Officers remain in position on Sharyland school board
The Sharyland ISD Board of Trustees Left to right: David Keith, Andrew Riddle, Maritza Venecia, Superintendent Dr. Elaine Howard, Meagan Sullivan, Hector Rivera, Julio Cerda, Dr. Noe Oliveira Photos courtesy of Sharyland ISD
In a rather uncommon turn of events, the Sharyland Board of Trustees voted to keep its officers the same as they have been for the last year.
Maritza Venecia remains president, Hector Rivera remains vice president and David Keith and Meagan Sullivan continue as secretary and assistant secretary, respectively.
The board initially voted the members into their officer positions in May 2024. But it is customary for them to reorganize the positions after each school year, usually with the trustees moving up the officer ranks according to seniority and giving each member a chance to hold every position. However, at the May 19 meeting, the longest-tenured trustee, Dr. Noe Oliveira, motioned to keep the officers the same. Julio Cerda, the trustee with the second-most years of service, seconded the motion. The board responded with unanimous approval.
“We’re excited to have the same executive board that we’ve had,” Cerda said. “We haven’t had any problems for the past year, so we want this to continue as is. We love it and we’d like to make sure that we continue kicking some butt.”
Oliveira echoed the same sentiment.
“Keep up the good work,” he said.
Venecia is serving in her second term as a trustee of Sharyland ISD. The business owner keeps a keen eye on district finances, asking the tough questions in budget planning. Last year, she was instrumental in the board’s decision to provide higher employee pay increases. She thanked her fellow board members for granting her the presidential position again.
“Thank you all very much for your trust in me as the president this past year and allowing me to continue doing the work,” Venecia said. “I’ve been really excited to work alongside all of you and the officers who have been really supportive. And to say that I’ve ever worked with a more unselfish group of individuals would be an understatement.”
Rivera, the vice president, is in his third term — serving six years on the board. The accountant was the board president in a previous term, and he has continued to run for a trustee seat to ensure fiscal responsibility from the district.
Rivera ran for reelection earlier this year in Place 5, alongside Keith in Place 7 and Oliveira in Place 6. However, the district canceled the election after no one else signed up to run against them. It’s the second time Rivera ran unopposed.
Keith, the board secretary, is also in his second term. The former SISD coach-turned-salesman often takes on the role of the voice of the people during meetings — asking the administration to clarify or simplify complex concepts to help the general public understand. He had nothing but praise for his fellow officers when the board voted to keep the positions the same.
“I know this is not something that’s common, but I was in complete support of it,” Keith said. “I’m excited to see what’s coming this year.”
Assistant Secretary Meagan Sullivan is in her first term serving on the Sharyland ISD Board of Trustees. Sullivan is an educator with a focus on special education; she also used to work for the district. She’s a vocal board member who draws on her experience and constituent concerns to guide her decisions. Sullivan pays close attention to educational developments at the state and national levels and keeps her fellow board members up to date on key happenings.
