By Allan Jamail
NORTH CHANNEL – The Galena Park Independent School District recognized and awarded Cathy Hernandez of Houston’s KPRC TV, Channel 2. Also receiving awards were Gilbert Hoffman, Publisher of the North Channel Star, and Allan Jamail, a freelance photojournalist.
Their recognition was for their outstanding dedication and support of the school district. Both Hernandez and Jamail are products of the district.
Cathy Hernandez is an anchor and reporter at KPRC2 in Houston. The Houston native grew up in Galena Park and graduated from Galena Park High School in 2005. She earned her bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Houston in 2009.
After graduation, she started her career as a producer at KPRC2. She then moved to El Paso and Denver to pursue her reporting career, before returning home to KPRC in 2015.
While in college, Cathy developed her passion for cheering on our city. She was a member of the UH Cougar Dolls. After graduation, she joined the Houston Texans Cheerleaders.
Cathy said she’s honored to work in the community she loves and share stories that impact families in our city!
Gilbert (Gil) Hoffman was born November 19, 1939 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and later moved to Pennsylvania at a young age and grew up in New Castle, a town just north of Pittsburgh.
Even as a boy, he was interested in printing presses and newspapers. He got his two younger siblings, Cheryl and Richard, to help him, and had them collect news from around their neighborhood, which Gil would write up into stories that he typeset and printed on a small letterpress in their basement. Then he sent Cheryl and Richard back out to deliver these bulletins.
Gil got his Master’s degree in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and was employed at a series of firms in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. He gained experience and climbed the ladder, from draftsman to model builder to designer to project architect. He has traveled all over the world and held many prestigious positions.
He fathered 3 children, Susan and Trisha with his first wife Carol, and later Kristan with his wife Mei-ing Liu Hoffman. He and Mei-ing are both architects, having graduated from the same university (at different times). Mei-ing is an accomplished artist.
Together Gilbert and Mei-ing own several companies. They devote lots of their time to covering the news in several Houston-area communities, including Aldine, Channelview, Crosby, Highlands, Jacinto City, and many more.
Allan Jamail, a freelance photojournalist who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, was raised in Galena Park and later moved to neighboring Jacinto City, where his daughter Yvette and son Allan Jr. were raised. He and his wife Linda reside in Jacinto City.
Jamail entered into Jacinto City’s politics and was first elected to the city’s council in 1973. Since then he has served as Mayor, Chief of Police, Emergency Management Director, and volunteer fireman.
Jamail said, “I enjoy photojournalism, letting the communities know what’s happening in their neighborhoods, and recognizing both students and professionals for their achievements by supporting a local newspaper to get the news out.”