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HISD lost a much-loved and highly respected former educator on Jan. 6, when Ronnie Veselka passed away at the age of 68.
Veselka was a longtime member of Team HISD who came out of retirement multiple times to assist the district with special projects or initiatives. In 2006, a year after his retirement, Veselka seamlessly coordinated the district’s move from its old headquarters on Richmond Avenue to a brand-new facility at its current location. In 2009, he oversaw the district’s compliance with a new law requiring all employees to be fingerprinted. In 2012, he supported outreach and implementation efforts related to the $1.89 billion bond referendum. A year later, he facilitated the district’s annexation of North Forest ISD under orders of the Texas Education Commissioner.
“No matter what the job was, Ronnie Veselka was always the right person to handle it,” Superintendent Terry Grier said. “Like many superintendents who served Houston ISD before me, we all trusted Ronnie to make wise decisions, because Ronnie always put kids first.”