Keith Lapeze thanked for 15 years of service on the Board of Trustees; Brent Engelage thanked for 10 years of service on the Board of Trustees
Trustees Keith Lapeze and Brent Engelage were honored by the School Board on May 11 for serving the positions left open by Charles Cunningham in 2019 and Angela Conrad in 2020. Pictured from left are School Board Members Keith Lapeze, Robert Scarfo, Nancy Morrison, Martina Lemond Dixon, Robert Sitton; Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Fagen; School Board Members Lori Twomey and Brent Engelage.
Humble ISD Trustees Keith Lapeze and Brent Engelage were honored at the May 11 School Board meeting for their service. Mr. Lapeze was asked to complete the term of Charles Cunningham, who resigned in September of 2019 to serve on the Humble City Council. Mr. Engelage was asked to complete the term of Angela Conrad, who resigned in April 2020, because she moved out of the district with her family. Both Mr. Lapeze and Mr. Engelage were experienced School Board members when asked to step in to serve again.
As a show of appreciation, the two were each presented with a commemorative lamp that displays their years of service and “Light The Way.” The lamps were by Lamp Monkey, located in downtown Humble.
2020 - 2021 School Board President Robert Sitton said, “Mr. Lapeze and Mr. Engelage saying yes allowed the district to save hundreds of thousands of dollars that would have been required to administer special elections.” Mr. Sitton went on to say that the transition of the two interim Trustees went smoothly because of their previous experience serving on the Board. Mr. Lapeze had served on the Board from 2006-2019. Mr. Engelage served on the Board from 2008-2017.
“We, as the Board and as a community, are appreciative of the countless hours that you gave to read reports, study and consider issues, attend meetings and represent Humble ISD families,” Mr. Sitton said.
Lori Twomey said, “Both of you guys were extremely encouraging to me as a community member and it is really because of that encouragement that I continued to stay involved and am serving here in this position. Having people that have [Board] experience that are willing to step up and do the job for the amount of time that you did is greatly appreciated.”
Nancy Morrison said, “What a pleasure you two have been. [To Engelage] We sat side by side in the very beginning. That man nurtured me through the first year, I’ll never forget it. Two fun-loving guys who love their community, you definitely will be missed.”
Robert Scarfo said, “Mr. Lapeze, it’s been a pleasure to have a chance to be with you again these last two years. I’ve enjoyed our back-and-fourth and your thoughtful approach to things as a person and as a Board member. Mr. Engleage, you are the guy for encouragement without a doubt. To talk with you and have those conversations, I appreciate that over the years. It’s meant a lot, so thank you. And thank Ms. Lena for allowing us to have you back for a year.”
Martina Lemond Dixon said, “Keith, I truly appreciate your leadership the entire time I’ve been on the Board. You’ve been a wonderful colleague, and for me, something of a mentor. I do appreciate that. I’m going to miss your candor. I thrive on people being frank and up front, so I do appreciate that as well.”
“Mr. Engelage, I ran for your open seat in 2017. Mr. Engelage was with me side by side at CMS the entire time he did not leave my side and helped me out quite a lot. I do appreciate that. I’m happy to have had the time to actually work with you. It’s been wonderful, so Roll Tide to you.”
Robert Sitton said “Y’all were colleagues 10 years ago and became our dearest friends. We have watched our kids grow up together. I’ve got to say that serving with you guys has made this sometimes very difficult position very enjoyable, very attainable. Helping drive the district where it is today. When this four years is up, hopefully, I too will be able to say that the best vote I’ve ever taken on this dias is to welcome Dr. Fagen to Humble ISD. Because it’s not just the work that she does here, it’s how she’s surrounded herself with the best quality educators. She wouldn’t be here without you two guys being in those meetings, in those interviews and so I want to thank you for that. Thank you for your friendship and for the way you’ve welcomed my family into your families and all the help and love and trust that y’all have given our family.”
Mr. Lapeze responded by saying, “We’ve got some great folks coming on the Board. For people wanting to serve it’s not the pay that gets them here, it’s the fact that they want to improve their community. I think that in the last 15 years we have done a lot. We’ve made some hard decisions and made changes in that time. And made some important decisions. The most important decision I’ve made in that 15 years was the vote that I took to hire Dr. Elizabeth Fagen. The district is in great hands with her as superintendent, and the district is in great hands with the Board that we have. I appreciate working with all of you and I can sleep well at night knowing that we are going to be fine as a district with all of you in charge.”
Mr. Lapeze thanked Karen Martin for her service as secretary to the Board, and also thanked all district administrators. “You saw how good our leadership was with how we’ve managed COVID and those issues and how well they’ve done. It’s a sign of how great the leadership is in this district, so I appreciate your work as well.”
Mr. Engelage responded by saying “I’d like to thank this Board for asking me to serve last April. It seems like yesterday I was with Karen Martin by a Honda Pilot, swearing in by social distancing. It’s gone really fast but it’s been an eventful 13 months. Robert, you’ve been a great President. I was looking at that wall over there, the Presidents’ Wall, and I think I’ve served with eight of those folks, and you’re as good as they come. It’s been a tough year but you’ve done a super job, so thank you.” Mr. Engelage also thanked Mr. Lapeze for his work on the Board, and Karen Martin for her work as secretary to the Board. “As Keith mentioned, my very favorite vote was to make this lady our superintendent. I’m so proud of you. I’m so proud to have been part of that process which was a crazy process but we had a good time doing it. And the district is in good hands. What a great team you’ve put together. I’m so thankful for you all.”
Dr. Elizabeth Fagen said, “Thank you to Mr. Engelage and Mr. Lapeze. It’s been really great for all of us to have you back, it’s been a great period of time, it’s been a busy period of time and somewhat challenging at times and you both have been wonderful value-add for that. I have personally appreciated your support.”
Dr. Fagen then expressed appreciation to the entire Board, “Thank you all for your hard work and your investing in Humble ISD. You don’t get paid. Sometimes people don’t know that so I just like to say that. You don’t get paid, and it’s almost like a full-time job. We appreciate all the work that you all do. You lend your expertise, your professional expertise, your personal expertise, you work hard, you’re always willing to advocate. Humble ISD has a voice. We have a voice at the Capitol, we have a voice at TEA. We have a voice because you have shown such grace and professionalism in your conversations, you are at the table and you work hard on behalf of all of us. Thank you for all of that.”
At the regularly scheduled Board Meeting in June, Ken Kirchhofer was sworn in to Position 4 and Chris Parker was sworn into Position 3.