Chicago Public Schools Announces Two New Chiefs to Oversee Procurement and Network 4

Chicago - The Chicago Board of Education (Board) approved the appointment of Patricia Hernandez to serve as the District’s new Chief Procurement Officer and Dr. Jerry Travlos as the Network 4 Chief of Schools. Both leaders bring decades of experience working in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to their respective new roles.

Chief Procurement Officer - Patricia Hernandez

Hernandez will provide key leadership and oversight of the District’s Procurement Department, including issuing solicitations, vendor management, and business diversity. Hernandez, a proud product of Nightingale Elementary and former CPS parent, is an experienced and dedicated public servant with more than 25 years experience supporting CPS, most recently as the District’s Acting Chief Procurement Officer.

Hernandez will provide key leadership and oversight of the District’s Procurement Department, including issuing solicitations, vendor management, and business diversity. Hernandez, a proud product of Nightingale Elementary and former CPS parent, is an experienced and dedicated public servant with more than 25 years experience supporting CPS, most recently as the District’s Acting Chief Procurement Officer.

“Patricia Hernandez has been an integral part of our procurement team for years and we are excited to welcome her to a new role as our Chief Procurement Officer,” said CPS COO Charles Mayfield. “We look forward to continuing to work with Patricia as she continues to promote a more accessible and equitable procurement process.”

Hernandez has extensive experience in the world of procurement, with more than 25 years of service in various roles at CPS. She began her career at CPS with the Department of Investigations and Office of the Inspector General before moving to the Department of Procurement; with experience at all levels of the procurement process, Hernandez has worked her way up from senior buyer to her current role.

Hernandez is a graduate of the University of Illinois - Chicago and throughout her career has obtained several certifications, including Certified Public Procurement Buyer (CPPB). She is also a member of numerous procurement organizations, including the Institute for Public Procurement (NIGP) and the Illinois Association of Public Procurement Officials (IAPPO).

Dr. Travlos served as principal of Washington D. Smyser Elementary School for 19 years. During that time, he focused on creating professional  learning communities, building teacher capacity, data-driven instruction, collaboration, differentiation, parental involvement, arts programming, social-emotional learning, and equity. 

In 2015, Dr. Travlos was selected as a principal fellow and participated in a rigorous professional development program at Northwestern University's Center for Nonprofit Management at the Kellogg School. In 2016, he was named an Independent School Principal. He proudly has served as a mentor to many residents and new-to-role principals. In 2019, he was named a lead assessor with the Department of Principal Quality. He received a Principal Achievement Award twice and credits this honor to the work of his leadership team, faculty, staff, students, and school community. 

In 2022, Dr. Travlos became Network 4’s Deputy Chief of Schools. He works hard to support school leaders, foster professional collaboration, and improve student outcomes.

“We are excited to see Dr. Travlos serve as Chief of Schools for Network 4,” said Felicia Sanders, Chief Schools Officer. “His leadership will elevate innovation, excellence, and services to support Network families, principals, faculty and staff, and especially students.”

Dr. Travlos holds a doctorate degree in educational leadership from DePaul University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Loyola University and is a graduate of Kilmer Elementary and Lane Tech College Prep High School.

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