Lone Star College System board is focused on the future

HOUSTON, TX -- The throughline of Art Murillo’s career has been community engagement and public service, including nearly 12 years on the Lone Star College System Board of Trustees. He was elected in 2014 to represent District 4, which encompasses the Aldine area.

“It’s a great opportunity to serve my community and a region that really benefits from what we offer,” Murillo said. “What we deliver goes beyond the classroom.”

Murillo’s higher education journey began in a community college before he transferred to the University of Texas at Austin to complete a bachelor’s degree in psychology. From there, he landed an internship at the Texas Capitol and earned a Master of Public Administration degree at Texas State University.

His work for the Texas House of Representatives—from a legislative aid to chief of staff—brought Murillo to Houston, where he spent several years as executive director of the Houston Resource Center at the University of Houston-Downtown. This role involved student and parent outreach and relationship building with community leaders across the region.

Murillo’s outlook on higher education has changed since he held this position in the 1990s.

“I admit now that I was wrong, but I used to tell the parents to make sure their children get a bachelor’s degree,” he said. “College is much more expensive and more intentional now. We shouldn’t try to push them into something they’re not ready for. Students can have a quick turnaround on a workforce certification, and then they can get a job to pay for school and avoid going into a lot of debt if that’s the path they want to take.”

In 2001, Murillo began working for the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), where he currently serves as senior public engagement representative. Murillo has spent over two decades fostering the critical collaborations necessary to align METRO’s transit and infrastructure goals with the needs of the Houston community.

But he missed the positive energy that comes with working in an educational environment, so Murillo secured a seat on the Aldine ISD Board of Trustees in 2003. Several years later, he decided to campaign for the LSCS board.

In the last 12 years, Murillo has seen the college system embrace community partnerships, technological advancements and data-informed governance. Looking ahead, the board is working with LSCS administration to implement a five-year strategic plan.

“Lone Star College System receives national attention for being effective and successful in what we do,” Murillo said. “I don’t have to convince anyone of our excellence. Together as a team, we’ll see it through, and we’ll achieve success beyond anyone’s imagination.”

In 2023, the 88th Texas Legislature reformed community college funding statewide through House Bill 8. Formerly a fixed-funding model based on credit-hour offerings, it is now a performance-based system tied to student outcomes that align with the state’s workforce needs.

“The strategic plan will help us fulfill our obligation to implement the HB 8 methodology,” Murillo said. “The best thing the board can do now is understand what we’re embarking on, provide support from a governance approach, make sure we’re on task and appropriately funded, and generate community buy-in.”

Murillo encourages the community to take advantage of what LSCS has to offer, from dual credit courses for high school students to the Academy for Lifelong Learning for local senior citizens.

“It’s called a community college because it belongs to the community,” Murillo said. “Take advantage of what we have to offer because when individuals in the community succeed, the region succeeds. When we provide local businesses with skilled employees, the Houston region and Texas will continue to be dominant in our national economy.”

Learn more about the Lone Star College System Board of Trustees at LoneStar.edu/Trustees.