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Who's News June 2010
Abilene ISD Reagan Elementary School will have Ketta Garduno as its principal beginning June 2011, upon the Newly hired Associate Superintendent for Personnel Mark Neal is an attorney who Cyndi Smith will take the lead role at Thomas Elementary School as principal when the new academic Alvin ISD The new assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction is Pamela Morris, who began her Angleton ISD Angleton High School Principal Lisa Davis will serve as a secondary education director, effective July 1. Austin ISD John Y. Alawneh has been named the new executive director for technology. He currently serves as executive director of technology operations for Plano ISD. Prior to beginning his career as a public school administrator, he worked in the private sector, including a stint as the administrative director of information technology services for the North Texas division of the Hospital Corporation of America and as the administrative director of information technology and telecommunications for the Sierra Providence Healthcare Network. Alawneh holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree and doctorate in computer engineering, all from The University of Texas at El Paso; additionally, he earned a master’s degree in business administration from New Mexico State University. Benavides ISD Daniel Ceballos is the new superintendent, coming to Benavides from Mathis ISD, where for the past six years he was a principal and area administrator for Benavides ISD’s college-readiness program. He has spent 15 years as a lead principal, elementary and secondary principal, library media specialist and classroom teacher. Both his bachelor’s degree in bilingual education and his master’s degree in education administration are from Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi. Birdville lSD Spicer Elementary School will have Cheryl Schwaebler as its principal when the new school year Borger ISD New Superintendent Chance Welch comes to his new post from Graford ISD, where he also held the top Brownsville ISD School board Vice President Ruben Cortez Jr. has been elected to a position on the steering Two Brownsville administrators were selected as the top principals in Texas as recipients of Buena Vista ISD Guy Birdwell has been named superintendent. His most recent position was principal of Buena Vista High School. Burkeville ISD Burkeville ISD has Paula Quick as its new superintendent. She returns to the district, where she Clint ISD (El Paso) Cathy Macias will lead Horizon Middle School as its principal. She is currently serving as assistant principal of the school. Macias has been with Clint ISD for 20 years. Robert Mendoza has transferred from serving as principal of Horizon Middle School to the top job at Ricardo Estrada Junior High School, which will open in August. Colorado ISD The new superintendent is Reggy Spencer, who comes to Colorado ISD from Moran ISD, where he had Coppell ISD Superintendent Jeffrey N. Turner has been elected to serve as vice president of the Texas Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Kelly Dalton is the new principal of Danish Elementary School. She has spent her 20-year career with the district, beginning as a teacher at Owens and Hairgrove elementary schools. She then spent eight years as the assistant principal of Reed Elementary before coming to her most recent position of principal of Holbrook Elementary. Dalton’s bachelor of science degree in elementary education is from Lamar University and her master’s degree in administration and supervision is from the University of Houston. Mapra Gentry, coordinator for elementary social studies, has been honored as Supervisor of the Gleason Elementary will have Melody Goffney as its principal. Her most recent position with the district was assistant principal of Postma Elementary. She is a 12-year veteran of Texas public education, and 10 of those have been with Cypress-Fairbanks. Her first teaching position was in Aldine ISD. She then taught at Cypress-Fairbanks ISD’s Holmsley Elementary for four years before being appointed instructional specialist at Lamkin Elementary, where she spent a year. Her first assistant principal position was at Duryea Elementary, where she served for one year before moving to Postma. Goffney’s bachelor’s degree is from Sam Houston State University. Her master’s degree is from Prairie View A&M University, and she is certified as a principal and in elementary self-contained, early childhood education and elementary history. Tipps Elementary School Assistant Principal Tonya Goree has been named principal of Lee Elementary School. Her now 19-year education career began when she was a classroom teacher and instructional specialist in Fort Bend ISD. She moved to Aldine ISD as an assistant principal at Hill Intermediate School and served there for eight years before coming to Cypress-Fairbanks ISD as Tipps’ assistant principal in 2009. Goree’s bachelor of science degree in elementary education is from Lamar University, and her master of education degree in educational administration is from Prairie View A&M University. Melissa LeDoux, a 16-year veteran of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, is the new principal of Black Elementary School. Currently serving as assistant principal of Moore Elementary, she began her career as a teacher in Louisiana in 1990, arriving in Texas to join Abilene ISD. She began her service with Cypress-Fairbanks ISD at Metcalf Elementary, later transferring to Emmott Elementary. She then was an instructional specialist at Reed Elementary for three years before taking on her role at Moore, where she has been for five years. LeDoux earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and her master of education degree from Sam Houston State University. Copeland Elementary will have Michelle Rice as its principal when the new school year begins. An educator for 10 years, she began as a first and second grade teacher in Magnolia ISD. She then spent two years as a gifted and talented teacher and coordinator at Magnolia Elementary, moving to Ellisor Elementary in that district to serve as the school’s assistant principal. She came to Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in August 2009, where she has been assistant principal of Warner Elementary. Rice has a bachelor’s degree from Southwestern Assemblies of God University and a master’s degree from Sam Houston State University. Tricia Reilly will be the principal of Farney Elementary School, moving to her new position from serving as assistant principal of Black Elementary. An educator who has been with the district for 10 years, she began her career as a teacher in Klein ISD. Upon arriving at Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, she spent a year teaching at Kirk Elementary before becoming the school’s instructional specialist. Her next assignment was as assistant principal at Hamilton Elementary, where she remained for three years before transferring to Black Elementary, where she has been for the past four years. Reilly has a bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University and a master’s degree in education from the University of Houston. Bang Elementary will have Erwann Wilson as its principal. An educator for 25 years, she has been with the district for 21 of those. She began as a teacher for three years at Frazier Elementary, then spent two years at Millsap and one year at Hamilton elementary schools. She was promoted to assistant principal of Hamilton and remained there for four years before taking on the role of principal at Frazier. After eight years at that school, she was at Metcalf Elementary for three years. She then served in Houston and Mansfield ISDs before returning to Cypress Fairbanks. Wilson’s bachelor’s and master’s degrees are from Prairie View A&M University. Eanes ISD A new principal has been named for Barton Creek Elementary School. He is Bryan Shippey, who Fort Bend ISD A new band director has been named for Willowridge High School. He is Maurice Goose Creek ISD Six principals and a central office administrator have been named for the 2010-2011 school year. The new director of career and technical education is Renea Dillon. She has worked for the College of Ruth Perrin will be the new principal of Highlands Elementary. She has been principal Leading De Zavala Elementary School as principal will be Precious Reimonenq, who has been the Karen Smithson will be the principal of the new Early College High School, slated to open with the 2010-2011 school year. She is currently academic dean of Goose Creek Memorial High. Prior to coming to Goose Creek 19 years ago, she was a classroom teacher in Beeville ISD, instructing students at every grade level. She has a bachelor’s degree in art and history from Sam Houston State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Stephen F. Austin State University. The new principal of Baytown Junior High School is Michael Wahl. He is an 18-year veteran of the Stephen Warford will be the principal at Harlem Elementary. He has been with Goose Creek ISD for five Ron Wyatt will take the principal position at Alamo Elementary School, where he has been assistant Greenville ISD The district’s new chief financial officer is David Carter, a CPA with the Greenville firm of Rutherford Rick Lynch, Greenville ISD’s director of human resources, has announced his upcoming Succeeding Lynch as director of human resources is Ralph Sanders, most recently Hays CISD Don Rusinger will take on the role of principal of Lehman High School when the new school year begins. Currently the principal of Dwyer Middle School in Huntington Beach, Calif., he holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas and a master’s degree from Texas State University. Before transferring from Texas to California, he was a social studies teacher at Austin ISD’s Lamar Middle School and an assistant principal at Hopewell Middle School in Round Rock ISD from 1999 to 2004. Also arriving at Hays CISD from California is Julie Rusinger, who will be principal of Academy High School. Her most recent position was principal of Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, Calif., where she initially was assistant principal. In Austin ISD, she was assistant principal of Johnston High School. She was a math teacher, content mastery administrator and IEP facilitator for 10 years prior to that position. She holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas and a master’s degree from Texas State University. The new assistant principal of Pfluger Elementary School is Ashley Taylor. Most recently a fourth grade teacher at Tom Green Elementary, she was Hays CISD’s Teacher of the Year in 2008-2009. Sarah Thurman, previously principal of Sartartia Middle School in Fort Bend ISD, will lead Dahlstrom Middle School as its principal. She was a language arts, English and social studies teacher in Alief ISD before joining Fort Bend ISD, first as an assistant principal and then as principal of Walker Station Elementary School. Thurman’s bachelor’s degree is from The University of Texas, and her master’s degree and doctorate were earned at the University of Houston. Houston ISD Aggie Alvez has been appointed chief communications officer, coming to Houston from her position as director of communications and family outreach at Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville, Md. She was a high school teacher in Montgomery County, as well as a director of public affairs at Street Law Inc., a nonprofit agency. She was also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and a writer and consumer investigator for WJLA-TV in Washington D.C. Alvez holds a law degree from the University of Baltimore. The district’s new chief officer of business operations is Leo Bobadilla, taking responsibility for police and construction, facility, transportation, and food and operations services. He most recently held a similar position in North Carolina’s Guilford County Schools. Taking on the role of general manager of facility services is Issa Dadoush, who comes to his new role from the city of Houston, where he was director of general services. S. Dallas Dance is now the chief school officer of middle schools. He comes to Houston from Chesterfield (Va.) County Public Schools, where he was executive director of school improvement. He also has served as an assistant superintendent of instruction and as a middle school principal. Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD Mike Fielder, assistant athletic director for the past five years, is the district’s new athletic director. He Kerrville ISD Donna Jenschke, principal of Wilson Sixth Grade School for the past two years, has been appointed the Lamar CISD Swim coach Toni Schramme has been honored with the Theron Pickle Lifetime Achievement Award Little Elm ISD Lynne Cleveland, who has led Galveston ISD since 2006, is the new superintendent at Little Elm ISD. An McKinney ISD The district’s newest elementary school, McClure Elementary, is scheduled to open this fall with Melanie Raleeh as principal. She has more than 17 years’ experience in Texas education, having begun her career as a fourth grade teacher in Bonham ISD. She came to McKinney ISD in 1997 as a teacher at Glen Oaks Elementary. During her tenure with the district, she has been an assistant principal at Eddins and Bennett elementary schools. She was the principal of Eddins for the past five years. Raleeh earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and her master’s degree in education from Texas A&M University at Commerce. Mesquite ISD Mesquite ISD trustee Kevin Carbo was sworn in as chair of the National School Boards Association’s Karyn Cummings has been chosen to lead Poteet High School as its principal. An Rutherford Elementary will have Holly Grubbs as its principal when the new school year begins. She The new principal of Terry Middle School is Danny Taylor, now completing his 19th
Plano ISD The district honored a number of longtime employees who retired at the end of the school year. They were:
Tomball ISD The district’s second high school, Tomball Memorial High, will have Carol Houston as its principal when The new principal of Tomball High School is Greg Quinn, who will continue in his Chris Trotter has been appointed assistant superintendent for administrative services. He began his Ysleta ISD Former Riverside High School Rangers defensive coordinator Eric Frontz has been promoted to head coach and athletic coordinator. He has been with the school for six years and replaces J.J. Calderon, who transferred to Socorro ISD in the same position with Eastlake High School. |
retirement of Mike Kozelsky. She will continue to serve as the school’s guidance counselor until that time. An educator since 1988, Garduno has worked in both large and small districts at elementary, secondary and central administration levels as a high school teacher, elementary and secondary counselor, federal programs specialist and college instructor. Garduno earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Abilene Christian University and her doctorate in educational administration from Texas A&M University.
comes to Abilene ISD from Angleton. He is a 25-year member of the school law section of the Texas Bar Association and an active participant in the state and national school board associations’ Council of School Attorneys. Neal is a graduate of The University of Texas with a degree in journalism; he earned his doctor of jurisprudence degree from the university’s School of Law. An attorney in practice since 1982, he has most recently served as general counsel for Angleton ISD.
year begins. She is currently an instructional specialist at Abilene High School. She has been a math teacher at middle and high school levels and a middle school instructional specialist. Additionally, she spent five years as a middle school math consultant for AP Strategies Inc. Smith has a bachelor of science degree in deaf education from Texas Christian University. Her master’s degree in education is from Abilene Christian University.
career in her hometown of Cleveland as a social studies teacher. She then taught in Crosby and Channelview before transferring to Ingram ISD, where she was assistant principal and then principal of Moore High School. She next moved to Sealy ISD to serve as principal of Sealy High School. She was the superintendent of Sealy ISD since 2007. Morris has a bachelor of arts degree in education from Sam Houston State University and a master of education degree from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Her first administrative assignment was as an assistant principal, after which she was principal of Angleton Middle School for two years before becoming the high school principal in 2008. She began her education career as a history and psychology teacher at the Brazoria County Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program, where she remained for five years; she previously had been a drill instructor there. Davis became an educator after spending four years in the U.S. Army as a military police officer.
begins. She was a fourth grade teacher at Birdville’s Smithfield Elementary prior to 2005 and then served in the same capacity at Walker Creek Elementary from 2005 to 2007. Since that time, she has been assistant principal of the Academy at C.F. Thomas. Schwaebler’s bachelor’s degree is from Texas Woman’s University and her master’s degree is from Dallas Baptist University.
position. He began in 1993 as a teacher and coach, serving in Granbury, Whitesboro and Canyon ISDs before becoming a teacher and administrative assistant in Amarillo ISD, where he also held his first full-time administrative position as an assistant principal. In 2002, he became high school principal in Meridian ISD, remaining there for three years before taking on the superintendent role in Graford in 2005. Welch has a bachelor’s degree in speech communications and psychology from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) and a master of education degree in administration from West Texas A&M University.
committee of the Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE). The organization, which was established in 1967, is governed by urban school board members to serve the needs of urban school boards. Cortez’s election came in April during the National School Boards Association annual conference. 
the H-E-B Excellence in Education awards, presented May 2 in Houston. Alma Cardenas-Rubio of Besteiro Middle School was the winner among secondary school principals, and Sherry Stout, who leads Benavides Elementary School, was recognized among elementary school principals. Each won $10,000 for herself and $25,000 for her school. The H-E-B awards program for educators began in 2002 in coordination with the Texas Association of School Administrators.
previously served as assistant superintendent before her most recent job as superintendent of High Island ISD. Quick began her education career as a pre-K teacher in a private school, entering the Texas public schools as an art teacher in Buna ISD in 1982. She then was a teacher in Lumberton ISD for seven years before spending a year as an elementary teacher at the International School in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Upon returning to the United States, she taught science in Silsbee Middle School, later becoming that school’s academic team leader and chair of the Silsbee ISD school district advisory team. She arrived in 1998 at Burkeville ISD, where she served as principal of Burkeville High School and Middle School until 2008. At that time, she transferred to take the top position at High Island ISD, where she worked with federal agencies, including FEMA, on renovation and insurance issues following Hurricane Ike. Quick holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in secondary education from Lamar University in Beaumont, where she also earned her mid-management and superintendent certifications.
served as superintendent since 2006. Prior to his time in Moran, Spencer was an agriculture teacher, elementary and junior high principal, and ultimately superintendent of Roby ISD. He holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural services and development and a master’s degree in agricultural education, both from Tarleton State University. 
Association of School Administrators for 2010-2011. He has been a member of TASA for 16 years, representing ESC Region 10 on the executive committee since 2007. He also has served the organization as a mentor superintendent, study group chair, communications and technology chair and leadership development committee member.
Year by the Texas Social Studies Supervisors Association. Upon joining the district, Gentry volunteered to serve in the Cy-Fair Council for Social Studies. She subsequently was the organization’s vice president and president.
comes to Eanes from Arlington ISD. He began his career as an elementary teacher in Arlington and Lubbock ISDs and has most recently served as assistant principal of Arlington’s Ousley Junior High and Rankin Elementary. Shippey’s bachelor’s degree in psychology is from Texas Tech University, and his master’s degree in education is from The University of Texas at Arlington.
Ross, who comes to the district from Melillo Middle School in Pasadena ISD, where he held the same position. He began his career 20 years ago. In Fort Bend ISD, he also has served at McAuliffe and Lake Olympia middle schools. Ross has a bachelor’s degree in music education from Texas Southern University and a master of music degree from the University of Houston. 
the Mainland since 1999, serving as principal of the institution’s Collegiate High School for the past six years. From 1997 to 1999, she was special populations coordinator in Galveston ISD. Prior to that, she taught high school for nine years, seven of those at Goose Creek ISD’s Sterling High School. Dillon earned her bachelor’s degree in historical studies and her master’s degree in education leadership from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. 
of Alamo Elementary for four years, serving as the school’s assistant principal for three years prior to that. She came to Goose Creek ISD from Dayton ISD, where she taught for five years.
school’s assistant principal for the past four years. She began her education career in Goose Creek ISD 11 years ago as a teacher at Hopper Primary and Harlem Elementary. She was also a dyslexia specialist and peer facilitator at Harlem. 
district, teaching and coaching at Highlands Elementary and Baytown Junior and serving as assistant principal of De Zavala Elementary. He has been principal of Harlem Elementary since 2004.
years as a teacher at Pumphrey Elementary and a family involvement coordinator at Highlands Elementary. He was also assistant principal of Pumphrey and most recently was assistant principal of Carver Elementary School. 
principal for the past four years. Prior to joining Goose Creek ISD, he taught English as a second language in New Caney ISD.
Taylor and Co. Carter holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University in Commerce.
retirement. This will conclude a 38-year career in education, which began when he taught and coached at the old Greenville Junior High. He remained there until 1981, when he transferred to Greenville High School; he became that school’s assistant principal in 1998. Three years later, Lynch was appointed principal of Greenville High School. He then served as the district’s director of secondary curriculum. In 2008, he was appointed to his most recent post. Lynch has a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and a master’s degree from East Texas State University.
Greenville ISD’s director of preschool services. He has been with the district for 30 years as a teacher, principal and central office administrator. He taught for 10 years at Travis Elementary and Greenville Intermediate schools, and then he was named principal of Greenville Middle School. After that assignment, he was principal of Crockett Elementary and Greenville Intermediate, before leading Waters Early Childhood Center. Sanders is a graduate of East Texas State University.
also has worked in Whitesboro and Birdville ISDs and at the Oakridge School in Arlington ISD. Fielder has a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Arlington and a master’s degree from Grand Canyon University.
new principal of Peterson Middle School. She was a teacher in Kerrville ISD for 20 years. She spent five years as assistant principal of Tally Elementary before taking on the top job at Wilson. She is a cum laude graduate of Angelo State University with a master’s degree in education leadership from Texas Tech University.
from the Texas Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (TISCA). She will receive her recognition at the organization’s clinic and general meeting in September in Austin. The Pickle award honors Texas high school coaches who have made significant contributions to the sports of swimming and diving. Schramme’s career is marked by a number of other distinctions, including 10 Texas Amateur Athletic Federation (TAAF) regional championship titles; four TAAF state championship titles; five TAAF state athletes of the year; 15 UIL district championships; and four UIL state flags. She was 2005’s State High School Swim Coach of the Year. Schramme is a 10-time District High School Coach of the Year and an eight-time Regional High School Coach of the Year.
educator for 27 years, she came to Galveston from Clear Creek ISD, where she was assistant superintendent for secondary education. Additionally, Cleveland was assistant principal of Smith Elementary School, assistant principal and principal of Clear Lake High School, and assistant principal and principal of Creekside Intermediate School. She also was assistant coordinator for gang activity prevention in the district. Cleveland earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Houston and a master’s degree in mid-management administration from the University of Houston at Clear Lake.
Caucus of Hispanic School Board Members during the organization’s April conference in Chicago. He will serve a two-year term. A trustee since 1996, Carbo has been a board officer several times and is currently secretary. 
educator for 28 years, 21 of those with Mesquite ISD, she began her career in Dallas. In Mesquite, she was a teacher at Black Elementary and Kimbrough Middle School, before taking her first administrative job as an assistant principal. She has 13 years’ experience as a principal, nine of those at Kimball Elementary and the past four at Terry Middle School. Her undergraduate and graduate degrees are from Texas A&M University at Commerce.
has been with Mesquite ISD for all of her nine years as an educator. Initially a first and fourth grade teacher at Lawrence Elementary, she has been assistant principal of Floyd Elementary since 2007. Her bachelor’s degree is from Abilene Christian University and her master’s degree is from Texas A&M University at Commerce.
year in education, 10 of those with Mesquite ISD. In Mesquite, he began as a social studies teacher and coach at Wilkinson Middle School in 1994. Four years later, he transferred to Palmer ISD. He returned to Mesquite in 2004, spending the past six years as a middle school assistant principal, first at Agnew and then at A.C. New Middle School. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas and his master’s degree from The University of Texas at Arlington.
the new school opens in 2011. She will remain in her current position as associate principal for curriculum and instruction for Tomball High School through June, at which point she will devote her time to preparing for the opening of Tomball Memorial. Houston began her career in 1989 teaching in Aldine ISD. She came to Tomball in 1998 as assistant principal of Tomball High School. Her bachelor’s and master’s degrees are from Sam Houston State University.
present position of assistant principal of the school until the 2010-2011 school year begins. He came to Tomball ISD 11 years ago as a teacher and coach at Tomball High. Prior to that, he was with Conroe and Aldine ISDs. Quinn’s bachelor’s degree is from Texas A&M University and his master’s degree in educational administration is from Prairie View A&M University. 
education career in 1991. He has worked for Comal, Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Birdville ISDs in a number of roles, including high school principal in three districts. Trotter holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in education from the University of North Texas.