The Amarillo College Board of Regents voted Monday evening to reassign several leadership and committee roles previously held by Regent John Betancourt, following his temporary suspension from certain board duties earlier this month.
During the regularly scheduled meeting, the board appointed Michele Fortunato as vice chair of the Board of Regents. The appointment came at the recommendation of the board’s nominating committee and was approved unanimously.
Peggy Thomas, who presented the committee’s recommendation, said during the meeting, “I think it’s a good choice, given everything that we’ve got going, and that Michele would be quite qualified as an attorney.”
Betancourt attended the meeting and voted in favor of the motion.
In addition to the vice chair appointment, the board named Irene Hughes to serve as chair of the Amarillo College legislative committee, filling in for Betancourt. Thomas was also appointed to the legislative committee to provide additional support. Board President Jay Barrett said he asked Thomas to step in as chair of the Community College Association of Texas Trustees in Betancourt’s stead, an offer she accepted.
These changes follow a Jan. 14 decision by the board to temporarily suspend Betancourt from certain responsibilities after his arrest earlier this month. Betancourt was arrested Jan. 2 on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. The Amarillo Police Department investigation is ongoing.
During a special meeting on Jan. 14, the board voted to suspend Betancourt from participating in board committees, representing the college on outside boards, and engaging in AC-related travel. The board emphasized that the action was temporary and limited in scope.
“The board does not have the authority to remove a sitting board member. We do have the authority to do what we did tonight however and that is temporary suspension. He will be a voting board member, he will attend all meetings, just like he always has. He just won’t have any of those other extra assignments. He won’t be spending tax payer dollars, going to trainings or representing us at the state or the national level,” said Jay Barrett, chairman of the Board of Regents.
Mark White, Amarillo College executive vice president and general counsel, clarified the board’s legal options during the January meeting. “This board cannot remove him without going through a district court action. So at this point, the board can do anything you want really, short of removal,” White said.
Following discussion, Fortunato motioned to suspend Betancourt immediately from all board committees and outside boards where he represents Amarillo College, as well as any upcoming AC-related travel. The motion was approved unanimously by the remaining eight regents. Betancourt was not present and did not participate in that vote.
According to the approved motion, the suspension will remain in effect until the resolution of the criminal charges. After the legal proceedings conclude, the board plans to reconvene to determine whether further action is necessary.
The board acknowledged the difficulty of the decision and the expectations placed on elected officials. “He’s a friend, he’s a colleague, he’s done his work for us. At the same time, we recognize the kind of situation this puts us in, because there is a greater expectation of an elected official who is beholden to constituents, to our college, to our students, as you mentioned, and we can’t do nothing,” Barrett said during the January meeting, when he was serving as vice chair.
Betancourt was elected to a six-year term on the Amarillo College Board of Regents in May 2021. He is also a candidate for the Democratic State Senate seat in District 31. This is not his first DWI-related incident; in 2017, he pleaded guilty to a DWI charge stemming from a 2015 arrest while serving on the Amarillo Independent School District Board of Trustees.
While the suspension limits Betancourt’s involvement in committee work, travel, and external representation, he retains his position as a voting regent and continues to attend regular board meetings. The reassignment of leadership roles reflects the board’s effort to maintain continuity and governance while awaiting the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
