Note: This is the fifth story in a series by Athens ISD profiling the seven members of the Board of Trustees.
By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Specialist
A girl born in Bunkie, Louisiana, into a large extended Cajun family is bound to have personality to spare. Alicea Estelle LeBlanc Elliott certainly does. “My mother is the youngest of 11, and all my aunts spoke French,” she said, clearly proud of her heritage.
Elliott grew up in Beaumont, spending two weeks of every summer in Louisiana, and graduated from Lamar University with a degree in accounting. Her career in the corporate business world has informed her experience as a Place 2 member of the Athens ISD Board of Trustees. Originally elected in 2011, her current term expires in 2017. Elliott’s three children — Dustin, Brittani, and Alexandra — are all Athens High School graduates.
When she made the decision to run for a place on the board three and a half years ago, it was her youngest child, Alexandra (then a senior), who helped her mother take the plunge.
“The day of the filing deadline, Alexandra called me and said, ‘Mom, they need you. You need to run for the school board.’ That motivated me. So I flew into the administration building at 4:59 and filled out the paperwork.”
Elliott has been involved with the school district since her children started school. “I was in PTO, the athletic booster club. I was always at the schools,” she said. “[Becoming a trustee] seemed like a natural progression.”
After Elliott and her husband, Athens City Council Member Charles Elliott, sold their Chevrolet dealership many years ago, she launched her own forensic accounting business. “I go into businesses where the books are not in order and find out what happened, why it happened and what needs to happen to get it corrected,” Elliott explained. “I love problem solving.” Which is why at 58 she decided to launch a new business with Stephanie Smitson and Susan Sharp – Genesis ExtraCare.
That penchant for tackling an issue from all sides makes Elliott one of the more vocal school board members. “I ask a lot of questions [during public meetings] because I want to ask the questions I believe parents want to know the answers to,” she said. “And I ask questions because I’m always wanting to know that we’re spending money in the wisest manner possible.
“Most people don’t look at the school district as a business, but it is. Instead of the bottom line being profit, the bottom line is an excellent education for the children of the district.”
And just how well does Elliott believe AISD is executing its mission? “In the 23 years I’ve been involved in the district, I think it’s in the best place it’s ever been,” she said. “Yes, there’s room for improvement. But this is the best group of administrators I’ve ever been involved with.”
It’s natural for a board member to have a certain area or issue within the district that they feel particularly passionate about. For Elliott, it’s the high school. “Every grade is important, but if we lose a kid academically in the third grade, we have nine more years to get that child back on the right track. … If we lose a kid in high school, we’ve lost them. There’s not enough time to get them back on track. So the high school has always been my passion. … My kids went to Athens High School, and they’ve gone on to the University of Texas and TCU. They struggled a little bit, but their foundation at AHS put them on the path to be able to achieve what they’ve achieved. … I hear people criticize Athens teachers, and it’s just not deserved.”
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More about Alicea Elliott
She is a voracious reader. “Growing up, we went to the library every two or three days. I was raised that reading was a treat.”
Though she is thin, you won’t find her in a gym. “Exercise is against my religion. I love to eat. No one believes that.”