Police officer feels grateful for ‘job that makes a difference’

Officer Marvin Lee has been a member of Team HISD for so long, he uses a list of HISD superintendents to help him keep track.

“I was hired by Les Burton back in the days when the Police Department was known as Security Services,” said Lee. “I have worked for every superintendent since Billy Reagan.”

But one thing that has stayed the same over the years is the satisfaction he gets from having a job in which he can make a difference.

“My mother was an educator for over 30 years in the New Orleans parish school system,” he said. “And my wife of 37 years retired from HISD as a speech therapist. My degree is in business management, but I always had desire to make public education the best it could be.”

So after moving to Houston in the early 1980s, he hired on with HISD and obtained certification as a peace officer. “I’ve seen some changes and it’s all going to change again,” he said. “But I’m planning to retire at age 65. I’ve been at Lamar HS for 14 years now, and it’s about to undergo some renovations. Once those are complete, I’ll sit back and let someone else take over the reins.”

Lee officially marked his 30th anniversary with the district on Feb. 28, but several other employees are also marking theirs in the past few weeks (Feb. 23–March 8). See if you know anyone on this list:

30 years

• Evelyn Jones, teaching assistant, Fleming MS

25 years 

• Sabrina Burrell, bus driver, Transportation Services    
• Leavery Davidson, IT customer service representative, Madison HS           
• Catherine Gustave, associate teacher
• Darryl Henderson, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
• Kathleen Johnson, teacher, Jordan HS 
• Cynthia Solomon, Student Information Rep-12M Durham ES         
• Agustin Treviño, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services

20 years

• Heronda Bernard, attendant, Food Services
• Juliet Brown, teacher, Park Place ES
• Belinda Castille, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
• Twanna Citizen, teaching assistant, R. P. Harris ES   
• Patricia Edwards, repairer, Construction & Facility Services
• Nancy Gitchell, teacher, McNamara ES 
• Wilma Goffney, crossing guard, Milne ES
• James King, teacher, Kelso ES   
• Brenda Riley, attendant, Food Services 
• Eva Skinner, custodian, Construction & Facility Services      
• Cassandra Williams, attendant, Food Services

15 years

• Racquel Fields, teaching assistant, Kelso ES
• Kareene Harris, teacher, Hilliard ES       
• Lozano Karina, clerk, Crespo ES
• Gwendolyn Lee, teaching assistant, Harper Alternative         
• Gloria Lugo, custodian, Construction & Facility Services       
• William Maguire, teacher, Westside HS
• Elsa Monsalve, teacher, Crockett ES      
• Delia Ortega, clerk, Fonville MS
• Graciela Robles, custodian, Construction & Facility Services           

10 years

• Linda Abbott, teaching assistant, Dogan ES     
• Antrice Axel, clerk, Lamar HS
• Virginia Banks, associate teacher           
• Joel Charles, teacher, Jordan HS
• Reginald Evans, associate teacher
• Cynthia Green, associate teacher           
• Norma Grimaldi, teaching assistant, Westside HS       
• Lola Guardia, associate teacher
• Beverly Harper, associate teacher           
• Griselda Hart, teacher, Field ES   
• James Henry, crossing guard
• Belinda Herrera, secretary East Early College HS       
• Victor Herrera, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
• Rosa Larios, attendant, Food Services   
• Lucette Metellus, attendant, Food Services       
• Beth Mizwa, teacher, Lamar HS  
• Donnie Moore Jr, bus repair foreman, Transportation Services        
• Andrea Nitsch, teacher, Early College HS East
• Moreno Olga, teaching assistant, Braeburn ES
• Alba Picazo, clerk, Milby HS         
• Isidra Padilla, attendant, Food Services 
• Lilia Piñon, attendant, Food Services
• Lorena Ramirez, clerk, Sam Houston MSTC                
• Rebecca Reyna, teacher, ES School
• Francelia Suazo, teacher, Almeda ES   
• Lisa Thornton, officer, Police Department         
• King Taisha, student information representative, Shadowbriar ES  
• Ryan Titzman, sourcing specialist, Procurement         
• Maria Vazquez, aide, Port Houston ES  

5 years

• Francisca Aiyekusibe, associate teacher
• Nathan Allen, teacher, Lamar HS
• Maria Berrueto, associate teacher           
• Emily Bollinger, associate teacher          
• LaTasha Brown, associate teacher
• Lena Bryant, associate teacher    
• Fabian Charles, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
• Maria Chevalier, teacher, MacGregor ES           
• Delora Coaston, teacher, Kashmere Gardens ES
• Bonnie Collins, crossing guard, N. Q. Henderson ES 
• Maria De Jimenez, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
• Thelma Demerson, teacher, Reynolds ES
• James Dirks, teacher, Sutton ES 
• Erica Eursin, attendant, Transportation Services          
• Ethelyn Farmer, associate teacher          
• Michael Furman, teacher, Martinez ES  
• Orlando Garza, repairer, Construction & Facility Services
• Sergio Garza, teaching assistant, T. H. Rogers 
• Phyllis Graham, bus driver, Transportation Services   
• Alejandra Guerrero, teaching assistant, Janowski ES
• Rosalva Guerrero, clerk, Furr HS
• Delaney Howard, Delmar Stadium attendant, Athletics
• Kewana Jones, bus driver, Transportation Services    
• Wanda Jones, bus driver, Transportation Services
• Uzma Khan, associate teacher    
• John Lehmann, associate teacher
• Loni Mahan, teacher, Waltrip HS
• Larry Mazyn, plumber, Construction & Facility Services
• Evelyn Mejia, teaching assistant, Rodriguez ES
• Melissa Melchor, teacher, Burbank ES  
• Shirley Monroe, associate teacher          
• James Mora, senior maintenance trainer, Construction & Facility Services           
• Zdravka Muir, associate teacher  
• Deidra Perez, associate teacher, Cornelius ES
• Christopher Perkins, teacher, Cook ES
• Ruthie Phillip, crossing guard      
• Theodore Phillip, crossing guard
• Drew Platt, associate teacher
• Mayra Romero, specialist, Professional Development
• Raymond Ross, repairer, Construction & Facility Services
• Gearlyn Sam, attendant, Food Services
• Abraham Samuel, senior mechanic, Transportation Services
• Emily Sheahan, teacher, School at St. George Place 
• Yolaine Swasey, associate teacher        
• Rodney Varnado, attendant, Food Services
• Warren Washington Jr, Delmar Stadium attendant, Athletics
• Stephanie Willis, senior secretary, Construction & Facility Services

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