Construction and Development Services Department

Mr. Kamal ElHabr is the Associate Superintendent for Construction and Development Services at the San Antonio Independent School District. Under his leadership, SAISD developed a long-range facilities master plan to address ongoing challenges of aging district facilities and evolving innovative instructional programs. Designed to address a multitude of facility renovations, repurposing, and replacements, the plan has improved district’s bottom line and continue to support the best possible education for students. Mr. ElHabr has over 30 years of experience in engineering, project, program, and facilities management including 5 years in private practice. He joined SAISD in 1995 and has managed the 1997 and 2001 Bond programs with a $700 million budget. He has overseen the management of Bond 2010 for $515 million and is leading the ongoing Bond 2016 for $450 million. He also directs real estate, property leasing, demographics, and school utilization and boundary programs. He has supervised facilities maintenance, custodial, grounds, environmental, and energy services involving about 300 people for 16 years at SAISD. Mr. ElHabr earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Structural and Construction Management from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Texas.

Kedrick Wright – Deputy Chief Operations Officer – SAISD
Kedrick is a native Texan; born and raised in Houston. He is the youngest of four children of an energy executive and public school teacher. Kedrick’s mother is a retired teacher, having taught in Cypress-Fairbanks and Houston ISD for 30 years. Kedrick grew up playing baseball and football in Southeast Houston: baseball remains his favorite sport. He attended Houston ISD public schools and graduated from Worthing High School in the Sunnyside neighborhood. Kedrick is a proud Texas Aggie and Trojan. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from Texas A&M University and University of Southern California, respectively. For more than 13 years, Kedrick has designed and built educational facilities, commercial developments, low-income multi-family developments and healthcare facilities. He has planned, designed and built educational facilities from beginning to end, as a consultant, an owner’s representative and an owner. Prior to joining San Antonio ISD, Kedrick worked for consultant firm LAN as a Program Manager on Sheldon ISD’s $285 million bond program. Previously, he served Houston ISD as a senior manager of facilities planning and design. In this role, he oversaw a team of facilities planners, program and project managers and architects who helped replace or build over 40 schools across the city as part of the district’s $2 billion capital improvement program. Prior to that, he served as a construction coordinator for the Houston Housing Authority. He also has served as a project coordinator for various architecture firms in Los Angeles and Houston. In his spare time, Kedrick enjoys playing golf and watching baseball. A LEED accredited professional, Kedrick is excited to live and work in San Antonio.

Sylvia Peña Director of Capital Improvements
Sylvia Peña holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Design from the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University. Ms. Peña has more than 20 years’ experience, both in the private and public sectors, within the construction industry. Her previous experience with multiple Texas school districts has equipped her to find creative solutions for a variety of large and small projects. Her architectural background and strong grounding in the required regulatory building codes has ensured the application of best practice to protect stakeholders’ interest. An experienced project manager, Ms. Peña is known for her attention to detail, proactive problem solving, and effective communication.

Victor Valdez Director of Engineering
Prior to joining SAISD, Victor was the Director of Facilities at Judson ISD for eight years. He was also a Senior Project Manager at Northside ISD from 2000 to 2009. Victor has collaborated on a wide range of complex educational projects which have been under his direct management. He has had the opportunity to be immersed within all aspects and phases of educational projects for eighteen years.Knowing that no single approach is the right one for every school facility, Victor purposefully worked on attaining different professional experiences in an effort to serve the K-12 community in a socially responsible manner. His experiences include: Architectural School Design; Engineering Design; Accessibility Design; Energy Management; Playground Safety; and Community Service. Victor received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architectural Design from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is licensed to practice Architecture in Texas and is a Registered Accessibility Specialist and certified Playground Inspector. Victor has successfully passed the Texas Energy Managers Association exam and currently serves on the Board of the South Texas Chapter of Association for Learning Environments. He volunteers at City Church Bandera Road and currently has the pleasure to assist on the Audio Visual team. He also leads a men’s Bible study group once a week.

Leticia Mejia, Real Estate Manager Ms. Mejia is the proud daughter of Mike G. Mejia who retired from the San Antonio Independent School District after 30 years of service. She holds a bachelor and master’s degree from Our Lady of the Lake University in Social Sciences and Psychology. She obtained her Real Estate License from the San Antonio Board of Realtors and has 20 years of experience both in residential and corporate Real Estate. Previous employment includes Northside Independent School District as the School Property Analyst and VIA Metropolitan Transit, Real Estate Coordinator for Strategic Planning and Project Development. Ms. Mejia attributes her career success to strong communication, good listening skills and treating people with courtesy and respect. As a child her parents instilled the core values of God, family, and community. Exemplary in their commitment to ensure their children understood the importance of a good education. Lettie aspires to be an attribute to the vision, values, beliefs, and mission statement of the district she proudly serves.