Meet the La Feria ISD School Board Candidates

Updated: October 8, 2020

Place 2 to be filled unopposed while two candidates vie for Place 1 and three candidates compete for Place 3 on November 3rd. Here’s the candidates in their own words.

Place 1 Candidates

Anna Alemán

My name is Anna Tamez Aleman and I have been a lifelong resident of this beautiful city of ours. I would be honored to continue to serve our students, staff and community with honesty, integrity and most of all compassion just as I did working at our La Feria ISD.

My goal is to serve as a member of the La Feria ISD school board, Place 1. My parents Francisco and Flora Tamez taught me to work hard, never give up and most of all be kind and generous. They also taught me that God, family and education is what matters in this life. My family is four generations deep in this school system. I graduated from La Feria High school and attended UTPA and TSTC where I obtained my degree and was on the Presidents Honor Roll. I married Ramiro Aleman and have 4 children who we helped obtain 5 degrees between them. I have six grandchildren and 3 of them attend our schools.

Before I came to work at this district, I worked at the City of Harlingen and Dow Chemical as an Administrative Secretary and was a member of the Professional Secretaries International. I helped guide students as a Parental Liaison/Migrant recruiter for 31 years. As a former migrant student, I know the struggles our students face on a daily basis. I am here to stand for our students. I have countless volunteer hours not only for our schools but for our City as well. I developed a strategic partnership with a local nonprofit and Fortune 50 company to provide food for needy families. My family and I have worked to donate backpacks, school supplies and scholarships to our La Feria students for over 10 years. We also have a blood drive and help raise money for cancer patients and people in need of help with medical bills.

The new challenges that are forthcoming will have a great impact on our students lives as well as our district. This job entails experience, knowledge as well as compassion. I will work hard, listen to our children and most of all learn for all of us. All children should have a chance at new learning and I have their best interest in mind. Electing the right member is important and you deserve a voice that represents you. I am here to stand for our students, teachers and staff. You have the power-vote for a new voice for continued progress to help move our district forward. Thank you for your support.

Juanita Castillo

My name is Jane Castillo and I am honored and excited to run for Place 1 for the La Feria ISD School Board of Trustees. I was married to Gene Castillo (+) for thirty-one wonderful years. Gene and I have three exceptional grown children. They are Amber, Amanda and Gene Michael Castillo. We were also blessed with five very sweet grandchildren who range in ages from three years to 22 years old. They are Laura and Danny Torres and my son’s children, along with his wife, Adrianna, are Alaina, Milos (+), and Andi Castillo.

I was fortunate to have worked as an educator for thirty nine memorable years. I began teaching in Edinburg in 1978 where I taught special education students for three years. In 1981, I moved to Stuart Place Elementary, where I taught for four more years, again as a special education teacher. After teaching for seven years, I was given the opportunity to join the Special Ed. Cooperative in Mercedes as a special education supervisor. My duties consisted of working very closely with the teachers in Mercedes, La Feria, Progreso and Santa Maria in curriculum and instruction. In 1992, I was privileged to move to my hometown where I worked for twenty five years as an assistant principal and principal in the elementary grades. Those years in La Feria were by far the best in my career as an educator. As an administrator, I worked with my teachers and staff on a daily basis so that our school would “shine”. We excelled in so many areas: STAAR scores, parental involvement events, community events and in the day to day functions of the school. I developed long lasting and close relationships with many of my colleagues, teachers and staff. I truly believe La Feria ISD promotes an atmosphere of “family”.

If elected to the board, I pledge to work very closely with the rest of the board members to assist the district in moving forward to become a better school district. I vow to work diligently for the students and staff. I appreciated your support and confidence in me when I worked as an administrator for La Feria. I will value your support and vote in this election for the school board. So please vote for Jane Castillo, Place 1, for the La Feria ISD School Board. Thank you for your consideration and time.

Place 3 Candidates

Hugo Nau Garcia

Hello, my name is Hugo Garcia and I am running for the La Feria ISD School Board Trustee, Place 3. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about myself. I have lived in La Feria for the last 19 years. I am married to Belinda Garcia (Chapa) who is a graduate of La Feria High School Class of ’91 and works for LFISD. We have two children, both La Feria graduates, Classes of 2012 and 2020. Growing up I was a Spanish first speaker who found some difficulty when I entered the English speaking public school system. Luckily, it was an obstacle that I was able to overcome quickly. I was raised as a migrant worker, and would travel north following the picking season until the age of 18.

Upon my graduation from high school, I enlisted in The United States Army where I served in Finance for 6 years, 12 months of which I spent overseas in South Korea. During that time, I learned the value of hard work and what it takes to earn what you want. My migrant life taught me that nothing is ever given and the military taught me the discipline needed to make tough decisions that would make me successful.

Upon receiving my Honorable Discharge from the Army, I moved back to the Valley where I began work in sales. I have continued in that field and today I am one of the nation’s top-sellers in our industry. Outside of work, I have been involved with St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church as an ACTS community member, and festival volunteer.

I am also a member of our local American Legion where I have assisted in several volunteer and fund-raising activities. Beyond those activities, I have consistently volunteered for our various campus and district-wide events. Whether helping with Beauty and the Beast, playing Santa Claus, helping cook for the Jr High BBQ fundraiser, or serving as a member and president of the La Feria Athletic Booster Club, I have seen how great our district is and the difference it makes in our community.

Finally, I have been very active in our youth/little league sports programs. I have had the opportunity to both coach and officiate our community’s youth and I have found that few things are as rewarding as having the opportunity to influence our youth to valuing hard work and making good choices.

While watching our community grow, I have seen our district do the same. Because I have committed to being an active citizen in our community, I feel compelled to try to help our school district meet the challenges of growth in today’s world.

My experiences, travels, and training have made me a person that is well-rounded in issues of finance, diversity, and overcoming obstacles to achieve high-levels of success. I believe that the district must continue to work with our community to achieve the goal of providing the best education to our students. I am certain that I can provide the strong leadership that will be required to help us in this endeavor. Vote Hugo Garcia, Place 3. Thank you for your time.

Alfonso Rodriguez

Hello. My name is Alfonso Rodriguez, and I humbly ask for your vote for La Feria ISD Trustee Place 3. I am honored to be a resident of La Feria and have lived in our great community for the past 31 years with my wife, Mary Rodriguez. I am proud to say our three sons are LFISD graduates having received the quality education that is a tradition of La Feria ISD.

I have been a long-time active member of St. Francis Xavier Church where I am currently serving on the Finance & Building Committees. I have also previously served as a Eucharistic Minister and a CCE Teacher. Having served as a CCE teacher helped me to better understand the support that is needed for our children and staff. I value quality education and pledge to provide support for continued educational success for all our students.

In addition, I am the City of La Feria Public Works Director and manage all aspects, including safety and budgeting, for our city youth programs, special events, parks, waterworks, sewer, and maintenance operations. I have had recent experience implementing COVID safety measures while ensuring essential city services remain open for our community. I pledge to utilize that experience to assist the district in keeping our students and staff safe as we continue our reopening plan of bringing students into the campuses. In addition, COVID has brought about additional expenses for our district, and I pledge to use my experience with budgets to ensure continued resources for our students and staff.

Furthermore, I am proud to mention that in working together with La Feria ISD, City of La Feria, and our community, I founded the La Feria NFL Flag Football League and La Feria Athletic Booster Club for the benefit of our students including awarding over $8,000 of athletic scholarships. If elected, I pledge to continue to work together with all to benefit our students.

I want the best for All of our students, and I pledge to work hard using my experiences serving our community and our children to make decisions that will have a positive impact on the students of our district. I humbly ask for your support and vote. Thank you and God Bless!