Appointment of District 7 Trustee

From Leo Zuniga, Associate Vice Chancellor of Communications:

The Board of Trustees appointed Blakely Latham Fernandez to fill the vacant District 7 Trustee position, effective upon Ms. Fernandez taking the oath of office and fulfilling any other legal requirement.

The appointment was made necessary because of former District 7 Trustee Charles Conner’s resignation from the board effective October 28, 2009. Mr. Conner served his community as an Alamo College Trustee from June 2002-October 28, 2009. He and his wife Bonnie have retired to the Texas Gulf Coast.

Ms. Blakely Latham Fernandez will serve until the next election, May 8, 2010, at which time voters will elect the District 7 trustee, assuming more than one person applies to serve as a trustee.

Ms. Fernandez is a partner with Tuggey Rosenthal Pauerstein Sandoloski Agather LLP, practicing in the firm’s Corporate and Securities; Administrative Law; Public Finance; Environmental, Energy, Water and Transportation Law; and Governmental Affairs Practice Groups.

Ms. Fernandez is active in a variety of community and civic activities, including: The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce – Board of Directors (2007-2010), Public Affairs Council Member (2003-2008) and Council Chair (2009), Education Committee Chair (2004), Water Committee Chair (2007), and City-County School Bond Oversight Committee Chair; Leadership San Antonio (2004); Austin San Antonio Corridor Council Executive Committee and Highway Committee Chair (2006-2009); Castle Hills Elementary School Academic Enrichment Committee Founding Member (2005-2009); Lee High School 50 Year Anniversary Committee Fund Raising Chair (2008); Leadership North East (2008). .

Ms. Fernandez was recognized in Texas Monthly magazine as a "Rising Star" among Texas Lawyers in the field of Public Finance in 2006 and in Administrative Law in 2008 and 2009. She was also recognized as a “Top 40 Under 40” Business Leader in 2006 by the San Antonio Business Journal and was a recipient of the North East Independent School District Superintendent’s Award 2005-2006.

Ms. Fernandez has been engaged in education issues in Bexar County for many years – as a parent and as a business leader. As a parent, she founded and remains active in the academic enrichment program at Castle Hills Elementary School (NEISD).

Ms. Fernandez is a graduate of W.B. Ray High School in Corpus Christi, Texas; Pepperdine University in Malibu, California; and St. Mary’s University and School of Law in San Antonio. She is married to Xavier Fernandez and they have two children, Xavier (10) and Elizabeth (7).

On behalf of the Alamo Colleges Board of Trustees and the Alamo Colleges family, congratulations to Ms. Blakely Latham Fernandez on her appointment as District 7 Trustee.