The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday elected new officers for 2019, naming District VIII Trustee Diana Dávila as board president.

Dávila served as HISD trustee from 2003 to 2010 and was elected again to the board in 2015. She is a former teacher and a lifelong resident of the East End. She attended HISD’s Park Place and Lewis elementary schools and Deady Middle School before graduating from Milby High School.

Outgoing Board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones transferred the gavel to Davila, signifying the change in office.

Remaining officers elected for 2019 are: First Vice President Holly Vilaseca, Second Vice President Elizabeth Santos, Secretary Dr. Sergio Lira and Assistant Secretary Sue Deigaard.

The board also approved an initial application to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for disaster assistance as a result of Hurricane Harvey. More than 200 schools were damaged during Harvey.

If ultimately granted, the assistance would take the form of a $15 million reduction in recapture payments to cover HISD’s unreimbursed disaster remediation costs. The reduction is allowed under the Texas Education Code.

In other business, trustees voted 8-0 to hire an executive coach to assist the board.