I understand Canutillo. I grew up in a family that valued hard work and believed the road to success is education.  After the death of my father and my mother’s disability, I quickly realized that education is the best way to become an effective contributor to my family and my community.  

The deep-rooted desire to serve my community began as a child, when family friends asked me to volunteer in a political campaign. This inspired me to embark on my own campaign in 2005, when I was elected the youngest-ever member to the Canutillo Independent School District Board of Trustees and the youngest elected official in the region. I am currently serving a fifth term on the Canutillo ISD Board of Trustees, where I have served as President, Vice President and Secretary.  My work in Canutillo has garnered many honors and awards, including historic gains in student achievement and state-recognized progress. In fact, Canutillo today is the only district in the region that has achieved an A rating from the Texas Education Agency in back-to-back-to-back years. CISD is also the only District in the region to be named the Best Small School District in Texas by the HEB Excellence in Education Foundation. The District also boasts one of the few high schools in the region to earn the Blue Ribbon designation from the U.S. Department of Education – the most prestigious award given to a public school. I’m especially proud of the designation of Northwest Early College and Reyes Elementary School as the Best Schools in America by the U.S News & World Report Magazine.  

In 2011, my work as a school trustee earned me a spot in the prestigious Leadership TASB -- a program from the Texas Association of School Boards aimed at training promising leaders in our community. I am proud to represent Canutillo through local, state and national boards. I am currently finishing my term as president of the Texas Association of School Boards, the first El Pasoan in nearly 25 years to achieve this honor. I am on the NALEO Education Fund Board of Directors.  I have served on the Board of Directors of the National School Board Association, Chair of the National Hispanic Council of NSBA and as Secretary of the National School Board Action Center of NSBA. Other leadership positions I’ve held include being a member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. Previously, I also served as president of the Mexican American School Board Association and the Far West Texas School Board Association, and am a founding member of CAFÉ, the Canutillo Alumni Foundation for Education, which has raised more than $350,000 in scholarships for Canutillo graduates.

Armando continues his advocacy for public education led by the memory of his mother, Leticia Hidalgo Rodriguez, who instilled in him the three pillars that guide him: Faith, Family and Community.