EL PASO - On Friday, April 17, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. at the Education Service Center - Region 19, Senator Eliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso) will honor Dr. Richard Bentley with the "Adelante Con Ganas" Award for the month of April.  Every month Senator Shapleigh awards one or more persons who have made an extraordinary commitment to service, family and community.

Dr. Bentley is the Associate Superintendent of the Division of Academics for YISD. During his tenure at YISD, Dr. Bentley has coordinated the implementation of the Professional Learning Communities model, the Scope and Sequence curriculum plan and the Benchmark Assessment model.

Most recently, Dr. Bentley has been a champion for El Paso's "Invest in the American Dream" initiative, which had leaders create a five-year community-driven initiative that incorporates innovative solutions to challenges facing El Paso and Texas in financial stability, developing financial literacy and facilitating access to capital. As part of the initiative, Dr. Bentley is working with educators statewide to create innovative financial literacy curriculum for Texas students.

"Rick Bentley is one of the best education leaders in Texas. His work on financial literacy is a national best practice," Senator Shapleigh said.

Dr. Bentley received an Associate of Arts degree at the University of Maryland in Munich, Germany; a Bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin; a Masters degree in Educational Administration at Southwest Texas State University, now known as Texas State; and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in Educational Administration.

Senator Shapleigh will honor Dr. Bentley at the Education Service Center - Region 19, 6611 Boeing Dr., El Paso, in the Marshall St. John Board Room, Building B.

What: Senator Shapleigh to honor Dr. Richard Bentley with the "Adelante Con Ganas" Award

When: Friday, April 17, 2009 at 4:30 p.m.

Where: Education Service Center - Region 19, 6611 Boeing Dr., El Paso, TX 79925 in the Marshall St. John Board Room, Building B. (Map)