San Jacinto College hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Brio Repository at the Parker Williams Library on the South Campus in December. College officials and community members came together to celebrate this milestone.

The repository stands as an archive and tribute to late San Jac board member Marie Flickinger, who passed away in November 2024 shortly after her retirement. Flickinger left behind an extraordinary legacy of community service spanning nearly five decades.

Marie Flickinger

Her reporting on toxic waste dumping at the Brio Superfund site near Beamer and Dixie Farm Road exposed one of Houston most significant environmental hazards. Her articles in the South Belt-Ellington Leader, which she co-founded in 1976, brought critical attention to the environmental crisis and played a crucial role in the site’s eventual cleanup. 

The repository houses documents, newspaper articles, and video and audio recordings detailing the Brio Superfund site investigation and remediation process. It serves as a historical archive and an educational resource for students, researchers, and community members interested in environmental justice and the power of investigative journalism. 

Flickinger’s connection to San Jac made the Parker Williams Library a fitting location for this archive.

Flickinger served on the College’s Board of Trustees for nearly 30 years, beginning in 1995 as the first woman elected to the position. She held the role of board chair from 2007 to 2013 and again from 2017 to 2024, demonstrating her commitment to education in the community she loved. 

The Brio Repository stands as a testament to how one person’s dedication to truth and justice can create lasting change, ensuring that Flickinger’s legacy of environmental advocacy and community service will inspire future generations.

To learn more, visit San Jac’s library archive.

By Melissa Trevizo