Dolores Hernandez Major goals for Dolores Hernandez, the new Kingsville Independent School Director of Personnel Service, include maintaining human resource development that goes beyond the hiring process.

Hernandez said she plans to focus on human resource development that includes mentoring and training of the staff professionally. She believes that everyone needs to participate in the success of children’s education. “It’s all about academic achievement,” she said Thursday.

Hernandez, principal at Gillett Intermediate School, was notified of her reassignment Wednesday, and her first day on the job began Friday.

She will continue to work as principal at Gillett Intermediate School half a day and at the personnel office the other half a day until Dec. 18.

She will begin working full time in January. Valdemar Leal announced his resignation as Director of Personnel in September, and his last day on the job will be Dec. 18.

“When we hire someone we want to nurture and mentor them and want them to stay in the district,” she said.

She wants the KISD staff members to use their knowledge to help students and to realize what impact they have on children at the end of day and at the end of the year.

Hernandez said she believes that all KISD staff impact children on a daily basis whether it is the cafeteria worker or the teacher.

“It’s all about students’ impact, whether we have it in the central office or at school,” Hernandez said.

She has served as principal at Gillett for four years. Prior to that, she served as an assistant principal for five years and a teacher for seven years with a total of l6 years at the school.

She was a student herself at Gillett. Under her instructional leadership, Gillett Intermediate School became a Recognized School.

“I wish to acknowledge the fabulous administers and

staff for their hard work and dedication in helping our campus to continually succeed; teamwork results in success,” she said.

“This was a difficult decision to contemplate leaving the campus; however, my new position is crucial in that we want to continue to employ, retain, and maintain our employees to ensure that our district has the best qualified individuals working with our students,” she said.

Frank Perez, an assistant principal at Gillett, will be the new principal. Perez has several years of experience as a campus principal.

Hernandez also worked as a secretary for the city of Kingsville for two years and five years at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

Hernandez is another success story and product of KISD.

She graduated from H.M. King High School in 1983, and She graduated from Texas A&M University-Kingsville in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science degree in interdisciplinary studies with a specialization in reading.

She received a masters degree in educational administration from TAMUK in Dec. 1999.

KISD Superintendent Emilio Castro praised Hernandez for her academic achievements as a principal. He said KISD received several applications for the position of personnel director and most of them had similar level experiences with the majority of them as principals. He was pleased that Hernandez showed interest in the position.

“We wanted to promote internally and wanted to reward good work,” he said. “She knows the challeges we have internally and was the strongest candidate.

Hernandez said she was ready to meet the challenges ahead of her. “It is a great privilege and honor that I have been given this opportunity,” she said.

Hernandez is married and has three adult children and four grandchildren.