Reagan HS principal now leading her alma mater

If anyone could be said to “bleed maroon,” it’s Connie Berger. The Reagan High School alumna has been leading her alma mater since she became its principal during the 2006–2007 school year, and even the in-house coffee shop that opened in March was named in her honor (Berger’s Bulldog Café).

This month, Berger marked her 30^th year of service to the district. She has also served as a teacher and an assistant principal at a number of other campuses, but her first job in HISD was as a history, psychology, and German teacher at Reagan. One of the first discoveries she made while there? A purse she’d had stolen a few years prior when she was still a student. “It was found behind the stage area,” she said ruefully. “That was really amazing.”

Berger called it “surprising” to realize that she has been with the district for three decades, but “I still have the passion and love for what I do every day. The best part of my job is having conversations with students and seeing their successes.”

Berger officially marked her 30th anniversary with the district on Aug. 19, but several other employees are also marking theirs this week (Aug. 18–24). See if you know anyone on this list:

35 years

• Alma Atha, registrar, Sharpstown HS
• Deborah Atkins, teaching assistant, Grissom ES
• Shelly Brown, teacher, Codwell ES
• Cahuasqui Franklin, plant operator, Carrillo ES
• Lucretia Carter, teacher, HSPVA
• Reta Daughtery, teacher, Horn ES
• Andrew Dewey, teacher, Carnegie Vanguard HS
• Margaret Dickey, L teacher, Lanier MS
• Charmaine Dyson, teacher, Hines-Caldwell ES
• Theresa Edgar, teacher, N Q Henderson ES
• Beverly Joubert, associate teacher
• Gail Lewis, teacher, Brookline ES
• Jacquelyn Maida, magnet coordinator, Oak Forest ES
• Diane Mintz, teacher, Janowski ES
• Charles Mooney, teacher, DeBakey HS
• Patsy Morehead-Potts, teacher, Kashmere HS
• Charles Perridon, teacher, Sharpstown HS
• Prince Ruby, instructional coordinator, Red ES
• Scott Rigrod, teacher, Marshall MS
• Linda Robinson, teacher, Janowski ES
• Deanna Roquemore-Lee, teacher, Lanier MS
• Susan Sheets, teacher, Roberts ES
• Marsha Stacey, instructional specialist, Dowling MS
• Bonnie Strathmann, teacher, Milby HS
• Lise Tuttle, teacher, Hogg MS
• Dephanie West, teacher, Ashford ES
• Luvora Williams-Wright, program specialist, Special Education
• Donna Woodruff, teacher, Hartman MS

30 years

• Carl Birk, librarian, Berry ES
• Laura Burke, teacher, Foster ES
• Dana Cabrejos, teacher, Red ES
• Beverly Carson, teacher, Garden Oaks ES
• Eurica Diggs, manager, Food Services
• Gerald Dugan, teacher, Beechnut Academy
• Maida Feliciano, specialist, Multilingual/Special Program
• Alma Flores, teacher, Wainwright ES
• Foller Steven, teacher, Memorial ES
• Sheila Galvan, teacher, Gregory-Lincoln MS
• Lisa Gonzales, teacher, Robinson ES
• Maria Gonzalez, teacher, Rodriguez ES
• Jon Gross, associate teacher
• Valentina Guevara, teacher, Carrillo ES
• Amy Gurghigian, instructional coordinator, Longfellow ES
• Patricia Hattenbach, teacher, Westside HS
• E. L. Jenkins, teacher, Davis HS
• Susan Joachim-Hurta, senior manager, Special Education
• Tanya Lorence, Title I coordinator, Halpin ECC
• Delonn McCall, teacher, Westside HS
• Thomas Nolen, teacher, Lamar HS
• Ernest Ortiz, teacher, Waltrip HS
• Jo Ortiz, assistant principal, Stevenson MS
• Linda Pierce, teacher, Wharton ES
• Maria Romero, attendant, Food Services
• Saundra Saunders, teacher, White ES
• Catherine Sheets, teacher, Sugar Grove Academy
• Felchneta Spotts, teacher, Shearn ES
• Glenda Trevino, teacher, White ES
• Tammy Whitehouse, teacher, Roberts ES
• Artimese Yarbrough, attendant, Food Services

25 years

• Pierre Archelus, senior HVAC Repairer, Construction & Facility Services
• Donna Chenault, associate analyst, Budgeting & Financial Planning
• Hector Najera, plant operator, Southmayd ES
• Oralia Pena, attendant, Food Services
• Oswaldo Pineda, custodian, White ES

20 years

• Kimberly Agnew, principal, Wesley ES
• Saquib Ahmed, teacher, Community Services
• Luis Alatorre, teacher, Pilgrim Academy
• Jennifer Alexander,   manager, Multilingual/Special Program
• Norah Ambani, teacher, Henry MS
• Anthony Joyce, teacher, Scarborough ES
• Raquel Arias, teacher, Patterson ES
• Harry Babers, teacher, Rice MS
• Rosamaria Balderas, teacher, Eliot ES
• Michele Baun, teacher, T H Rogers MS
• Deshand Bennett, teacher, Codwell ES
• Diane Bissell, teacher development specialist, Professional Development
• Kay Bolden, teacher, Vision Programs
• Devora Borik, teacher, Bellaire HS
• Patrice Brown, teacher, Felix Cook ES
• Robert Brown, magnet coordinator, Reagan K-8 Ed Center
• Mason Bryant, teacher, Cullen MS
• Rachel Burgan, magnet coordinator, Pershing MS
• Linda Cabral, magnet coordinator, Herod ES
• Cantu Mario, assistant principal, Peck ES
• Ray Carrington, teacher, Yates HS
• Gloria Casanova, teacher, Neff ES School
• Fernando Castro, teacher, Poe ES
• Irma Cavazos, teacher, Field ES
• José Cervera, technician, IT Infrastructure-Engineer-Ops
• Stephanie Crook, assistant principal, Westbury HS
• Elizabeth Cruz, clerk, Sutton ES
• Salvador Diaz, teacher, Brookline ES
• Gary Ebert, teacher, Pilgrim Academy
• Trealla Epps, principal, Bruce ES
• Espinosa Amalia, teacher, Emerson ES
• Rosie Ewing, teacher, Woodson ES
• Leticia Favela, teacher, Lewis ES
• Flores Elsa, teacher, Braeburn ES
• Frieda Fromen, teacher, Mark Twain ES
• Maria Fuentes, clerk, Pershing MS
• Awny Gabriel, teacher, Alcott ES
• Garza Hector, teacher, Emerson ES
• Sorie Gassama, teacher, Sterling HS
• Carol Gerhardt, teacher, J. P. Henderson ES
• Russell Glasser, teacher, Brookline ES
• Laura Goeddeke, librarian, Marshall MS
• Gomez Bertha, teacher, Sutton ES
• Rosalinda Gonzales, teacher, Looscan ES
• Gonzalez Blanca, teacher, Mitchell ES
• Blanca Gonzalez, teacher, Bonner ES
• Laura Gonzalez, teacher, Roderick R Paige ES
• Goudeau Analisa, assistant principal, DeBakey HS
• Marilyn Grimaldo, teacher, Piney Point ES
• Martha Guerrero, teacher, Piney Point ES
• Margie Hall, teacher, Burbank MS
• John Hammond, teacher, Mading ES
• Rosalinda Herrera, teacher, Lyons ES
• April Hiller, teacher, Kolter ES
• Hinga Floradine, teacher, Blackshear ES
• Kevin Hodges, project manager, Information Technology
• Holt Mark, teacher, Peck ES
• Mary Holt, teacher, Thompson ES
• Velda Hunter, librarian, Yates HS
• Sandra Hypolite, teacher, Herod ES
• Angela Jackson, student information rep., Anderson ES
• Jackson Lessie, teacher, Sugar Grove Academy
• Lisa Jean, Special Ed. employment rep., Furr HS
• Raquel Juarez, teacher, Sanchez ES
• Laurel Kelly, teacher, Parker ES
• Demetrice Kelly-Basile, teacher, Deaf Campus
• Khurana Mukta, teacher, West Briar MS
• Lerma Elisama, teacher, Community Services
• Elizabeth Lerma-Martinez,   teacher, Anderson ES
• Anastasia Lindo, school support officer, Welch MS
• Alfred Lloyd, teacher, Jordan HS
• Natalie Lott, teaching assistant, T. H. Rogers MS
• Charles Lynch, teacher, Waltrip HS
• Natasha Mallone, teacher, Community Services
• Damaris Marin, instructional coordinator, White ES
• Douglas Martin, teacher, Waltrip HS
• Graciela Martinez, teacher, Twain ES
• Jesus Martinez, dean of students, Sharpstown Intl. School
• Jose Martinez, teacher, Robinson ES
• Lilia Martinez, teaching assistant, Crespo ES
• Miriam Martinez, teacher, HSPVA
• Lee Mashburn, magnet coordinator, Sinclair ES
• Maritza Mayer, teacher, Love ES
• Sharon Mayo, teacher, Hamilton MS
• William Menjivar, teacher, Helms ES
• Herminia Millan, teacher, Southmayd ES
• Jose Montalvo, teacher, Dogan ES
• Carlos Montoya, teacher, Benavidez ES
• Linda Moore, teacher, Bellaire HS
• Lorena Moore, teacher, Rodriguez ES
• David Morales, IT customer service rep., J. R. Harris ES
• Bonifacio Muñoz, teacher, Sinclair ES
• Paul Munson, teacher, Bellaire HS
• Araceli Narvaez, teacher, Rodriguez ES
• Melanie Nelson, teacher, Travis ES
• Janice Newsum, specialist, Library Services
• Jawanza Okera, teacher, Kelso ES
• Beatriz Orr, teacher, Coop ES
• Alicia Pina, teacher, Sutton ES
• Lashawn Porter, assistant principal, Foerster ES
• Melanie Porterie, teacher, T. H. Rogers MS
• Vicki Preer, program specialist, Child Study
• Maribel Quinonez, teacher, Cunningham ES
• Belinda Ramirez, teacher, McNamara ES
• Stacy Reichstein, teacher, Horn ES
• Patrick Reinecke, teacher, Madison HS
• Ramon Reyna, plant operator, Bonham ES
• Diadra Richardson, speech therapist, Child Study
• Rosalinda Rivas, teacher, Seguin ES School
• Maria Rivera, teacher, Brookline ES
• Elsa Rodriguez, teacher, Jefferson ES
• Eusebio Rodriguez-Duenez, teacher, Park Place ES
• Vanessa Rodriguez-Laware, teacher, Westbury HS
• Sharmen Rogers, instructional specialist   , Middle Schools Office
• Silvia Romano, teacher, Ketelsen ES School
• Diana Saenz, teacher, Highland Heights ES
• Orlando Saenz, teacher, Robinson ES
• Margaret Sands, teacher, Clifton MS
• Charlotte Scott, secretary, West Briar MS
• Duawn Seals, teacher, Stevenson MS
• Rose Segovia, teacher, McNamara ES
• Isela Seledon, secretary, Martinez ES
• Dianna Shapiro, teacher, Sutton ES
• William Shore, dean of instruction, Waltrip HS
• Janie Silva, secretary, Long Academy
• Daphne Simmons, teacher, Hines-Caldwell ES
• Irma Skolaut, teacher, Benbrook ES
• Esperanza Sola, teacher, Rodriguez ES
• Josefina Stelzer, teacher, Oates ES
• Wilfred Stewart, teacher, Jordan HS
• Gustavo Tamayo, teacher, Crespo ES
• Cynthia Teagle, teacher development specialist, Professional Development
• Darlene Thomas, dean of students, Hamilton MS
• Marilyn Thompson, teacher development spec., Professional Development
• Gerald Thurmond, teacher, Westbury HS
• Maria Trevino, teaching assistant, Braeburn ES
• Jerry Van Dusen, teacher, Lamar HS
• Carmen Vargas, teacher, Durkee ES
• Myrna Velez, evaluation specialist, Child Study
• Michael Verdone, teacher specialist, Westbury HS
• Jagdeep Verma, IT customer service rep., Waltrip HS
• Adelina Villarreal, custodian, Foster ES
• Christine Villarreal, secretary, Athletics
• Brandy Watkins, teacher, Pershing MS
• Laura Whittaker, teacher, Almeda ES
• Astrid Wich, clerk, Furr HS
• Darrell Williams, teacher, Westbury HS
• Juana Wilson de Jesus, teacher, Cage ES
• Horace Wilson, custodian, Briargrove ES
• Eva Zepeda, teacher, Almeda ES

15 years

• Cornelius Andrus, crossing guard, Wesley ES
• Katherine Bascom, teacher, Parker ES
• Tonya Harris, teaching assistant, Welch MS
• Franz Hill, teacher, Lanier MS
• Edith Hoskins, teacher, Madison HS
• Carla Hoyer, teacher, Waltrip HS
• Valerie King, team lead, Food Services
• Ping-Hsiu Lee, teacher, Reagan HS
• Connie Maldonado, teacher, Lamar HS
• Sylvia Martinez, student information rep., Lyons ES
• La-Fonda Moss, teaching assistant, Lovett ES
• Phillip Nnaka, associate teacher
• Yvonne Payton-Parks, counselor, Cook ES
• Anna Quiroz, student information rep., Kennedy ES
• Emma Ruano, secretary, Advanced Virtual Academy
• Stephanie Smith-Hogan, bus driver, Transportation Services
• Luciano Uvalle, senior mechanic, Transportation Services

10 years

• NII Armah, associate teacher
• Sandra Barron, teaching assistant, Northline ES
• Ronyikka Bouldin, attendant team lead Food Services
• Butler William, teacher, Yates HS
• Juliet Carrizales, teacher, Sam Houston MSTC
• Karla Castellon, teacher, Brookline ES
• Norma Castoreña, custodian, Black MS
• Christian Chavez, teacher, Berry ES
• Vincent Cortes, teacher, Coop ES
• Gloria Diaz, custodian, Wheatley HS
• Joyce Edwards, associate teachers
• William Ellis Jr, assistant principal, Milby HS
• Brian Gillespie, teacher, Austin HS
• LaTanya Gillespie, attendant, Food Services
• Rosa Gonzalez, attendant, Food Services
• Vincent Grayson, teacher, Washington HS
• Tiffany Guillory, assistant principal, Westbury HS
• Carolyn Hollis, teacher, River Oaks ES
• Luz Huerta, attendant, Food Services
• LaShanda Jackson, curriculum specialist, Westbury HS
• Sherita Jackson, teacher, Westbury HS
• Patricia Jackson-Ware, Special Ed. employment rep., Reagan HS
• Pearlie Jones, attendant, Food Services
• Beatriz Khan, teacher, Rice MS
• Rhonda Livingston, teacher, Fonville MS
• Norma Lucero, student information rep, Westbury HS
• Monique Marrou, teacher, Ray Daily ES
• Jennifer Martinez, teacher, Helms ES
• Michael McSweeney, teacher, Reagan HS
• Luis Murillo, teacher, Chavez HS
• Charmel Overstreet, student information rep., Grissom ES
• Felicia Palacios, secretary, Sam Houston MSTC
• Gloria Parada, attendant, Food Services
• Shenita Ramirez, secretary, Bastian ES
• Astrid Reymundo, teaching assistant, Durkee ES
• Linda Reyna, custodian, Food Services
• Christen Skeen, teacher, Milby HS
• April Sloan, teacher, Yates HS
• Kerry Smith, teacher, Dowling MS
• Rafaela Tejada, attendant, Food Services
• Deborah Toner, teacher, Marshall MS
• Maria Vasquez, custodian, McReynolds MS
• Jennifer Visnaw, teacher, Fonville MS
• Kimberly Walker Russell, nurse, Foerster ES
• Richard Willard, officer, Police Department
• Terri Williams, teacher, Yates HS

5 years

• Ronald Addison Jr, teacher, Codwell ES
• Janice Anderson, teacher, Walnut Bend ES
• Masadeous Ardoin, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
• Nancy Arguelles, nurse , Moreno ES
• Carla Babinski, nurse, Franklin ES
• Daniel Banda, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
• Laura Barroso, teacher, Moreno ES
• Borsa Maria, teacher, Bellaire HS
• Brooks Augustina, teacher, J. P. Henderson ES
• Stephanie Brown, teacher, Ryan MS
• JoAnn Bryan, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
• Barbara Carballo, associate tutor, Port Houston ES
• Maria Cisneros, clerk, Early College HS East
• Debra Cleveland, teacher, Cullen MS
• Claude Cummings III, teacher, Wheatley HS
• Chantil Gill, teacher, Oak Forest ES
• Rachel Green, teacher, Thompson ES
• Carolyn Harris, Speech Therapist 10M      Child Study
• David Heck, teacher, Hamilton MS
• Kelsey Hilburn, teacher, West University ES
• Freda Humber, teacher, Fondren MS
• Johnson Cletus, teacher, Yates HS
• Ashley Lane, teacher, Thompson ES
• Laura Leven, teacher, West University ES
• Corina Loo, teacher, Clifton MS
• Jyoti Malhan,  principal, Chief Of Major Projects
• Kristen Malone, teacher, Sanchez ES
• John Marcelle Jr, teacher, Milby HS
• Martinez Raul, teacher, Stevenson MS
• Dytonya Maryland, instructional specialist, Austin HS
• Shatora McWilliams, teacher, Bastian ES
• Sonia Mendez, clerk, Lantrip ES
• Sandra Mora, teacher, Robinson ES
• Jose Morales III, teacher, McReynolds MS
• Raizza Moreno, clerk, Bonner ES
• Murphy Ruby, teacher, Yates HS
• Dotty Palmer, teacher, Milby HS
• Nichole Payne, teacher, Yates HS
• Jeannine Porter, principal, Ryan MS
• Christine Prestridge, teacher, Hamilton MS
• Sandra Puente, teacher, Cunningham ES
• Alexis Reyes, teacher, Milby HS
• Norma Riojas-Trejo, clerk, Wilson Montessori
• Marisol Rodriguez, attendant, Food Services
• Phillip Rodriguez, IT customer service rep., Ortiz MS
• Sanjuanita Ruiz, teaching assistant, Ketelsen ES
• Ana Saravia, teacher, Gross ES
• Eboni Thompson, teacher, Alcott ES
• Tabatha Virgil, teacher, Garden Villas ES
• Tiffany Washington, instructional specialist, Williams MS
• Donna Williams, teacher, Poe ES
• Leticia Zamora, teaching assistant, Park Place ES

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