Family members, colleagues and friends gather to honor Rick Ogden

Hundreds of family members, friends, past and present school board members, school administrators, parents and community members gathered on Sunday, May 20 to honor former Aldine ISD Trustee Rick Ogden at the dedication ceremony re-naming Rayford Road Intermediate School Rick Ogden Elementary School.

Mr. Ogden served as a Trustee for 26 years. When he resigned in November of 2016, Mr. Ogden was one of the longest serving board members in the history of Aldine ISD.

He was appointed to the Board in August of 1990 to fill the unexpired term of Walter Stovall. He was elected to the Position 4 seat in January of 1991 and held the seat until he resigned from the Board in November of 2016.

Mr. Ogden was part of a team that was responsible for the district earning Unitary Status, which allowed Aldine students to be educated in schools closer to their homes. Other highlights included Aldine being named the winner of the H-E-B Excellence in Education Award for large school districts in 2008, winning the Broad Prize for Urban Education in 2009 and the H-E-B Excellence in Education Early Childhood Award in 2015.
He was also part of a team that saw the passage of a $798 million bond referendum, the largest in the history of Aldine ISD, which provided for the construction of new schools, new facilities and the renovations of existing campuses.
Mr. Ogden was well-respected by the many Board members he served with during his 26 year tenure, but he was also well-respected across the state as a member of the Texas Association of School Boards. Mr. Ogden earned the title Master Trustee, served as a TASB director and served as president of TASB. He held all offices in TASB and served as the manager of the TASB Risk Management Fund Board as well as a trainer for The Center for the Reform of School Systems.

Today, Mr. Ogden continues to work with school boards in Texas and other states as a Governance Solutions Specialist.
A native Houstonian, Mr. Ogden and his wife Charlotte have 4 children, all of whom attended Aldine ISD schools. He and Charlotte owned and operated Ogden Manufacturing and he later served Houston Baptist University as assistant vice president for Church & Community Relations, Director of Foundations & Denominational Relations and retired as Director of Special Projects for the Office of the President.

“First, I thank God for this day and for the family he gave me,” Mr. Ogden said. “I thank my beautiful wife, Charlotte, for her part in our journey as public servants – mine as an elected member of the Aldine School Board and other opportunities of service, and hers as the one who sacrificed time and for being loving, patient and willing to set her preferences aside in order that I could engage in my passion for school governance and public service.”

Mr. Ogden said he enjoyed his years as a public servant and welcomed the call to serve as an advocate for education.

“I will always look back with great fondness and gentle reflection of my time in public service,” he said. “In one of my numerous training opportunities, I remember hearing how public service is more than doing a job efficiently and honestly, it is doing a job with complete dedication to the people whom we serve.”

He closed his remarks thanking the current Board for honoring him by naming a school in his honor.

“Thank you, Board, for this high honor for which I am eternally grateful and humbled,” Mr. Ogden said. “Your recognition of my years of volunteer and board service by naming this building in my honor will be reciprocated with continued service to Aldine – and in particular, this building that bears my name. I leave you with this passage from Philippians: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”

The dedication ceremony opened with the presentation of colors by the Teague Middle School LOTC. Student Tatiana Smith led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Pledge to the Texas Flag. Dr. Mark Donaldson, son of former AISD Superintendent M.B. “Sonny” Donaldson, delivered the invocation, which was followed by a video highlighting Mr. Ogden’s years as a Trustee. The Rayford Road Choir, under the direction of Dana Gibson, performed a song, which was followed by a performance by the Rayford Dance Company, under the direction of Tamara Harper.

Board President Steve Mead accepted the school on behalf of the Board of Trustees, Rayford Road teacher Cynthia Makau accepted on behalf of the staff and student Antoine Orr accepted the school on behalf of the student body. Axel Aaron Morales, administrative pastor of Templo Poder y Gozo Church, accepted the school on behalf of the community.

Mr. and Mrs. Ogden then unveiled Mr. Ogden’s portrait, which will hang in the school.

Deputy Superintendent Dr. Archie Blanson delivered remarks and Superintendent Dr. Wanda Bamberg delivered closing remarks. Both thanked Mr. Ogden for his years of dedicated service to the students and staff of Aldine ISD.

U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee presented Mr. Ogden with a Congressional Certificate and a United States Flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol.

Prior to the dedication ceremony guests were entertained by the Carver High School String Quartet.

In addition to current Board members who attended the ceremony former Board members A.W. Jones and his wife Betty, Marine Jones, and Kathy Griggs, the wife of former Board member Merlin Griggs also attended. Former Superintendents M.B. “Sonny” Donaldson and his wife Suzanne, and Nadine Kujawa also attended the dedication ceremony.