Safety manager retiring after 25 years in job she has ‘loved every minute’ of
Susan Ovren
Susan Ovren has been helping keep HISD a safe place for students to learn and employees to work for a quarter of a century now, and in that time, she has watched the evolution of the Risk Management department with a deep sense of satisfaction.
“When I started here, we didn’t even have computers,” noted the veteran safety and loss prevention manager, “but we have been very fortunate in being able to integrate technology. Over the years, we’ve added a lot of new services and we have a lot of resources online now that schools can download.”
Ovren describes her years with the district as “a labor of love,” and describes some of her proudest achievements as the launch of districtwide safety councils, the implementation of intruder drills that help schools correct potential security vulnerabilities, and the creation of a new set of emergency management resources scheduled for distribution in early 2015 that will replace the old “Red Book” safety manual.
“It has been a wonderful experience,” said Ovren, who plans to retire at the end of 2014. “I have loved every minute of it. I think of my team as my extended family. HISD is truly one of the best places to work.”
Ovren officially marked her 25th anniversary with the district on Dec. 11, but a few other employees also marked theirs this week (Dec. 7–13). See if you know anyone on this list:
30 years
- Dwayne Hayden, construction services representative, Bond Program
- Shirlene Haynes, instructional specialist, External Funding
- Cary Kaminski, maintenance repairer, Construction & Facility Services
- Christine Turner, instructional specialist, Anderson ES
25 years
- Cynthia Cantu-Luera, secretary, North Houston Early College HS
- Celinda Rodriguez, press operator, McCarty Printing
20 years
- Lino Nino, officer, Police Department
- Lenette Pruetz,teacher, Condit ES
- Stanley Richardson, quality assurance analyst, Construction & Facility Services
- Maribel Salinas,student information representative, Park Place ES
10 years
- Juanita Almanza, teaching assistant, Almeda ES
- Renato Calhoun, teacher, Cook ES
- Rosa Gonzalez, teacher, Patterson ES
- Angel Martinez, teacher, Southmayd ES
- Magdalena Perez, data entry clerk, Laurenzo ECC
5 years
- Petra Gonzales, teaching assistant, Lewis ES
- Erica Harris, teacher, Carnegie Vanguard HS
- Kenneth Johnson, dispatcher, Construction & Facility Services
- Elizabeth Jones-Ueding, licensed specialist in school psychology, Child Study
- Markeith Martin, associate after-school program specialist, Sugar Grove Academy
- Salomon Muñoz Jr, electrician, Construction & Facility Services
- James Rodriguez, instructional specialist, Brookline ES
- Luz Sierra, teacher, Coop ES
- Amy Silverman,librarian, Poe ES
| Check back next Friday for more December Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
