When you log in to your computer every morning, it’s not often you think about everything happening behind the scenes to ensure the device connects to the internet or downloads that OneDrive file needed to meet a deadline. Richard Sanchez, Information Technology Services’ senior systems engineer, has spent the past five years completely revamping and improving the architecture and design of Harris County Department of Education’s online network.  

Nestled in a side office of a hallway at Irvington, you’ll find the January Employee of the Month behind four computer screens, hard at work bridging pathways, mending broken links and leading technological updates across the Department.  

“Richard is always going to be on top of everything that he’s assigned to do, and very proactive at working on things that are not necessarily assigned,” said George Hembree, the IT operations manager who nominated Sanchez. “If he sees an issue or a problem, he starts working on it right away. He’s an excellent employee.” 

Sanchez, who hails from a small town in Venezuela, was raised as the youngest of five siblings. His parents instilled in them a strong sense of self, a work ethic and a need to protect their family. 

While most teens enjoyed playing games outside, Sanchez realized his love lay in the world behind the screens that were growing in popularity. In 1997, he earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and was hired by a Venezuelan oil company.  

“I love the design and the infrastructure within computer systems and being able to connect all the boxes to help the systems communicate with each other,” Sanchez said.  

However, his time there didn’t last long. Venezuela was becoming increasingly dangerous, and political unrest was growing. As a newlywed and soon-to-be father, Sanchez wanted better for his family and made the difficult decision to leave his native country. The family spent the next few years moving to Colombia and Mexico before landing in the United States in 2016.  

“We had to start a new life in a new country every few years, and that meant a new system, new culture, new people and new rules,” Sanchez explained. “You were forced to learn. But I think those experiences gave us a strong base for making hard decisions and being able to adapt quickly to our new reality.” 

Sanchez joined #TeamHCDE in November 2019 as a help desk technician, bringing a wealth of knowledge with him. Traveling across campuses to inspect equipment and working with employees to resolve connectivity issues only made him realize just how far the technology industry had evolved over the past 30 years.  

“I remember the big old computers, and now everything is in the cloud,” he recalled. “You have to be willing to grow, learn and adapt to these new systems. I say this career is like the medical career. Every single day, you must stay up to date with the latest knowledge, new technology, and processes. I think you can’t call yourself a trusted advisor of technology if you don’t stay updated.” 

His experience quickly set him apart in the IT division. Hembree recalled several times when Sanchez was in the field and would call only to follow the protocol, but didn’t really need assistance in solving the problem.   

“He would call me, and I would try to help walk him through what he needed to do to fix the issue, but he already knew,” Hembree chuckled. “He just needed to learn HCDE’s specific infrastructure and how we had it configured. I didn’t know him personally at the time but I could tell that he had an excellent technical background.” 

By February 2020, Sanchez had been promoted to his current position as a leader on the Operations Support Team (OST). He has been instrumental in several technological upgrades across Department locations, including the purchase and installation of new computer servers, upgrading network devices in new schools and building renovations, the recent upgrade to the phone system at Irvington, and the backup infrastructure for network connections at all HCDE sites.  

“Most of the time, the infrastructure that we work on is invisible to the user,” Sanchez explained. “There are so many pathways that we help keep running and connected for you to access the information you need daily. That’s why it’s important for IT to follow our protocols. The help desk technicians are our first responders to an issue. But when it’s something deeper, that’s where the OST team comes in. We are that next level.” 

If you can’t quite grasp Sanchez’s impact, think about it like this. When the main connection fails at a school but the campus still has internet, it’s because Sanchez set up a backup linked to cellular data. When you’ve struggled to connect or download from OneDrive, it’s because Sanchez helped repair the network pathways most don’t know exist. Or when you can’t access anything because the entire HCDE network is down, it’s Sanchez and his team who are in the Irvington server room, fixing the problem.

“I can’t even really describe how fortunate I am that Richard is on my team because there is never an issue or a time that he’s not willing to work,” Hembree said. “When we have emergencies like the freezes or power outages, he’s right there in the thick of it. He’s virtually irreplaceable.” 

The dedication and need to ensure HCDE is well taken care of is a callback to his childhood in Venezuela, as HCDE is more than a workplace. His wife, Lilian, works in Adult Education, but it’s the family-like culture that makes him excited to come in every day and keep everyone connected.  

“If my infrastructure is working fine, and you’re happy, then I’m happy,” Sanchez smiled. “When I see the kids playing with the tablet or hear people say the internet is faster or their phone is working, it gives me pride in my work. I love it.”