This came as a surprise.
Mike Lunceford
Mike Lunceford — who has represented Bellaire on the Houston ISD Board of Education for seven years — made a surprise announcement at Thursday night’s board meeting that he is resigning, effective immediately.
He had just assumed blame for some trustees’ concerns over communication about a proposed $7.5 million gift to the district’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts from the Kinder Foundation, in exchange for naming rights.
The donation was approved by a vote of 7-2, with Trustees Jolanda Jones and Diana Davila voting nay.
Lunceford wasn’t immediately available for comment about his resignation. Although he lives in the trustee district, he has commuted to West Texas for his job as vice president of Pedernales Energy in recent months. He was also frequently in the minority in board votes with the seating of new members in January, and the confrontational, name-calling personalities that have emerged in board debates are antithetical to Lunceford’s quiet but firm, reasoned style.
The Chron story about the HSPVA grant/renaming mentioned Lunceford’s announcement in passing. Lunceford is a well-regarded member of the Board and I’m sorry to see him go, but I can certainly understand it given his travel schedule. According to fellow Trustee Anna Eastman on Facebook, the resignation would be effective on December 31. Assuming nothing changes, the Board would then appoint a replacement, and there would be an election for a full term next November, which is when Lunceford’s current term is up anyway. I wish Trustee Lunceford all the best, and I thank him for his service.