4 May 2007
Arnold Viramontes, Chief Technology Officer, Appointed
DALLAS—Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa has appointed Arnold Viramontes to lead the district's Transformation Management Office.
Viramontes has most recently been serving as the head of operations of the district's Technology Services Department and has extensive experience in management and organizational assessment.
"This is a critical first step in implementing the many recommendations contained in the Dallas Achieves transformation plan," said Hinojosa. "Arny has a unique background that will help us reach our goals. His experience with the district for the last year-and-a-half, combined with a background of detailed strategic planning make him an ideal candidate for this position."
The Dallas Board of Trustees approved the Dallas Achieves initiative at its meeting in April. The plan contains more than 100 recommendations made by the Dallas Achieves commission to ensure that all students graduate ready for college and the workforce.
"While there have been a number of education reform initiatives over the last several years, the Dallas Achieves initiative is one that will stand the test of time," said Hinojosa. "This plan has the support of the board, the administration and the community which helped create its sweeping recommendations to improve the district."
The Dallas Achieves Commission is made up of 65 leaders representing business, higher education, civic and faith-based communities as well as city and state officials, philanthropists and grassroots leaders. The commission is aligning Dallas' goals with best practices of the National Center for Educational Accountability. The district has also joined an urban district collaborative, The Institute for Learning, at the University of Pittsburgh.
"Part of what will make this plan work will be the attention to Dallas' progress in relation to other urban districts in Texas and the rest of the country," said Hinojosa. "Arny will play a critical role in providing oversight of the district's transformation, as well as creating transparency on the district's progress.
Hinojosa has eliminated a senior-level position in the district in order to create the new position. Viramontes will report directly to the superintendent and will continue to provide guidance and support to the Technology Services Department for a short time. In his new capacity, he will be responsible for communicating, on a regular basis, the district's progress toward implementing the plan.
"I am excited and honored to be selected for this position," said Viramontes. "Dallas' future is significantly tied to how well our students are prepared for the future. To be part of the district's transformation effort is truly the highlight of my career."
Prior to joining Dallas ISD, Viramontes was the chief executive officer of The Viramontes Group, which developed business continuity and technology plans for school districts and other entities throughout the state of Texas. From 1996-2000, he served as the executive director of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board (TIF Board), which was responsible for a $1.5 billion fund to deploy telecommunications infrastructure to several entities in the public sector. Texas Monthly biz named him as one of the 25 Most Powerful Texans in High Tech.
Assisting the Transformation Office will be the Dallas Achieves Project Team which is privately funded at no cost to the taxpayer.