BLACKBOARD - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Assistant Superintendent Middle Schools Office
Cesar Martinez brings 22 years of experience as a leader at the local, regional, and state levels of education. He started his career in the Broad Prize-winning Brownsville ISD as a middle school teacher, elementary school assistant principal, and principal. Martinez then continued as an Education Specialist with the Statewide Initiatives Division of the Education Service Center - Region XIII in Austin, Texas where he managed the Technical Assistance Provider (TAP) Program and developed, identified, and supported effective instructional practices for the Title I School Improvement Plan (SIP) campuses of Regions IV and V of the state of Texas. He returned to the school district setting as a middle school principal in Austin ISD and as a School Leadership Coordinator in Dallas ISD. Most recently, Martinez has coached and developed 34 principals from early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school campuses over the last five years as a School Support Officer (SSO) in Houston ISD. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin, his master's degree from the University of Texas at Brownsville and is completing his Doctor of Education degree at the University of Texas at Austin.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Superintendent of Transformation
Dr. Khalilah Campbell-Rhone has been with HISD for more than 23 years. A native Houstonian and author, she attended HISD schools and became a teacher in the district, teaching English, history, and math. While teaching, she earned her master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Houston and served as an adjunct professor teaching master level courses on becoming a principal. Campbell-Rhone has served HISD as a principal, school support officer, and officer of special populations, overseeing significant growth and development in Gifted and Talented, Special Education, Dyslexia, Interventions and Multilingual, On-Time Grad Academy, and Virtual Learning.
Campbell-Rhone has a successful track record of improving the educational outcomes of students, especially those in marginalized communities. As dean of instruction at Sam Houston High School, she was instrumental in transforming one of the first high schools to be reconstituted by the Texas Education Agency for low performance. Campbell-Rhone then went on to work in Achieve 180 and superintendent's schools. Under her leadership as principal of Thomas Middle School, the campus not only met the standard for state accountability but achieved five out of seven distinction designations for overall dedication and work. When she was named principal of Worthing High School in 2017, the campus had not met accountability for more than seven years. Within one year, Khalilah led Worthing to meet all accountability measures and become an Early College Campus, all while initiating the process of becoming an International Baccalaureate school. Campbell-Rhone was named HISD Principal of the Year in 2019. She is a member of several organizations and has received numerous awards for her work in the community. Her life's mission is to give equitable educational opportunities to disenfranchised students and empower communities to advocate for those opportunities.
As assistant superintendent of transformation, Campbell-Rhone will lead 24 of the highest-need campuses in HISD with the unwavering goal of ensuring that equitable opportunities and resources exist in each school so that students receive an exceptional, personalized level of support for success. She is highly regarded for her transformational work in Houston and the positive life impact she has had on students.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Superintendent
- Deputy Superintendent of the Houston Independent School District
Dr. Rick Cruz is deputy superintendent of the Houston Independent School District (ISD), the nation's eighth-largest school system with more than 190,000 students. In this role, he assists the superintendent in leading all areas of the district. Cruz also has extensive experience directly overseeing Houston ISD's major departments, including strategy and innovation; college and career readiness; advanced academics; student support services; federal and state compliance; family and community engagement; major projects; wraparound services; and equity and outreach.
During his tenure, the percentage of schools designated as "A" or "B" based on academic achievement increased from 50 percent to 78 percent on state accountability results; more students than ever before have graduated from high school with college credit and industry based certifications; and college scholarships have more than doubled. In addition to supporting academic performance, Cruz led development of the district's strategy for how to effectively use more than a billion dollars in federal Covid relief aid. He also helped create a new employee compensation structure that gave teachers the largest salary increase in the district's history and designed a grow-your-own teacher pipeline program for high-achieving students of color in partnership with a local university.
Cruz founded and led EMERGE, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that helps students from low-income families attend and graduate from the nation's top colleges. EMERGE now serves more than 3,000 students across five school districts and more than 100 colleges. Students have received an average of $150,000 in college scholarships. Eighty-five percent of those who participated in the program have graduated from college within four years or are on track to do so. Cruz oversaw all elements of program operations and growth, including strategy and vision; curriculum development and programming; volunteer and staff recruitment; marketing; nonprofit incorporation; establishing a board of trustees; and fundraising. Under his direction, EMERGE raised more than $12 million in private funding to expand the program.
A native of Mexico, Cruz began his career in education as a fifth-grade bilingual teacher at a school where 98 percent of the students were economically disadvantaged. He was recognized twice as Teacher of the Year, and his students achieved the highest results on state standardized testing in the school's history. Cruz holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy and a master's in education administration, both from the University of Texas at Austin. He earned a bachelor's degree, with distinction, from Yale University.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Superintendent Elementary Schools Office 2
Dr. Shana Perry was appointed to serve as the Assistant Superintendent of Elementary School Office 3. Prior to her arrival to HISD, Dr. Perry served as the Executive Director of Equity, Innovation and Achievement for Oklahoma City Public Schools. This role Dr. Perry served as an advisor and resource for instructional leadership to support the district's equity efforts. Dr. Perry served as a transformation principal at multiple schools of all grade levels in Oklahoma and Kansas. Dr. Perry's commitment to students and creating positive educational cultures resulted in her being named the Oklahoma State Middle School Principal of the Year in 2012 before being named a Top Three National Finalist. She earned her doctorate in education from Oklahoma State University, after completing her master's at the University of Central Oklahoma and her bachelor's at Oklahoma City University.
Dr. Shawn Bird grew up in Houston and has served in public education for 23 years. He began his career as a high school English teacher and has also held the position of secondary literacy coach, assistant principal, and principal. After moving to California, he worked in the Los Angeles Unified School District as a principal supervisor and in Pasadena Unified School District as the chief academic officer.
Dr. Bird has also served as chief of schools in the School District of Philadelphia and most recently as the deputy superintendent of instruction and school communities at Portland Public Schools.
Dr. Bird earned three degrees from the University of Houston: a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Spanish, a Master of Education in Secondary Education, and a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. He is thrilled to return to his hometown to serve the students and families of HISD.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Superintendent High Schools Office
Geovanny Ponce has proven to be an innovative and knowledgeable educator for nearly two decades. His childhood experiences fueled his passion for supporting the growth of the urban child. Ponce, an immigrant from Honduras, instills collaborative leadership to ensure students from all social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds have equal access to high-quality learning opportunities.
Ponce's broad range of experience includes mechanical engineer, classroom teacher, campus network specialist, dean of instruction, assistant principal, principal of Hartman Middle School, and most recently principal of Jones Futures Academy. Through his work, he has received recognition from Rice University's REEP Program and the George W. Bush Presidential Center. He was recognized as HISD's Secondary Principal of the Year and the Region IV Secondary Principal of the Year for the 2017-18 school year. Previously, he was selected as Bilingual Teacher of the Year, HISD Assistant Principal of the Year, and HISD's Rookie Secondary Principal of the Year.
Ponce earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at the National Autonomous University of Honduras in Tegucigalpa, a master's degree in educational administration and supervision at the University of Houston, a bilingual education certification from St. Thomas University, a REEP Business Fellowship for School Leaders from Rice University, and superintendent certification from Region IV. His accomplishments as a secondary school leader led him to serve as a lead principal working to support other secondary school leaders in HISD. Ponce earned his doctoral degree in fall 2019 in public school administration at Texas A&M University- College Station.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Texas Association of School Business Administrators ( TASBO ) Holding
Glenn Reed, a 20-year veteran with the Houston Independent School District's Budgeting & Financial Planning Office, is the chief financial officer for the Houston Independent School District.
As chief financial officer, Reed is responsible for planning and managing the district's annual budget and developing long-range budget plans to ensure the district's financial stability and growth. He also directs the district's offices of the controller, budget/financial planning, Medicaid finance, benefits, procurement and risk management.
Reed began his tenure in HISD as an East Area school budget analyst in 2000. He has worked his way up the ranks in HISD, serving as a senior budget analyst, budget supervisor II, budget manager, senior budget manager, director, and officer within the Budgeting & Financial Planning Department.
Reed is a member of the Texas Association of School Business Administrators (TASBO) holding its highest certification as a Registered Texas School Business Administrator (RTSBA). He has also served as a member of TASBO's Accounting and Finance Research Committee and Chair for the Information Technology Research Committee.
Reed holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Lubbock Christian University and an MBA in Finance from the Baker College Center for Graduate Studies.
Jeremy Grant-Skinner brings a wealth of experience to HISD. He began his career as a first-grade teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools, where he later served as chief human capital officer from 2017 to 2021. With his leadership, Baltimore achieved record-high teacher retention, record-low teacher vacancies, and new highs in the number of Latinx and Black male teachers. Mr. Grant-Skinner launched Opportunity Culture programs expanding teacher leadership and development opportunities in Baltimore and in Syracuse, NY. Mr. Grant-Skinner worked with TNTP (The New Teacher Project) and Teach For America leading talent initiatives, including innovative compensation models and an equity-focused principal preparation program. He also served as deputy assistant superintendent at the District of Columbia state education agency.
A first-generation college student, Mr. Grant-Skinner graduated with honors from New York University. He also earned a master's degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Education and a law degree from the University of Maryland. He studied politics and mathematics at New York University before moving to Baltimore City in 2001.
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Chief Engagement Officer
Chief Moll leads a department that includes communications, board services, family and community engagement, government relations, and community partnerships, along with the HISD Parent Center.
Most recently, Chief Moll was the chief communications officer and deputy director for the Office of the Houston City Controller. In this role, he was instrumental in the city's landmark pension reform legislation, addressing the city's structurally unbalanced budget and advocating for increased transparency across city agencies.
Previously, Mr. Moll was the chief of staff at the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the leading Hispanic business advocacy organization in the Greater Houston region. While there, he led the execution of the organization's strategic vision; developed, executed, and managed the organization's public affairs campaigns; and served as the organization's lead government affairs liaison. He also previously served as a senior consultant at a Houston-based public affairs and strategic communications firm.
Mr. Moll received a bachelor's degree in mass communication from the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University and a master's degree from George Washington University. He currently serves as a member of the Children's Museum of Houston marketing committee and Houston Public Media's Young Leaders Council, and he is a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston.
Job Titles:
- Member of the School Health Advisory Council and Committee
- School Leader Appraisal Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Superintendent
- Superintendent of Schools
In June 2021, Millard House II was elected unanimously by the Board of Education as the superintendent of the Houston Independent School District.
Chief Pedro Lopez Jr. is a veteran law enforcement officer with 32 years of prior experience in Houston law enforcement before joining HISD as chief of police in May 2020.
Lopez spent 29 of his 32 years in law enforcement with the Houston Police Department, moving up the ranks from patrol officer to assistant chief for Patrol Region 1. He also previously served with the Harris County Sheriff's Department and Texas Department of Corrections.
He completed law enforcement training at the FBI National Academy. In 2017, he led the police response to Hurricane Harvey and the city's first-ever disaster relief mission to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
Job Titles:
- Chief Technology Information Officer
Job Titles:
- Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools Office 1
Yolanda Rodríguez is a graduate of Northside High School and a 23-year veteran of Team HISD. She comes to her new role after two years as a school support officer, most recently in the Northeast Area. She was instrumental in improving academics at the following schools to the point where they are no longer IR schools: Codwell, Cook, Foster, Kashmere Gardens, Montgomery, Milne, and Petersen elementary schools and Key Middle School. Ms. Rodríguez started her teaching career at Roosevelt Elementary School, where she worked as an instructional coordinator and assistant principal before moving to De Zavala Elementary to become the principal in 2010. Under her leadership, De Zavala earned exemplary status from the TEA in 2011. Ms. Rodríguez holds both a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Houston.