgeable."

Fuller received his accounting degree in 1983 from what was then Pan American University at Brownsville. He went to work for BISD the next year as an accountant, became accounting supervisor in 1987 and budget administrator in 1994.

"I’m excited to get it," Fuller said of the CFO appointment. "It’s going to be an interesting next year and next biennium," he added, referring to challenges facing BISD as the district begins work on next year’s budget.

"We’ve got a great group of administrators and teachers, so we’ll put the options on the table and figure it out," he said. "I’m ready."

Hawkins was area assistant superintendent of the Hanna Cluster of schools from 2006-2007. She had been director of secondary curriculum at the Judson Independent School District from 2004-2006. After leaving Brownsville she became executive director of school improvement at the Northwest Independent School District in San Antonio, which with 65 schools is slightly larger than BISD.

"She has experience doing exactly what she’ll be doing here," Fox said. "She’s already familiar with BISD and Northwest is a little larger, so she’ll be able to hit the ground running."

Hawkins received her superintendent certification at the University of Texas-San Antonio and her master’s in school administration from Trinity University. She also holds a mid-management certificate and business composite certificate.

Sixteen people applied for the position. All met the requirements, but two declined to interview, Fox said. The position had been advertised since July. The vote to hire Hawkins was 4-1-1, with Colunga, Cortez, Aguilar and Zayas in favor, Peña abstaining and Presas-Garcia against.