Adriana Tamez is a dedicated advocate for educating and empowering individuals and communities, especially those from lower socio-economic circumstances. Her career as an educator has been marked by challenging the status quo and developing best practices to meet the needs of students and the larger community. Her rise through the ranks of educational and community leadership attests to her many successes.
Dr. Tamez earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and a master’s degree in educational administration and supervision at the University of Houston (UH). She earned her doctorate in Educational Administration at the University of Texas at Austin while a Fellow in the nationally acclaimed Cooperative Superintendency Program.
She began her educational career as a bilingual education teacher at Mario Gallegos Elementary School in the Houston Independent School District (HISD). She then served as the associate director of development for UH’s College of Education.
Dr. Tamez was one of the founding members of the Tejano Center for Community Concerns and the Raul Yzaguirre School for Success. She served as the first director of education at the Raul Yzaguirre Middle Charter School for Success before assuming the principalship at Rufus Cage Elementary School and Project Chrysalis Middle School in the Houston Independent School District. Subsequently, she was principal at Thomas Edison Middle School.
In 2005, she was selected to serve as the HISD Central Region Superintendent, where she supervised 54 schools — 97 percent of which earned the states highest accountability rating of “Recognized” or “Exemplary.” Her vision and direction were responsible for high-performing instructional programs and enriching educational experiences for more than 35,000 students.
In 2010, Dr. Tamez joined the Region 4 Education Service Center and helped support over 50 public school districts and 50 public charter schools, representing more than 1.1 million students, 84,000 educators, and 1,400 school campuses. Because of her love for family and community, Dr. Tamez recently adjusted her professional journey and now serves as an educational consultant, which allows her the flexibility to continue her much enjoyed community involvement and fulfill her most prized role as mother to her son, Adam Gabriel.
Dr. Tamez was appointed to Harris County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners on June 25, 2019. Welcome Dr. Tamez.