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Anna Llanes

Anna Garza Llanes, a Home Mortgage consultant of 15 years with a national financial institution and a home lending field worker for 28 years, has filed for the Place 2 post in the upcoming San Benito CISD School Board election.

She is a 1978 graduate of San Benito High School and holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Education from the University of Pan American. She has been married to her husband of 30 years, Mike Llanes, and they have two sons; David, a college student and HEB employee and Michael, who works in retail and banking. They are both graduates of San Benito High School. She is the daughter of the late Guadalupe and Siria Garza. Her siblings are Homer Garza, Linda Alvarado, Sylvia Llanes, Nancy Duran, and Norma Torres.

Llanes said her commitment to the children of this community is evident in the clubs and organizations that she devotes her time to, including the Parental Involvement Afterschool Program, American Red Cross, United Way, Challenger Learning Center; and the San Benito High School Band Boosters.

She said her commitment also extends to the city in her capacity as board member of the Special Events Board, San Benito Round Table committee and the Resaca Fest committee. Over the years, Llanes has been appointed by the school board seeking recommendations from the public to various committees. Llanes, who said she is an advocate for resourced children, also said has been active in seeking equity for the rights of special education students through school/parental committees.

Llanes said, “The U.S. Supreme Court has said education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments, and I believe our system of local school districts and boards of education epitomize representative and participatory government. The school board trustees are citizens elected from our community to make decisions about educational programs based on community needs, values, and expectations. I believe that the San Benito school board has been entrusted by our citizens to translate the needs of our students into policies, plans, and goals that will be supported by the community in the best interest of our children.”

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Wilma Garza Smetter

Dr. Wilma Garza Smetter has announced her candidacy for the San Benito CISD School Board Trustee Place 3 position.

For the past 30 years, Garza Smetter has been an educator. She has a Doctorate of Education from the University of Houston and has served as a teacher, middle school assistant principal, middle school principal, high school principal, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, and superintendent.

As an experienced district administrator, Garza Smetter said she has overseen and has “extensive knowledge” in the curriculum and instruction, maintenance, transportation and food service departments; business office, after school program as well as the bilingual, advanced academics, migrant, special education and human resources departments and school board member responsibilities.

Garza Smetter said she has developed her work ethic and leadership skills by working in successful school districts ranging from 1A to 5A and currently serves as the assistant superintendent in Mercedes ISD.

An honor graduate, Garza Smetter has been recognized as the State Runner-Up Technology Administrator of the Year and Harlingen Jaycees Teacher of the Year. She currently serves on the San Benito CISD Superintendent Advisory Council. “Having the courage to be decisive and doing the right thing in one’s work” are what Garza Smetter called “high values.”

Garza Smetter said she is dedicated to the students and community she serves. “As a parent of a band student who attends Veterans Memorial and as an educator, it is important for me to keep abreast of the happenings of my son and all the children in our district,” she said. “This generation of student attends a very different school from their parents. Today’s students must be engaged in the classroom whether it be through mobile devices or innovative instructional strategies and must be recognized for their individuality as students in whatever activities they are involved in at school.”

Garza Smetter added, “Our co-curricular and extracurricular activities require the necessary resources so that all our students can excel and continue to represent SBCISD with Greyhound pride. Each district employee deserves our gratitude for their dedication to the students of SBCISD. They have a tremendous impact on our children’s development. As a school board trustee candidate for Place 3, I am seeking the community’s support as an advocate for their child, their neighbor’s child, and my child so that they will be presented with the necessary skills to be successful in the 21st Century once they graduate from San Benito CISD.”

She also said she’s committed “to our children and dedicated to progress.”

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Sheriff Omar Lucio

Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio, who will be running for reelection this year, has received a double major degree from Pan American University – a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology as well as a Doctorate of Juris Prudence from the Reynaldo Garza School of Law.

He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, and up until beginning his term in January 2005 as sheriff he served as chief of police for the City of Mercedes. Lucio then climbed the ranks up to captain for the City of Harlingen, where he served for 35 years, and remains a member of the National Sheriff’s Association.

The sheriff cites these achievements, experience and more in his reelection bid.

Aside from being a lawman, Sheriff Lucio is actively involved in professional and civic organizations. Most recently, in January 2012, Sheriff Lucio was honored as the 2011 Law Enforcement Office of the Year at the Cameron County District Attorneys Sword and Shield Gala.

Sheriff Lucio was first elected to a four year term in January of 1997. Sheriff Lucio was re-elected in 2008 and began his third term as sheriff Jan. 1, 2009. Under his current administration, Sheriff Lucio oversees a total of 488 employees whom he calls his “backbone” of running a respectful and professional office. His total annual budget is $25 million.

The sheriff has brought in approximately $10 million in state and federal grants.

“We are utilizing some of the latest technology in fighting and deterring crime such as a mobile command center, mobile crime scene vehicle, and a SWAT armored transportation vehicle, patrol AR-15 long rifles, and the latest in mobile video cameras,” Lucio said. “We are presently in the process of equipping our officers with GPS and dispatch monitoring video, which means that our dispatchers will be able to view “live” our officers involved on a traffic stop. This is a great tool for officer safety and the public. We also have purchased over 40 vehicles for patrol and investigation purposes through federal and state grants.”

Sheriff Lucio said his department has also strengthened working relationships with all local and federal agencies.

“I have officers assigned to the DEA, FBI, ICE, and US Marshals Task Forces,” the sheriff added. “We have also just recently received $5.9 million dollars for participating in the Osiel Cardenas Gulf Cartel prosecution and drug seizures. My narcotics division played a key role in arrest and forfeiture seizures against the head of the Gulf Cartel. Because the potential threat of spill-over violence, we have held meetings and have organized a plan of action and contingency plan to counter any major potential spill-over violence from Mexico.”

Continuing to work with the Cameron County Commissioners Court, the sheriff recently contributed $250,000 from the forfeiture fund which is earmarked for hiring jailers. In theory, this construction will assist taxpayers so inmates will no longer be housed in other areas of the state.

“I had in the past proposed building additional jail space,” Lucio said. “However, because of building cost and budget restraints, we were unable to do so. We have realized that our county is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States; consequently, the jail population is growing at a rate of six percent.”

Building a jail costs the taxpayers $50,000 per bed for maximum security facilities, which is what the state requires for high profile inmates, according to Lucio.

The Commissioners Court approved the staffing for an additional 126 beds the sheriff’s newly built section of the department’s jail to satisfy classification requirements in accordance with the Texas Commission of Jail Standards.

“The sheriff’s office is a business and a rather big business,” Lucio said before addressing his opponents in the upcoming race for Cameron County Sheriff. “In these crucial times of potential spill over violence and a growing county, this is no time to place this big business in the hands of the amateur. I am the man for the job. My experience as an administrator is both jail and law enforcement speaks for itself. It’s not all about wearing a gun and a badge if you do not have the experience in both jail and police administration. This job is about administering, planning, organization and budgeting. The personality of the sheriff must be beyond question, reflecting a commitment to adherence to the law both professionally and in personal matters.”

Lucio has been active in community service, specifically serving 25 years with the Harlingen Leadership Class VII and Harlingen Leadership Steering Committee, 22 years with the United Way Board of Trustees, Budget and Admission Committee, 16 years as a board member with the End of the Road Ministry [Shelter for the Homeless], eight years with the Kiwanis Los Compadres, 33 years with the Harlingen Quarterback Club, 22 years with the Texas Bronco League, four years with the Colt League, four years with the National Bronco League and current member of the Knights of Columbus – 4th Degree Knight.

In 1984, Lucio was awarded the Citizen of the Year honor by the Lions Dawnbreakers Club in Harlingen, and he has also had a baseball field in Harlingen named after him – the Omar Lucio Field.