Group Say Trustee Exaggerated On Candidate Applications
Houston Chronicle - May 2, 2006
By Helen Eriksen
A conservative watchdog group and a Katy school district parent are questioning the accuracy of how trustee Robert Shaw stated his occupation on school board candidacy applications.
Shaw, a three-term Position 6 incumbent who wrote his occupation as "mechanical engineer" or "engineer" on applications, but who does not have a four-year college degree or a professional engineering license, said he was truthful in what he wrote on the forms. He called the challenges "a poor attempt at character assassination by the few who hate the success of the board and school district."
Chris Cottrell, co-founder of the Katy Citizen Watchdogs, said in a press release that he believes Shaw inflated his job title by using the word "engineer."
"Personally, it gives me great concern when someone insists on changing something as simple as their job title," Cottrell said in an e-mail message.
"Now I certainly cannot speak for anyone else, but when someone tells me that they are an 'engineer,' I assume that they have an engineer degree from a four-year university," said Cottrell, whose group is supporting Shaw's opponent, part-time writer Fred Hink.
Sandi Shimmel, a parent of a Roosevelt Alexander Elementary School pupil, sent Shaw an e-mail message calling attention to an article she read in an online education publication that challenged Shaw's description of himself as an engineer.
Shimmel said if the allegations that Shaw exaggerated his job title are true, he should withdraw from the trustee race.
Shaw, who works for Aker Kvaerner, said his official job title is senior technical specialist. He said he sees no reason to withdraw from the trustee race.
"I appreciate the patrons who have given me the opportunity to serve them and I look forward to serving another three years," he said.
Shaw, who received an associate degree from the College of Engineering at Oklahoma State University in 1968, said he never misstated his occupation nor claimed to have a four-year engineering degree.
"I have never mislead or told anyone that I am a registered engineer with the state of Texas," he said. "In fact, I do not ever remember being asked about either during my nine years on the board, prior to this election."
He said the allegations stem from ignorance of those outside the engineering industry.
"Most industrial engineering in my segment of the industry is accomplished by capable individuals," Shaw said, who has 38 years of experience in various types of engineering work. "It has nothing to do with whether individuals are degreed or not."
Shaw recorded his occupation as "mechanical engineer" on candidate applications for elections in 1997, 2000 and 2003. On this year's application, he wrote "engineer."
Hink criticized how Shaw listed his occupation on the applications.
"The district hires teachers who are required to have professional certifications, and I wonder how fast Mr. Shaw would vote to dismiss a teacher because their qualifications were not in order," Hink said. "If Mr. Shaw says he is a mechanical engineer, then he should be a mechanical engineer."
"To call yourself a professional engineer, you must have a four-year degree in engineering or technical or related science degree," said Lance Kinney, deputy executive director for the Texas Board of Professional Engineers.
"We have a situation that allows a person to call himself an engineer if he offers engineering services within his company and his company calls him an engineer. When you offer services to the public, you must be a professional engineer or you can get in trouble."
Shaw said he started his career designing systems for engineering companies and as his experience and expertise increased, he was promoted to a senior supervising position of projects.
He said that in the late 1980s, he began working in the mechanical engineering department at Aker Kvaerner, where he worked on industrial projects throughout the world. He said the department was staffed with professionals with and without engineering degrees.
"Experience and ability were more important than anything else," Shaw said. "During that period, I referred to my occupation as that of a 'mechanical engineer.' "
Shaw said that when asked about his occupation, he answers that he does engineering work at Aker Kvaerner because he performs the services of an engineer on a daily basis.
"When asked what my occupation is, I answer that I am an engineer," he said. "That's what I do, day in and day out. I am individually responsible for all this engineering work in our Houston office.
"I am not required to be a degreed engineer or be a registered engineer to do my work," he said.
In her e-mail to Shaw, Shimmel compared him calling himself an engineer to former Katy school district teacher Jennifer Silva misstating facts to supervisors in a case where Silva used Scotch tape to quiet a few pupils in her second-grade class. Silva was subsequently suspended and fired for several reasons, including lying to superiors that the students came up with the idea to tape their mouths.
