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I’m amazed to see how much is being done so fast! We are three months, give or take, from beginning the actual move into the New HQ!  

I have had the opportunity recently to show family and friends our work home as we drive by and I can’t wait until the construction work is done and the building can shine. 

Kudos to Jim Cook for showing me yet another nearby lunch spot, Austin original Thundercloud Subs, just a couple of minutes down the road. Have you found a favorite lunch place near New HQ yet?  Check out the New HQ food guide, here. Many thanks to Project Manager Laura Gass for putting this good eats guide together.

Construction Update
New AC units have been hoisted to the roof and the old AC units have been removed. 

Scaffolding is up on half of the building for waterproofing and resurfacing the exterior. The second and sixth floor drywall is installed and painting will begin next week. 

Preparation for ceiling grid and light fixtures is in progress. 
New HQ Move-In Schedule
* Dates Subject to Change
Save the Date for the New HQ Fair
On Wednesday, April 24, the HQ Move Committee is hosting the New HQ Fair, an all-inclusive event to prepare for this Summer’s move.  

The event is a come and go as your schedule allows. The times are 8 -10 a.m. and 2 - 4 p.m. in the CAC Board Auditorium.

In celebration of Earth Week the Fair will be a zero waste event. Light refreshments will be provided.

Please attend the Fair and get a sneak preview of the New HQ.

Here’s some of the information that will be available:
 
  • Move Committee: HQ experts and members of our moving company, Move Solutions, will be on hand to answer your questions. Before the fair check out the new Employee Moving Guide, here.  
  • HQ Conference Room Naming: Share your suggestions on themes and names for the new conference rooms.
  •  Let’s Go Digital: Experts will be on hand to provide information on digitizing your paper.
  • Furniture Showcase: Join for another opportunity to explore the new furniture.
  • Austin Materials Marketplace: Team members will be available to anwer questions about their sharing platform allowing Austin ISD to connect and find reuse and recycling solutions within the district.
  • Commute Options by Metro Ride Share, Capital Metro and Cap COG
  • Austin ISD Police & Safety Table
  •  Memory Wall: Share your favorite memory as we say goodbye to CAC/CMD.

Let us know you are coming with an RSVP, here.

Top Two Chairs and Workstation Update
In February staff had the opportunity to check out the new HQ workstations along with an opportunity to vote on the chair of choice.  The Contract and Procurement Services department collected a total of 241 voting forms during the furniture showcase.

The top two chairs are the Aeron for the assigned workstations and Verus for the unassigned workstations. 

Top chair is the Aeron, bottom chair is Verus.

The assisgned workstation was updated to include a fabric privacy screen changed from 12 inches in height to 23 inches in height to give more privacy.
Who to Contact about the HQ Move
Here is a list of departmental staff that can assist you with questions regarding the move to the new HQ:
  • Academics & SEL: Change Champion: Katy Escandell (4-3549)     
  • AISD Police: TBD 
  • Audit: TBD 
  • Chief of School Leadership: TBD                 
  • Construction Mgmt.: TBD                     
  • Contract & Procurement Services: Change Champion Annie Collier (4-2124) Move Coordinator Laura Bradshaw (4-2125)
  • CTE: TBD                    
  • DCCE: Change Champion Patricia Fraga (4-0024) Move Coordinator Griselda Rodriguez (4-9955)
  • Financial Services: Change Champion Izzy Williams Zandany (4-2295) Move Coordinator George Gogonas (4-9917)                 
  • Human Capital: Change Champion and Move Coordinator Rodrigo Velez (4-1476)
  • Innovation & Development: TBD      
  • Internal Audit: Change Champion and Move Coordinator BB Oh (4-9519) 
  • Multilingual Ed: TBD      
  • Schools Families & Communities: TBD       
  • State & Federal: Change Champion and Move Coordinator Mason Crenshaw (4-9965)   
  • Superintendent: TBD      

The Change Champion is the department lead to address readiness, business process improvement, and change management.  
 
The Move Coordinator will establish specific expectations per department regarding move logistics, timeline development and progress monitoring.  

TBD: Let us know who your Champions and Coordinators are. Send an email to [email protected].

Small Appliances
At the new HQ all small appliances are not permitted unless medically necessary with approval of the Chief Officer of the person making the request.

The workstation circuits are designed to support a limited amount of wattage. All personal heaters, fans, microwaves, toaster ovens, hot plates, coffee makers, refrigerators, etc. are prohibited at workstations and offices.

All food storage and preparation services are provided in the breakrooms.


Successfully Navigating the New HQ
Check out the new building guide that provides information about building maintenance, wireless Internet access, conference rooms, food service, break rooms, and more. 

The new HQ guide can be viewed, here. 

This is a living document. As we get closer to the move, it will get updated to reflect any new information. Please feel to review before the HQ Fair and give us your input at that time. Or email feedback to [email protected]. 

I f you have a question that hasn’t been asked or answered, please send to [email protected] . Check the website at www.austinisd/staff/hq for the latest information.

Thanks for listening, and we’ll talk to you soon.

Kevin Schwartz,CETL                                                                                  
Technology Officer for Learning and Systems
Austin Independent School District
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YOUR FEEDBACK HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL!

If you have a question that wasn’t asked/answered, please send it to  [email protected]. In the next View from HQ, we’ll share information on the floor/wall/countertop finishes that will be going into the building, and any other construction updates. 
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