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season. He coached for Deweyville ISD in 2012 and 2013 and was head coach for the past year in Warren ISD. Marion ISD Kelly Walters is the district’s new superintendent. Marlin ISD Jack Davis has been named the district’s interim superintendent. He was superintendent of Chilton ISD, from 1993 to 1997, and of Tolar ISD, from 1997 to 2008. He also served as interim superintendent in Cranfills Gap ISD for a year. He is a graduate of Sul Ross State University. Maypearl ISD Ritchie Bowling has been chosen to lead the district as superintendent. He was previously assistant superintendent of Howe ISD. An educator since 1997, Bowling began his education career in Sherman ISD as a teacher, tutor and summer tech camp director. He next joined Lovejoy ISD as a testing coordinator and assistant principal. Bowling came to Howe ISD in 2005, where he was principal of Howe Elementary and Howe Middle School and the district’s homeless coordinator before accepting his most recent position. Bowling earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education and his master’s degree in education administration from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Merkel ISD Superintendent Bryan Allen has been promoted from his previous position as Merkel High School principal. Initially a coach and high school social studies teacher in Ballinger, Rankin and Hearne ISDs, he Bryan Allen spent a year as a retention coordinator at Texas State Technical College before returning to teaching and coaching in Mansfield and Frisco ISDs. He took his first administrative position in Bridgeport ISD and worked there for 18
Texas School Business • June 2015
three years before joining Merkel ISD in 2012. Allen, who received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University), holds a master’s degree in educational administration from Lamar University. Bill Hood, who has been district superintendent for the past 13 years, has announced his retirement. An educator since 1974, he began his career in Dalhart ISD, where he taught science, math, reading Bill Hood and social studies. He went to work for Iraan-Sheffield ISD in 1985, initially as a teacher and then as head teacher and principal of Sheffield Elementary School. He was an athletic director and superintendent in Three Way ISD, as well as superintendent of Blackwell CISD. Hood graduated from The University of Texas with a bachelor’s degree in education. He earned his master’s degree in education from Wayland Baptist University. Mesquite ISD The new principal of Cannaday Elementary School is Lauren Chism, who has spent her 14-year career with Mesquite ISD. Starting as a teacher, she served as the assistant principal at Shands Elementary Lauren Chism and, most recently, at Cannaday. Chism received her bachelor’s degree from Dallas Baptist University and her master’s degree through the cohort program at Texas A&M University at Commerce. Tomika Johnson, principal of Price Elementary School, is a 15-year veteran of Mesquite ISD. She served as a teacher at Seabourn Elementary before being named assistant prinTomika Johnson cipal in 2007. In addition, she has worked at Smith, Achziger and Gentry elementary
schools. Johnson obtained her bachelor’s degree from Jarvis Christian College and her master’s degree from Prairie View A&M University. The 2015-2016 school year will begin with Jennifer LaPlante as principal of Gray Elementary. She has been an educator for 18 years, all but one of those in Mesquite ISD. She spent Jennifer LaPlante a year as a fifth grade teacher in Princeton ISD. In Mesquite ISD, she has been a teacher, a testing coordinator, a curriculum instructional specialist and an assistant principal. LaPlante received her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Texas A&M University at Commerce, where she serves as an adjunct professor. Plano ISD Brian Binggeli, the district’s new superintendent, comes to Plano from Brevard Public Schools in Viera, Fla., where he also held the top position. His 34-year career has included working as a Brian Binggeli teacher, principal and administrator. Binggeli holds a doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy studies from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He has a bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Ohio and a master’s degree from Virginia State University. Pleasanton ISD Matthew Mann has accepted the role of superintendent. A native Texan, he began his career in Colorado, where he was a middle-school teacher for the Sierra Grande Schools. He then returned to his home state, where he worked in three San Antonio districts: Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, East Central ISD and Southwest ISD. He also worked in Jourdanton ISD before coming to Pleasanton ISD as principal of PleasanSee WHO’S NEWS on page 20