The Texas Association of School Administrators and the Texas Association of School Boards announced that Los Fresnos CISD Superintendent Gonzalo Salazar and School Board Trustee Jesus Amaya have been selected to serve in leadership roles in their respective statewide organizations.
Amaya, who has served as a Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District board member since 2004, was selected to represent Region One on the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of School Boards, TASB. His experience as a teacher, coach, administrator and school board member will serve him well as he helps promote educational excellence for Texas schoolchildren through advocacy, leadership, and high-quality service to school districts throughout the state.
Amaya has led the Los Fresnos board as chairman on three separate occasions during his terms as a trustee. He has chaired the standing Policy Committee since 2006. Amaya is a member of the 2010 State Honor Board, a recognition that the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) awarded to Los Fresnos CISD in 1999 and again in 2010.
“I am honored to represent Region One in this capacity. The experiences I have gained by serving alongside the current and former members of the Los Fresnos School Board should serve me well in representing and advocating for the students within Region One,” Amaya said.
At its March 26 UIL meeting, the Executive Committee ratified the election of Salazar as the President-Elect of TASA for the 2021-22 school year.
Salazar, who has been the Los Fresnos superintendent since 2006, has been an active member of the association for 15 years. He has represented Region One on the TASA Executive Committee for the past 12 years and has served on the TASA Legislative Committee for the past 10 years. Salazar was a member of the inaugural Future Ready Leaders Institute and is currently the co-chair of TASA’s Race, Equity and Diversity Committee.
As one of TASA’s major committees, the group works to support and nurture an inclusive environment within the organization, developing services and resources that can be offered to schools interested in doing this work and creating new ways that superintendents and boards can work together to address issues of race, equity and diversity. TASA’s mission is to promote, provide and develop leaders who create and sustain student-centered schools and develop future-ready students.
“I am humbled by the opportunity to serve in this role,” Salazar said. “The professional learning sessions available through this first-class organization and the relationships forged with the incredible leaders of public school systems throughout this great state have helped me grow professionally. I look forward to continuing to work alongside the members of this organization, representing Los Fresnos, and Region One as we help shape public education in Texas.”
The success of students and staff under the leadership of the board and superintendent continues to be recognized throughout the state.
“We are fortunate to work with such dedicated individuals who make providing a quality educational experience for all students a priority,” said Valarie Londrie, Executive Director of Academics. “We know that they will serve in these additional leadership roles with the same integrity and purpose.”
