Congratulating Dr. Brenda Hellyer, Chancellor of San Jacinto College

Floor Speech

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Mr. BABIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate an exceptional educator, San Jacinto College Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer, on receiving the prestigious Quasar Award for Economic Development Excellence from the Bay Area Houston Partnership (BAHEP). BAHEP presents its renowned Quasar Award to an outstanding elected official or business leader who has demonstrated a strong and continual effort to support the business foundations of the greater Bay Area Houston communities.

Dr. Hellyer grew up in Hays, Kansas, a small town of nearly 12,000 in the heart of wheat and cattle country. She is the second of four children--three girls and a boy. Her father was a truck driver for Rainbow Bread and later served as a custodian at the local elementary school. Her mother was a housewife until her youngest sister started school, and then began a career as a school cook and baker.

Dr. Hellyer earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Fort Hays State University, and both her master's degree in business administration and a doctorate in community college leadership from the University of Texas at Austin. She received the Distinguished Graduate Award from the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin in spring 2009. Dr. Hellyer is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Texas. While in college, she received many scholarships that helped finance her education and credits her success to the generosity of University donors.

Working for Fortune 500 companies in accounting and finance, eventually led Dr. Hellyer down to Houston where she met her husband, Rusty. Together, Rusty and Brenda worked with several small businesses they owned in the Deer Park and Pasadena communities. She strongly believes in serving the community, and her first involvement with San Jacinto College was as a volunteer with the San Jacinto College Foundation.

Since 2009, Dr. Hellyer has served as Chancellor of San Jacinto College, a notable Houston institution with nearly 30,000 students, four primary campuses, and an annual budget of $252 million. Her involvement with the College began in 1996 as an inaugural director for the San Jacinto College Foundation. She later served in a number of executive positions at the college, including Executive Vice President for Resource Development, Vice Chancellor for Fiscal Affairs, Chief Financial Officer, and Executive Vice Chancellor.

After becoming Chancellor of San Jacinto College in May 2009, Dr. Hellyer led a rigorous strategic planning process to transform the image of the college. During her tenure, the college has made major infrastructure renovations and developed award-winning programs including its Maritime Training and Technology Center, Generation Park Campus, Aerospace Training facility, and the LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology.

These efforts have transformed San Jacinto College into a modern community college, offering students education in collaborative classrooms and hands on training with equipment they will encounter as they move into the workforce.

Madam Speaker, I thank Dr. Hellyer for her dedication as Chancellor of San Jacinto College, and for her outstanding community engagement in the greater Bay Area.

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