Gilbert Vasquez, who spent more than 30 years as an administrator within the Ector County Independent School District, is the only candidate seeking to replace Odessa City Council member Detra White in November.
White, who represents District 3, announced several weeks ago she would not be running for re-election. District 4’s Tom Sprawls and District 5’s Mari Willis aren’t running either.
Chris Hanie and Shaye Lane will be running against each other for the District 5 position, but like Vasquez, Greg Connell will be running unopposed for the District 4 seat.
Vasquez, 74, began working for ECISD as a special education and Spanish teach in 1974, but after three years found himself a school administrator. He worked at Odessa High School and Crockett, Bonham and Hood junior highs and the alternative center. He later became a coordinator director in the human resources department. He retired in 2009 as the district’s assistant superintendent of human resources.
He was married for nearly 54 years to Adela Vasquez, who died in January. She spent 44 years in public education and she also worked in the court system conducting home studies for children up for adoption.
When his wife passed, Vasquez said his daughter, Monica Tschauner, suggested he get involved in the community like her mother had.
Adela had run for county commissioner and the Medical Center Hospital board in the past and was involved in various civic organizations, but while he has always kept up with everything going on, he’d always stayed in the background, he said.
Now, he’s got time to devote to the city council and believes his background could come in handy, Vasquez said.
“I’m running unopposed. Somebody else out there wasn’t willing to represent our district and I decided to step up. I even told my daughter, I think your mom is smiling down from heaven on me right now, glad to see that I finally made a decision to get involved in local public service,” Vasquez said. “That’s what public service is about. It’s about people stepping up and making decisions for Odessans’ that benefit all of us. I’ve been here forever so I want to give back to the community for whatever time I have left in this world.”
While with ECISD, Vasquez said he was a “rule follower.”
“I made sure that all my T’s were crossed and I’s were dotted and that’s the way I’m gonna approach my responsibilities to this community as a council member. I’m going to make sure that I’m read up on what’s going on and try to understand it. Until then, until I’m actually in the mix of all those discussions, I really couldn’t give you any answers about where I stand on anything.”
Vasquez said he’d like people to know he’s open-minded and a team player.
“I will be a servant. I will be listener for them. Whatever decisions I find myself having to be a part of, they will always be in the best interest of the people of Odessa, Texas,” he said.
