It was just this past October that the Forward Times reported the exciting news that the Houston Community College (HCC) Board of Trustees had elected Dr. Carolyn Evans-Shabazz as their new vice chair of the board for the remainder of 2017.
Now, the Forward Times has more exciting news to report. The trustees voted to elect their colleague to an even more elevated role at their recent January 18th board meeting.
Dr. Evans-Shabazz, who represents District IV, is now the newly elected chair of the HCC Board of Trustees.
Having been elected to the HCC Board of Trustees in November 2015, after being appointed to the position in May 2015, Dr. Evans-Shabazz has directed her focus as the trustee for District IV on addressing workforce training and development, increasing scholarships for students, and increasing access for women, veterans, minorities and small business owners. Dr. Evans-Shabazz handily won her reelection bid for District IV this past November and is eager to move forward.
“I fully support Chancellor Cesar Maldonado and the HCC administration as they continue to transform the college into a model institution,” Evans-Shabazz said.
Dr. Evans-Shabazz graduated from Spelman College with a degree in political science, and she earned both her Master’s degree in psychology and her Doctorate in Education (counselor education) from Texas Southern University (TSU). Currently a real estate professional trained at HCC, Dr. Evans-Shabazz is a former teacher and lead evaluation specialist with Houston Independent School District (HISD); an educational diagnostician with both Aldine ISD and Fort Bend ISD; and an adjunct professor at TSU. A native Houstonian, she comes from an impressive line of educators and is the secretary of the NAACP-Houston Branch where she serves on the executive committee and is the chair of the education committee.
At the January 18th meeting, the board also named Dr. Pretta VanDible Stallworth as vice-chair. Dr. VanDible Stallworth was elected to the HCC board to represent District IX in December 2017, after a tough runoff election. Dr. VanDible Stallworth, who previously served on the HCC board from 1989 to 1993 and is an educator and business consultant, was elected by her fellow trustees to serve as vice-chair on the same day of her ceremonial swearing-in. Trustee Zeph Capo was elected board secretary. Capo has represented District I on the board since his election in 2013 and is the vice president and legislative director for the Houston Federation of Teachers.
Also at the January 18th board meeting, trustees passed a “Resolution of Unity and Support” by a vote of 8-0, resolving to work together in a professional and collegial manner and disavowing trustee actions that circumvent the college’s policies and procedures, cause unnecessary distraction, or do not support the college’s mission. The resolution also recognized achievements under Dr. Maldonado’s leadership, including the following:
- Increasing the annual awards of certificates and degrees by 22%
- Increasing dual-credit student enrollment by 35%
- Establishing 14 Workforce Centers of Excellence
- Establishing the historic partnership with Apple and the launching of the iCDS (Coding and Design School)
- Retiring more than $19 million in bonded indebtedness and removing the negative watch by rating agencies
Lastly, trustees also approved a proposal to hire a consultant to work with the college to develop a long-term strategic plan, something that Dr. Evans-Shabazz looks forward to doing in her new role.
“I am grateful for the support of my colleagues and pleased that they joined me in voting for the resolution of unity and support,” said Evans-Shabazz. “The college has made tremendous strides under Chancellor Maldonado’s leadership and I am excited to begin long-term strategic planning as we chart a course for the college’s future.”
For more information about the HCC Board of Trustees, visit www.hccs.edu/board.