A new day could be dawning for the Tarrant County College District. Or so it seems.
At last night’s board meeting long-time Arlington journalist O. K. Carter was sworn in after winning a run-off election for District 5 on June 12. He joined new member Bill Greenhill, a corporate lawyer, trustees Robyn Winnett and Joe Hudson in what can only be described as a bloodless coup. A motion from Winnett to name board member Joe Hudson as president was seconded by Carter and passed by a 4-3 vote. That vote dumped Louise Appleman, first elected in 1988, from the president’s post she’s held for almost three years and signaled a new era for the board, which for years has been dominated by Appleman and three board members who walked in lock-step with her. That dominance long protected the job of former chancellor Leonard de la Garza and allowed the now discredited downtown campus project to balloon in costs to near a half-billion dollars before it was finally scaled back.
The board named Kristin Vandergriff vice-president and Greenhill secretary. Carter was named assistant secretary. Now, with the former majority turned on its head, time will tell if the new majority under Hudson can get the district’s reputation back and start spending the taxpayers’ dollars for the benefit of the students rather than to glorify a chancellor. Stay tuned
Watching this process unfold online was a wonderful experience.
Hopefully in 2012, only two years from now, we can elect two new trustees to help things get even better.
One thing for certain is that Joe Hudson act in a manner that benefits the public, the staff, and the students. He will talk to his constituents and respond to their concerns. That is something his predecessor absolutely refused to do except when it might benefit her agenda.