From Floors to Fleets: Edgewood ISD Tackles Summer Safety

When you think of MBA careers, investment banker, stockbroker, or consultant might come to mind. But Eleonora Mujica chose a different path.

After earning her MBA, Eleonora (who goes by Ely) joined Edgewood ISD as a Special Education Department Bookkeeper. She later moved to the Risk Management Department as a Specialist and, five years later, became the district’s Risk Manager.

"I didn't plan to be a Risk Manager, but I love it," said Ely. "There's always something new to learn. Every training sparks ideas to strengthen our processes.”

Risk Management at a Glance

Risk Managers help control the human, operational, and financial impact of incidents like property damage, vehicle collisions, workplace injuries. Ely’s career choice is a sneaky-great fit for someone with her background. The analytical skills she honed in school and on-the-job are vital in an ever-evolving risk landscape.

"Risk Managers are problem solvers,” said Ely. “I assess how we’ve historically addressed risk and how we can improve. I also anticipate new challenges, like security mandates. I have to keep a big-picture view, so risks don’t undermine our mission to educate students.”

Ely's Summer Risk Radar

Much of Ely’s focus is currently on an evergreen risk that ramped up when the last bell signaled the start of summer break: workplace injuries.

"Summer is busy for our auxiliary personnel," explained Ely. "Child Nutrition staff take inventory and deep-cleans kitchens. Maintenance repairs district facilities, and custodial teams bring floors back to life. There's a lot to do in just two months."

It's physically demanding work that increases the risk of strains from moving furniture and chemical inhalation when stripping and waxing floors. Also on Ely's radar are slips, trips, and falls, the top cause of missed workdays in Texas schools.

Ely says reinforcing policies and procedures lays the foundation for a safe summer. The district also invests in employee training, a core element of accident prevention plans.

This spring, Edgewood ISD hosted the Fund’s Vehicle Collision Investigation training and invited TASB Risk Solutions Consultant Javier Cano to lead a session on building a safety culture. The district also used a Fund Education Grant for staff training on FMLA through TASB HR Services.

A Different Path

Managing risk is a big job at Edgewood ISD, and Ely gets a big lift from her co-workers.

"Front-office staff collect details about workplace injuries so we can report claims timely and accurately. Transportation staff keeps our fleet inventory current. Their work is critical to the district’s all-hands approach to managing risk.”

For the record, Indeed cites Financial Analyst, Marketing Manager, and Business Operations Manager as the three most common occupations among MBA graduates. Ely took a different path, and Edgewood ISD is stronger for it.