G-PISD Employee Awards

JALUN TYLER

Mr. Jalun Tyler has worked with G-PISD since 2019 and has continued to grow within the Transportation Department! He started working as a Bus Monitor and now holds the position of Bus Mechanic Helper. Jalun can be seen around the district driving a route from time to time as well, and bringing joy to our Wildcats with his incredible personality, dedication, and care for others. His quiet and helpful demeanor is an asset to the transportation department and to everyone in G-PISD. We are grateful to have Jalun Tyler as part of our department and part of the G-P Family!

LORREN BRADLEY

Ms. Lorren Bradley is a special addition to the WCA family! Her bubbly, funny, and warm personality is an extraordinary addition to our campus. Not only does she bring art to life, she gives her students the confidence to grow through art all while making class FUN! Miss Bradley is working with future G-PISD cheerleaders by leading the WCA Club ... the Pod Squad spirit group as well as creating monthly art installations to feature ‘Artists of the Month.’ We are also proud to announce that she began her journey to become a teacher by joining the Hartwell University educator program. Current and future G-PISD students are truly blessed to have her!

RYAN BRUSTER

Mr. Ryan Bruster is an incredible member of TEAM G-P, and has served with our team for 30 years! As a proud graduate of G-PISD, he's truly a diehard Wildcat fan! When you think of WC Andrews Cafeteria Staff, you simply cannot help but think of Ryan among the best of the best.  If Ryan is not at WC Andrews then he is at the stadium cheering any and all of our football teams.  Everyone knows him, and what an outstanding example he is for our district and our students.  He doesn’t know what the word “QUIT” means.  Ryan truly exemplifies the characteristics of a true WILDCAT, and we are all made better because of Mr. Ryan Bruster!

KIM ARRINGTON

Ms. Kim Arrington spends her days making a lifelong difference for our children at East Cliff Elementary! Aside from Kim’s positive personality and energy, she always knows what to say and how to support the classroom when its needed most. When staff schedules and workload become overwhelming, she constantly collaborates with staff to find solutions and is known to leave positive notes on desks with a favorite treat. With our students, Ms. Arrington builds positive, caring relationships, and advocates for inclusivity and celebrating uniqueness. Kim is such a wonderful asset to East Cliff Elementary and our Adaptive Education team!

DANNY PEREZ

Mr. Danny Perez has worked in the Maintenance department for over 25 years and he is always ready to help! Danny is a hard-working, reliable technician. He goes out of his way to get his job done and will assist the other technicians when they need help. He is someone that can be counted on when things need to be done on a deadline and has been a valuable asset to the maintenance department. His service is appreciated by all and the Maintenance Team is glad to have him part of our team. His tenure and commitment to G-PISD cannot be measured, and we are grateful for his support across our entire district!

DEBBI WARRICK

Ms. Debbi Warrick is the definition of a dedicated employee and students are ALWAYS her priority! Every decision she makes is in the best interest of T.M. Clark's students and she models a love for reading and cares about students. It is evident every day in the library that Ms. Warrick truly loves what she does and understands the importance of creating an engaging experience for students. Ms. Warrick manages one of the largest libraries in GP and has worked tirelessly to put books in children's hands. She is an amazing educator that understands the importance of encouraging all students to develop a life-long love for learning and books. We are grateful to have Debbi as part of our campus and district!

LEEANA MURPHY

Mrs. Murphy is the definition of a dedicated employee and is always willing to put our students first! A recent incident in the middle school cafeteria turned a bad customer service experience into a great customer service experience and LeeAna even received a standing ovation by a cafeteria full of middle school students! Taking the time to make sure her customers are heard is the ultimate customer service action! Ms. Murphy will be part of the leadership team at the Middle School beginning next year and is a shining example of what characteristics a Wildcat Café team member should possess. We are grateful for LeeAna in our Food Service Department, and as a member of TEAM G-P!

VANESSA RIVERA

Ms. Rivera is the Computer Lab/Media Aide by title alone as she is much, much more than that for the team at W.C. Andrews Elementary! If her title matched her skill, ability, and work ethic, not even our fund balance could afford her. Ms. Rivera is our resident MAP testing aficionado. She prepares MAP scheduling, proctoring, and assists in facilitating training for MAP procedures and also has taught ALL students in grades 1-5 how to type, create PowerPoints, Word documents, and posters using Publisher.  The best part about Ms. Rivera is that she loves all kids. Ms. Rivera is so vital to the operations at WCA and she literally embodies each facet of our vision statement. She's among the best of the best, and we're glad to have her on the team!

ANDREA YOUNG

Mrs. Young is an incredible member of Team G-P serving on our Food Service ("Wildcat Cafe") staff! A familiar face around the district, she has worked in the Food Service department for many years -- and always with a smile on her face and a kind word to share! Ms. Young is available to help wherever she is needed, and has been a valuable asset to the food service team as well as to so many across our district and in our schools. Her dedication and service is greatly appreciated by all, and Food Service team is glad to have her expertise in working alongside them each day as well as being part of the G-P Family!

HOLLY BAKER

Ms. Baker is instrumental at East Cliff Elementary School! She starts the day by greeting ALL students and families with high energy, excitement, music, and many times costumes. Because of the way she greets families by name and with such warmth, our students feel SEEN and welcomed each morning. She goes above and beyond for all the teachers and is always prepared to assist with any need, whether its computer issues, making posters, fixing the laminator, creating bulletin boards, or most importantly, helping students. She's a team player and takes the initiative with a positive attitude. Ms. Baker will be relocating this summer, yet we are delighted she is forever part of our G-P Family!

DENISE DRUMMOND

Mrs. Drummond serves as a Cafeteria Manager at G-P Middle School! She has been with the district for over 35 years and has always placed the students first in all decisions she makes … even including her retirement! Mrs. Drummond did not want to retire until she made sure the new G-P Middle School kitchen, and all the operations that go with it, were in place. She wanted to ensure students would continue to receive the same high-quality standard she has always provided during her tenure here with G-P. While Denise is set to retire the end of this school year, she truly exemplifies what it means to be a Wildcat Café Rock Star!

WENDY HUGHES

Mrs. Hughes lends her expertise as Purchasing Clerk in the Business Office! Every G-PISD purchase goes through her for validation before it passes along the approval chain. Mrs. Hughes works to find discrepancies and resolve among personnel so they can continue the path to approval. She is instrumental in all travel that takes place for staff and students, and maintains a high standard for stewardship of public funds. She has been a great contributor in discussions about purchasing policies and procedures. Last month, she had days with over 100 requisitions coming in, but her timeliness and willingness to work late when duty calls ensures that the items will not be delayed for students and staff. Thank you, Mrs. Hughes!

HELEN NESMITH

Mrs. Nesmith is an incredible custodian at East Cliff Elementary! She joined our custodial team recently and has quickly drawn a fan club because of her professionalism, work ethic, and attention to detail. Mrs. Nesmith is extremely thorough, friendly, and helpful to all. Recently, a student didn’t make it home one evening and she was instrumental in getting in contact with appropriate personnel to ensure this child was located.  She has been a great addition to our custodial staff and the East Cliff team!

PAMELA OTERO

Mrs. Otero provides clerical support for the G-PISD Construction Department! She definitely keeps the construction department running smoothly, with a myriad of projects.  She has great communication skills and strives to get better every day. Mrs. Otero works diligently and has a thirst to learn. Despite hardships, she presses on and continues to grow as an employee.  She does a fantastic job keeping her department rolling, and is a vital member of team GP!

JUAN FLORES

Mr. Flores is an exceptional bus rider serving as part of the G-PISD Transportation team! He is well respected as a very dependable employee -- someone who is consistently among those we can count on daily. He is dedicated to our students and his job. Mr. Flores is one of the longest serving bus drivers we currently have on staff, and understands the role he plays to make a difference every day for our students.  He is liked by his peers because of his dedication and the example he sets within the department. Mr. Flores is always at work, and loves his job. He's a great member of our G-P family!

CATHY ARMSTRONG

Mrs. Armstrong is the Secretary to the Principal at East Cliff Elementary. She routinely goes over and beyond in her daily duties and helps with all questions that come her way. Mrs. Armstrong is a problem solver and is involved with improving proficiency in all areas of the campus. She keeps the principal’s office running smoothly by keeping track of when things need to be completed in order to meet deadlines. She's been a tremendous help the last few weeks since the school year resumed after Winter Break and remained patient with all staff through it all! This includes computer problems, helping ensure classes were covered, and getting maintenance over ASAP with a situation that needed immediate attention ... and she's regarded as an awesome member of the team who keeps East Cliff’s world running!

ANTONIO LOPEZ

Mr. Lopez is an outstanding team member serving G-PISD in the Maintenance Department! Antonio Lopez is friendly, helpful, and kind, and provides as an incredible example of service in the Gregory-Portland ISD maintenance department. No matter where you see Antonio, he always has a smile on his face!  As he goes about his daily duties, he is always professional and willing to offer help to others. He is certainly a pleasure to work with each day, and G-P is lucky to have Antonio Lopez as part of the Wildcat family!

LORA DELUNA

Mrs. DeLuna is the Secretary to our Chief Communications & Engagement Officer. Lora has served our district as a volunteer parent, then a substitute, and was hired to work in the office at T.M. Clark before moving to Communications. Her creativity, passion, commitment, and G-P PRIDE are evident. She is sincere, kind-hearted, and genuinely devoted;  trustworthy, loyal, and a joy to be around. She will soon transition from full-time employment with G-PISD to build the next phase of her personal baking business -- as she's been so successful, she now has the ability to do so, and we know the sky is the limit for Lora! We are THANKFUL for her great work, service, and continued partnership with our district!

ANTONIO LOPEZ

Mr. Lopez is an outstanding team member serving G-PISD in the Maintenance Department! Antonio Lopez is friendly, helpful, and kind, and provides as an incredible example of service in the Gregory-Portland ISD maintenance department. No matter where you see Antonio, he always has a smile on his face!  As he goes about his daily duties, he is always professional and willing to offer help to others. He is certainly a pleasure to work with each day, and G-P is lucky to have Antonio Lopez as part of the Wildcat family!

LORA DELUNA

Mrs. DeLuna is the Secretary to our Chief Communications & Engagement Officer. Lora has served our district as a volunteer parent, then a substitute, and was hired to work in the office at T.M. Clark before moving to Communications. Her creativity, passion, commitment, and G-P PRIDE are evident. She is sincere, kind-hearted, and genuinely devoted;  trustworthy, loyal, and a joy to be around. She will soon transition from full-time employment with G-PISD to build the next phase of her personal baking business -- as she's been so successful, she now has the ability to do so, and we know the sky is the limit for Lora! We are THANKFUL for her great work, service, and continued partnership with our district!

LETICIA HERNANDEZ

Mrs. Hernandez is an exceptional member of our Food Service Team! This year, "Letty" as she is called in food service has truly stepped up and taken a lead!  She has been trained to serve as the cashier for the middle school cafeteria, and has done a marvelous job despite being a little nervous to take on that role. She takes every duty seriously and does well in her daily performance of those tasks that support our Wildcats. Food Services is glad to have her as part of the team, and G-P is better because of Mrs. Letty Hernandez!

CINDY HARTLEY

Ms. Hartley is the Executive Secretary to the Superintendent of Schools. There is so much that can be said of Cindy, and summed up it may be that she's a true hard worker! She is a fixture in the District and has helped the Superintendent’s Office continue to move forward and excel.  She is always pleasant, and will do whatever it takes to help the District be the best. Ms. Hartley is a very kind and caring soul who takes great pride in her work, and though she will soon be enjoying a well-deserved retirement we want her to know we are all extremely proud and thankful for all she's done for G-P!

CLIFF AVERY

Mr. Avery is an outstanding employee on our Maintenance Team! While many of us enjoyed the summer months, Cliff was hard at work painting offices in the school and completing some other items. He is always willing to assist with various jobs and continuously does fantastic work.  Mr. Avery is willing to work until the job is complete. His perseverance and dedication is noteworthy, and a great example for all in the G-P community especially our wonderful Wildcats. We are extremely lucky and grateful to have him as a part of Team G-P!

JENNIFER HERNANDEZ

Mrs. Hernandez is Secretary to the Director of Technology. Jennifer acts as the glue that makes sure everyone in the technology department stays on task. She is always willing to jump in and help whenever needed and her dedication and work ethic shows she can get things done. Jennifer acts in various areas within the technology department and goes beyond her secretarial duties. She helps with access control, marquee signs, the outdoor video scoreboard, and any other area the technology department may need additional support. Technology is happy to have her in their department!

SHEILA KUTA

Ms. Kuta is the Cafeteria Manager at W.C. Andrews. Staff has said she is such a breath of fresh air! She embraced the challenge of breakfast in the classroom because, although it is challenging, she knows how vital it is for our students and not every student has the opportunity to eat breakfast at home. She encourages her staff to be engaging and friendly to students in the lunch line. She helps her crew pull food, clean, work with students, or troubleshoot technology glitches with an open mind and great attitude. The culture in the cafeteria is helpful, happy, and positive because of her leadership.

ENEDELIA SALAZAR

Ms. Salazar is the G-P Middle School Registrar. She graciously agreed to move from an elementary campus to the new middle school campus and has quickly made her talents and expertise known to all involved in the registration process on campus. She is gracious with all her interactions, whether she is speaking to students, parents or staff. She is always professional, polite and thorough and truly exemplifies what it means to have GP Pride in her work, and provides everyone with the best customer service.

ARNOLD CRUZ

Arnold Cruz takes great pride in G-PISD grounds and facilities.  He excels at finding common sense solutions to problems and is willing to offer his and his team’s help wherever needed.   His positive, yet professional approach is an asset to the District. (Arnold is pictured above with his supervisor at left, Mr. Ernesto Palomo.)

KEVIN MURPHEY

Kevin Murphey ​has made his mark on the District.  He is the “go to” person for problems that don’t seem to have a specific department.  He isn’t afraid to break a sweat and jump right into manual labor when the job calls for it. He is seeks solutions to problems before they become problems. He is also friendly and easy for everyone to approach for help.  

GEORGE HERNANDEZ

George Hernandez is always there to make sure everything is clean and disinfected even under the toughest situations.  He has a passion for his job and makes sure that the school is clean through a process.  His floors are so clean you can eat off of them if you would like to.  He is very kind and always looks at the best way of helping others. Everything he does is with a smile!

AUDREY SAENZ

Audrey Saenz ​does a fantastic job at managing the day-to-day operations of the athletic department.  There is a lot of moving parts to athletics, and she keeps the operation running in an efficient manner.  She does this all with a smile and a great attitude!

DEBBIE CRADY

Debbie Crady (WC Andrews) is flexible and willing to do whatever it takes to feed our students during the pandemic. She has implemented a new system and schedule for delivering a breakfast to every student each morning; she does all of this will a friendly smile and a caring heart. She's part of what makes us "A Great Place to Belong!" (Debbie wasn't able to attend the board meeting to accept her award, but she is pictured here with her Director, Jeff Atkinson, and her Food Service at WCA. Congratulations, Debbie, and THANK YOU for all you do for our students and staff!)

GINGER BECK

Ginger Beck (East Cliff) always goes above and beyond to help teachers and students. She is reliable and knowledgeable and loves to have fun! Not only does she support students in the classroom, she also is the campus technology guru and is able to solve most technology concerns and proved to be invaluable during the transition to virtual learning. She is a self-starter and whenever she sees an opportunity to help improve systems, she jumps in and offers her help and support to problem solve. She puts her heart into what she does and she is well respected by all that meet her.

LEO VILLARREAL

Leo Villarreal (East Cliff Elementary) does a great job at keeping the campus clean and safe for students so they can learn. He is always professional and conscientious, and he makes a consistent effort to go above and beyond by participating in dress-up days to show his support of the campus and students. Whenever he sees someone in need, he quickly jumps in to help without hesitation. East Cliff is blessed to have him, and so are all of us in G-PISD!

PILAR PUENTE

Pilar Puente works at GP Middle School. She goes above and beyond each day she is at work.  When the district rolled out a new student records management system, she jumped in and took the lead. She has been instrumental in helping staff across the District because she wants to help her colleagues be more efficient. She is the District Docunav queen.

FREDDY HINOJOSA

Freddy Hinojosa  is always willing to work and help anyone who needs it. He is given, and takes responsibility for, a wide variety of tasks and is a "go-to guy" in the maintenance department. No matter what is taking place and/or what the situation is, you can count on Freddy to do everything he can to fix and/or resolve the issue and do it with a smile on his face ... and a laugh or two. He not only completes his tasks in maintenance, but he also fills in in the transportation department when necessary and can always be counted on to get the job done with a smile and with the upmost professionalism.

VIRGINIA REITMANN

Virginia Reitmann serves as the Wildcat Learning Center Secretary and helps to keep all people informed of procedures, task, and rules ... and has also helped to keep us moving forward during the pandemic. She has kept open lines of communication with staff, parents, and the High School. Virginia will research needs to make sure that students have every opportunity to meet their goals. In addition to identifying students who are in need of WLC services, she has changed the life of many students. She is always has a smile on her face and will stop at nothing to ensure students, staff, and parents have what they need to be successful.