Info Center manager has been ‘face of HISD’ for 25 years

As the initial point of contact with HISD for many people and organizations over the past 25 years, Lisa Bunse could well be considered ‘the face of HISD.’ She spent her first 18 years working in Media Relations, first as a coordinator, and later as the assistant press secretary.

“I was the freak,” explained the Illinois native. “I came from marketing and everyone else came from media. But I had a friend down here who was teaching, and she heard that a media relations department was being developed, so I got in on the ground floor. I got to know a lot of people in this city because of that experience.”

Bunse was promoted to her current position of Information Center manager in 2007, and now her responsibilities include leading visiting delegations on tours of schools and facilities, negotiating the district’s call-out system contract, and greeting some of the more than 120,000 people who call the switchboard or come by the front desk each year.

“The best part of my job is introducing people to all of the wonderful personnel and programs here in HISD,” said Bunse. “I get the opportunity to talk with diplomats and leading educators from all over the world, learn about their methodologies and programs, and contribute to the dialogue and exchanges of ideas. I’m like the yenta (matchmaker) of the district, the little Italian godmother, putting people together to build a better future.”

In her off hours, Bunse is also a writer and an actress. She wrote a play called “Game Night” that was produced at Theatre Southwest in 2012, and had a lead role in a recent production of “Nine to Five” with the Art Park Players. A musical composition of hers was also performed on Broadway last year.

“I studied under Stuart Ostrow in a consortium and the music I wrote with composer Stephen Jamail was performed in New York City,” said Bunse. “It was called ‘Perpetual Yesterday’ and was based on the first chapter of the novel, ‘The Lovely Bones,’ by Alice Sebold.”

Bunse has also been an active member of the Rotary Club for years, coordinating dozens of foreign exchange visits as well as the annual shipment of HISD’s obsolete textbooks to Third World countries.

Bunse officially marked her 25th anniversary with the district on Jan. 23, but several other employees are also marking theirs this week (Jan. 19–25). See if you know anyone on this list:

35 years

• Debra Lane, teacher, Milby HS    

30 years

• Patrice Baltimore, manager, Construction & Facility Services

25 years

•  Margaret Libby, teacher, Oak Forest ES 
• Robbie Denise Moore-Roberts, secretary, Woodson K-8

20 years

• Sakis Brown, teacher, Westside HS        
• Oralia Jimenez, teaching assistant, SHMSTC
• Sandra Torres, teaching assistant, Horn ES       

15 years

•  Reynaldo Silva, mechanic, Transportation Services   

10 years

•  Marivel Lozano, custodian, Construction & Facility Services 

5 years

• Peter Anderson-Kelly, teacher, Westside HS    
• Dominique Brown, teacher, Austin HS
• Marina Garcia, liaison, Parent & Community Assistance       

Check back next Friday for more January Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees.