Frenship ISD director of finance receives state leadership award

Frenship ISD announced that Lela Vela, FISD director of finance, has been selected as a 2022 RISE Award recipient by the Texas Association of School Business Officials.

Vela is one of only seven public education administrators across the state of Texas to receive the award this year, according to a news release from the district.

Vela and the other recipients of the RISE Award were selected based on their leadership qualities, achievements, and their desire to continue growing their career. The award also recognizes the recipients as future leaders who are on the rise in the school business community and profession.

Vela has been with the Frenship family for 10 years, serving in various roles within the Frenship ISD Business Office including Accountant, Coordinator of Accounting, and now Director of Finance. Not only is Vela an active member of TASBO, earning their highest certification of Registered Texas School Business Administrator, but she also participates in various community and Frenship committees and serves as a mentor to young business professionals and students.

“For the past 10 years, Mrs. Vela has been an inspiration and guiding force in the budgeting, accounting, and financial operations for Frenship ISD,” said Frenship ISD Assistant Superintendent Chief Financial Officer Farley Reeves. “She has provided masterful leadership to the district community in developing sound budgeting procedures, providing financial guidance, education, and exceptional support to all stakeholders.”

As a RISE Award recipient, Vela was honored in front of school business leaders across Texas at the 2022 TASBO Engage Conference Awards Luncheon. Vela says she was humbled to receive the honor, and she is excited to continue growing as a leader to better serve Frenship ISD.

“My desire is to continue to develop and grow myself and my coworkers with a collaborative environment, a heart for service, and a student-focused mindset,” said Vela. “The amount of education, support, and assistance we can offer to campus staff and central office staff is paramount in order to allow them to focus on what they need to focus on, our students. I hope to foster this mindset and use it to grow our leaders who want to serve in education.”

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Frenship ISD director of finance receives state leadership award