WUES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief of Public Affairs and Communications / Houston Independent School
- Chief of Strategic Initiatives
Alexandra "Alex" Hales Elizondo was the founding CEO of Good Reason Houston, a nonprofit established to champion a citywide vision for education progress. While leading Good Reason Houston, Alex defined the organization's mission and strategy, built a capable team and Board of Directors, shaped an intentional culture, and led the organization through its first phase of work supporting local school systems.
Job Titles:
- Support Staff Member
- Registrar / SIR
Job Titles:
- Assistant Principal
- Member of the Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Counselor
- Member of the Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant
- Support Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Counselor
- Member of the Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Finance Reports
- Trustee District VII Boundary Map
Bridget Wade was born in Houston. She attended Briargrove Elementary, Paul Revere Middle School, and Wisdom (formerly Robert E. Lee) and Episcopal High Schools. She then earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Oklahoma.
Wade's involvement in education is longstanding, with leadership roles including president of Briargrove Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), carnival chair, and Campus New Construction Committee. She also sat on the Episcopal High School Board of Trustees and Alumni Council, and chaired the Auction and Annual Fund. She has also served as a volunteer for Yellowstone Academy and Have Haven.
Wade's deep appreciation for Houston has led her to numerous leadership positions on several boards and leadership committees in the area. In addition to serving as Briargrove Elementary PTO president, she led a special task force for Methodist Hospital. She also chaired the advisory board for the Blaffer Museum of Art at the University of Houston and currently sits on the National Advisory Board for the Blanton Museum at the University of Texas.
Wade has been married to Patrick Wade for 30 years and together they have three adult children and one daughter-in-law. She and her husband are founding members of The Church of the Apostles.
Job Titles:
- Business Manager
- Member of the Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Assistant Principal
- Member of the Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Finance Reports
- Trustee District III Boundary Map
Dani Hernandez is a native of Houston's East End and attended HISD schools. She is the daughter of immigrants, and a first-generation graduate from both high school and college. She earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from Boston University in 2011 and returned to Houston to be a bilingual teacher at the same elementary school she attended as a child. Hernandez went on to earn a master's degree in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas. She then worked as a teacher and an administrator in HISD and remained with the district for six years before becoming a real-estate agent with Keller-Williams. Hernandez is a community advocate for eliminating educational inequities and closing the achievement gap between children from different socioeconomic backgrounds. She believes all students must be held to high expectations, so they can graduate ready for college, career, or military service, and have the best possible opportunity to succeed in life.
Job Titles:
- Central Division Superintendent
Dr. Luz Martinez is a charismatic, visionary, innovative, biliterate and equity-driven educator. Dr. Martinez has over 20 years of experience in educational leadership in Texas, including her most recent one as Chief of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as Round Rock ISD, Associate Superintendent at Midland ISD, and principal and assistant principal at various schools of all types. She also has over fifteen years of experience serving as a faculty/adjunct at various colleges and universities in Texas, Arizona, Virginia, and abroad. As a former military spouse of over 23 years, she served multiple military communities in the U.S. and abroad as an employee, school board member/president, and volunteer.
Dr. Martinez has a proven track record of continually seeking and implementing equity-based instructional and leadership best practices to maximize the success of the entire organization. She strongly believes that all students can succeed when provided with the support, care, and guidance they need and deserve.
Job Titles:
- Finance Reports
- Trustee District IV Boundary Map / Trustee Conflict Disclosures
Dr. Patricia K. Allen is a native Houstonian and a proud product of the Houston Independent School District. She attended Dodson, Grimes, and Carnegie elementary schools. She then went on to Woodson Junior High and graduated from Madison High School (Class of 1976).
Dr. Allen is a third generation HISD career educator, who retired in 2015 after working for HISD for 35 years, most recently as principal of MacGregor Elementary School. Under her guidance, the school earned a "Met Standard" rating from the state and five of six state distinctions. Previously, she worked in the district as a magnet coordinator, teacher trainer, and classroom teacher at MacGregor, Thompson, and Lockhart elementary schools. As business liaison at MacGregor Elementary School, Allen began and/or fostered relationships with the Houston Rockets, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Judson Robinson Community Center, First Presbyterian Church, St. Paul's Church, First Unitarian Universalist Church, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Recipe for Success.
Dr. Allen earned a Bachelor of Science in Education degree, a Master of Education degree, and a Doctor of Education degree in curriculum and instruction, all from the University of Houston.
She was elected to the HISD Board of Education in 2019 and served as the board secretary during her inaugural year. The board elected her as president during her second year. She was re-elected to the Board of Education in 2023 for a second term.
Dr. Allen is the proud parent of Norman Bell IV, who is also a graduate of HISD schools.
Job Titles:
- Trustee District I Boundary Map / Trustee Conflict Disclosures
Elizabeth Alba Santos was first elected to the Board of Education in December 2017. She believes children deserve outstanding teachers in every classroom, so she is focused on hiring and retaining great educators throughout the school district. This investment in educators includes offering not only competitive teacher salaries but opportunities for relevant and worthwhile professional development and shared decision-making. Her goals also include eliminating the culture of high-stakes standardized testing in schools and strengthening ethics rules for the HISD Board of Education.
Santos was born and raised in Houston, the daughter of Mexican immigrants. She attended neighborhood schools in HISD, including Janowski and Herrera Elementary Schools and Burbank Middle School. She is a proud graduate of Sam Houston High School. Due in part to her positive experiences, Santos is committed to strengthening the community-schools model in HISD. She believes that building relationships between a community and its schools ensures their growth and sustainability. Santos seeks and welcomes input from school stakeholders, who have valuable insight into the strengths and needs of their community. She recognizes that student success also depends on factors that extend beyond the classroom, such as the need for basic health care and stability, so she will work to make every neighborhood school the heartbeat of its community with support services for students and their families.
Santos earned an associate degree from Houston Community College and a bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of Houston-Downtown. Recognizing the importance of building her community and giving back, Santos returned to Sam Houston as a teacher, where she served for seven years and was nominated multiple times for Teacher of the Year. Most recently, she taught at Northside High School, her mother's alma mater.
As a student, volunteer, youth counselor, and teacher, Santos has dedicated her life to underserved youth in her community. She is a community advocate and is actively involved in Community Voices for Public Education, Houston Area Progressives, the Texas Organizing Project, Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute, the Mexican-American Emerging Leaders Organization, American Jewish Committee, and many others. Santos has served as an example to her students and hopes to create an empowered community that includes students who are self-advocates.
Job Titles:
- South Division Superintendent
Imelda De La Guardia is a seasoned educator with nearly three decades of successful experience advancing student outcomes as a teacher, building leader, and district-level administrator. She began her professional teaching career as a high school Spanish teacher in Aldine, where she taught for several years before becoming an assistant principal in Aldine and Spring Branch.
In her latest principal role in Spring Branch, she led her elementary school from an "acceptable" to "exemplary" rating within three years while managing a staff of over 100 to increase attendance rates and build even stronger community partnerships and mentorship opportunities to further enhance parent engagement and hence student achievement.
At the district leadership level, she has served as School Improvement Officer/Area Superintendent for HISD, Assistant Superintendent for Colorado Springs, School Services Officer for Spring ISD, and Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services in Spring ISD.
Imelda received her master's degree in Education, Mid-Management from Stephen F. Austin University and two bachelor's degrees from Texas A&M University in Modern Languages and Speech Communications. She also has her Superintendent's Certification.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Teacher Specialist
Job Titles:
- Chief Human Resources Officer
- Senior Educational Executive
Jessica Neyman is an experienced senior educational executive with a law background who has a proven track-record of advancement of mission and objectives in balance with employee needs. She currently serves as the Houston Independent School District's Chief Human Resources Officer. Her career-long passion for student success spanning over two decades drives her ongoing commitment to employee satisfaction, since she sees this as the critical component in fulfilling the educational mission.
Prior to her current role, Neyman served as the Vice President of Human Resources at IDEA Public Schools, the largest network of charter schools in the United States. In this role, she oversaw all multi-state HR functions to ensure staff received superior customer service, so they in turn remained highly effective at educating over 80,000 college-bound students.
Before her work at IDEA Public Schools, Neyman led the HR department as the Chief Human Resources Officer at Killeen ISD, which is the fourth most diverse district in Texas and serves the largest active duty armored post in the United States Armed Forces and surrounding communities. She oversaw the departments of HR Operations, Recruitment & Retention, Auxiliary Staff Services, Substitute Services, Risk Management, and Employee Benefits. Her team not only played a vital role in providing employment and educational stability for military families who experience frequent deployments, but also ensured that all employees received the support they needed to function as a well-orchestrated team to prepare students for their futures. During her tenure, she also successfully shepherded the District through the challenging financial transition of becoming self-insured, which resulted in immediate cost-savings and greatly enhanced employee benefits, as well as created the critical foundation for longitudinal affordability of these critical benefits.
Neyman began her career in education at North Clackamas School District in Oregon, where she served dual roles as the District's in-house legal counsel and Associate Director for HR to manage all employee relations, including collective bargaining with three different school employee unions. Prior to that, she provided legal representation to union-member employees in labor relations, as well as families in special education matters. She has also served in HR leadership and consulting roles in other fast-growth Texas districts, including Georgetown ISD and Lockhart ISD. And she brings private sector HR consulting experience from the oil & gas industry, which inspires her to relentlessly advocate for more innovative, efficient, and cost-effective approaches to HR in the public sector.
In a brief hiatus from her professional career to raise her son, she served a four-year school board term where she played a key role in the hiring of superintendents, navigating cuts to public education funding, and approving annual budgets and policy updates. She also helped facilitate multiple successful bond measures and the governance aspects of bond construction project management.
Neyman earned her law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law, where she was awarded the Outstanding Public Interest Advocate Award and the Alec L. Cory Pro Bono Award for contributions to pro bono causes. During law school, she was elected Vice President of the National Association for Public Interest Law in Washington D.C. and established a Special Education Volunteer Lawyer Project. She earned her bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College, where she was the recipient of the prestigious Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Social Sciences grant. She also holds a Texas Superintendent Certificate.
Job Titles:
- Chief Finance and Operations Officer
- Chief of Finance and Business Services
James Terry, Ph.D., CPA RTSBA started his professional career in education over 30 years ago. He was hired out of the MBA program at the University of Texas and began his career at the North East ISD in San Antonio. He rose through the ranks to become the top financial and accounting executive of the district.
After leaving the district, he became an investment banker with M.E. Allison. After a few years, he decided return to the education finance field as Chief Financial Officer in Dallas ISD. While in Dallas, he helped implement a new pay system based on the performance and effectiveness of teachers and school administrators. Following his tenure at Dallas ISD, James became a Managing Director for the Dallas Office of Seibert, Shank and Cisneros, a Wall Street investment banking firm. During COVID, James taught college and wrote a book about the Dallas ISD Miracle: Miles to Equity. He then became CFO for Third Future Schools, then moved to the Texas Education Agency as Associate Commissioner of School Finance; Chief Financial Officer.
James holds a BA, MA, and Ph. D. degree in psychology. After going back to college, he earned his CPA license and did a post-doctoral program in Finance and Accounting at the University of Florida business school.
Job Titles:
- Division Superintendent
- West Division Superintendent
Kasey Bailey brings twenty years of experience as a teach er, assistant principal, principal, principal supervis or, and leadership develop er. As a results-driven educational leader, she is dedicated to driving positive change and ensuring student success. Mrs. Bailey joined Team HISD a decade ago as an Associate Principal and quickly distinguished herself as a transformative principal, turning around low performing campuses at both the elementary and secondary levels.
In her recent roles for the last five years as School Support Officer and Executive Director, she has excelled in fostering principal growth through strategic coaching, actionable feedback, and targeted training. Her efforts have led to significant improvements in instructional quality, campus culture, and student achievement.
Most recently she served as a Deputy Chief in the Office of Leadership & Strategic Initiatives, where she collaborate d with leaders who have proven expertise in both school and district-level leadership. Her team excels in coaching and developing leaders and teacher leaders, utilizing research-based practices for adult learners to provide premium experiences across the organization.
Kasey Bailey holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Stephen F. Austin State University, a master's degree in educational supervision from the University of Houston-Victoria and has recently earned her Superintendent Certificate. She is a passionate advocate for purposeful leadership, believing that everyone is uniquely equipped to help the environments they serve thrive. Mrs. Bailey is committed to fostering confidence in every child, nurturing their talents, and creating dynamic learning environments that prepare them for future success.
Job Titles:
- Clerk
- Support Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Finance Reports
- Trustee District VI Boundary Map
Kendall Baker was elected to serve the Board of Education in December of 2021. He is a native Houstonian who grew up in Fontaine Place in northeast Houston. He graduated from Forest Brook High School. Baker later attended Houston Community College and the College of Biblical Studies, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology, along with a master's degree and doctorate of divinity from seminary school. Upon graduating from high school, Baker began employment with the city of Houston. During his tenure with the city, he was promoted to numerous positions in several departments including Public Works and Engineering, General Services 911 Emergency Network, and the Office of the Mayor, and was ultimately promoted to division manager of the Department of Administration and Regulatory Affairs 311 Help and Information Center. In addition to having oversight of large contact-center operations, processing tens of thousands of emergency and non-emergency inquiries from citizens, Baker was responsible for attending super neighborhood council, Houston Police Department Positive Interaction Program, and civic and homeowner association meetings all around the city to promote new programs and technology as well as dialogue with citizens and provide timely resolutions. Baker officially retired from the city of Houston in 2015 after 29 years of public service.
Baker is a 25-plus year member of the Houston Ministers Against Crime. This volunteer organization helps many entities including the Houston Independent School District, assisting the administration, parents, and students in crime prevention on school campuses and around the city. Baker previously assisted HISD's south area superintendent with community issues. He formerly served as director of field operations for the Houston Area Pastor Council and chairman of the newly formed Houston Police and Clergy Alliance.
Throughout his life and because of his passion to serve, Baker has always considered himself to be a champion for the voices of the people, both in ministry and public service, thereby validating his calling to be a "servant leader." While working for the city, Baker simultaneously pursued his call to ministry. Baker is an ordained minister and the founding pastor of a local church. In addition to his ministry in Houston and around the country, Baker also ministers around the world in countries including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and the United Kingdom. Along with ministry and business, Baker deeply cares about his community, including the education of youth and maintaining fiscal integrity of taxpayer dollars. He desires to usher HISD to higher academic achievement across all socioeconomic demographics. Baker is the proud father of one daughter.
Prior to joining the HISD team, Kristen was the Associate Commissioner of Instructional Strategy at the Texas Education Agency where she focused on developing curriculum and instruction products and services for school systems to increase outcomes for more than 5 million students. She launched the first statewide curriculum evaluation system that provides free, transparent, and user-friendly reviews about the quality of curricular resources used in the Texas market to all educators. Kristen also oversaw the agency's curriculum implementation programs focused on providing intensive training, technical assistance and job-embedded support to educators, coaches, and administrators.
Prior to this work, Kristen was a Manager at Deloitte in the Strategy and Operators practice where she focused on helping K-12 and Higher Education clients answer strategic questions to increase scale and deepen impacts.
Kristen spent time at Excel Academy Charter Schools, Bellweather Education Partners, TOMS Shoes, and Stanford's Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies. Kristen holds a BA in Business Honors and Finance from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, an MBA and MA of Education from Stanford University and an MA in Education Leadership from the Broad Residency.
Job Titles:
- Clerk
- Support Staff Member
Monica Zdrojewski started her career in public education as an elementary school teacher -a role that continues to inspire her dedication to improving teaching and learning at scale. With experience spanning the classroom, district leadership, and state agency levels, Monica offers a holistic perspective on how to drive meaningful change across complex school systems. She has led large-scale initiatives and has a strong track record of supporting districts through critical reforms to improve student outcomes.
Prior to joining the Houston ISD leadership team in June 2023, Monica worked with system-leaders, administrators, and district teams across Texas to implement innovative educational practices as Director at Ed Direction. Monica has supported school districts and educational service centers across Texas in understanding and navigating the state school finance and accountability systems, as well as implementing key pieces of passed legislation. During her time at the Texas Education Agency, she worked with districts to implement transformative school models. Monica pairs her experience managing change with a passion for the teacher experience and teacher preparation. As an Assistant Director with City Teaching Alliance, she championed teacher preparation by leading a program that provided aspiring educators with rigorous training, a residency year, and a master's degree-tools essential for becoming effective, certified instructional leaders. Monica holds both a master's degree in Education Policy and Management and a bachelor's degree in Government from Harvard University. Her academic and professional achievements underscore her commitment to fostering high-quality educational experiences for all students.
Job Titles:
- Finance Reports
- Policy Online
- Trustee District IX Boundary Map / Trustee Conflict Disclosures
Myrna Guidry, Esq., first joined the Board of Education in December 2020, when she was appointed by unanimous vote of the board to fill the vacant District IX seat.
Guidry has been an attorney in Houston for 20 years, concentrating on family and probate law. She has also worked as a mediator for several years and continues to serve as an adjunct law professor in mediation at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Guidry has received several honors for her accomplishments, including being named among the "10 Best Attorneys" by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys in 2017. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tulane University, followed by her law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston. She also holds numerous accreditations in mediation services.
In addition to her professional work, Guidry devotes time volunteering with civic and charitable organizations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; Houston Volunteer Lawyers; the Star of Hope-Miles Ministry; and Riceville Mount Olive Baptist Church, where she participates on a scholastic council and teaches Sunday school.
Guidry and her husband are the parents of a child who grew up attending HISD schools. She is focused on achieving her vision of the "three Rs" for the district: to "Reconnect, Reinvent, and Regenerate." Her goal is to reconnect the board members to each other, and to schoolchildren, the administration, and the community; to collaborate on reinventing the future of education and identifying new directions and opportunities for students; and to regenerate HISD to be more successful in guiding children to improved outcomes in both academics and their individual life journeys.
Job Titles:
- North Division Superintendent
Mr. Riddick joins HISD with a strong belief in entrepreneurial leadership and a career centered around the Listen, Learn, and Lead philosophy. Mr. Riddick has served as Superintendent of Midland ISD and Cedar Hill ISD. He has worked in the central office administration for Mesquite ISD as the ESSER Effectiveness Officer, Dallas ISD as Chief of Schools, Houston ISD as Chief of High Schools, and Austin ISD as the Director of High Schools.
His educational background includes teaching at Antonio Maceo Smith High School and serving as principal of W.T. White High School in Dallas ISD. He was an assistant principal and academic dean in several schools in Fort Worth and San Antonio.
Orlando graduated with a BA in journalism from University of Texas at El Paso, where he received his commission into the US Army. He later completed a post-baccalaureate degree in English literature and a minor in education from University of Texas, El Paso. He earned his master's degree in educational administration from Texas Woman's University and was also a graduate student in the Cooperative Superintendency Doctoral Program at The University of Texas.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- School Nurse
Job Titles:
- Education Consultant
- Government
- Trustee District VIII Boundary Map / Trustee Conflict Disclosures
Plácido Gómez is a former high-school math teacher, government and education consultant, and political organizer. He earned a bachelor's degree in Mathematical Economic Analysis from Rice University and a master's degree in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University.
As a high-school teacher, Gómez taught algebra I, geometry, pre-calculus, and Advanced Placement (AP) calculus. He also taught math at Luna Community College and economics at Harvard University. He later worked for Safal Partners, where he led projects with the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Labor, and various public school districts. His projects included migrant student initiatives, workforce development, school redesign, and program evaluation. Additionally, he was an organizer for Beto O'Rourke's 2018 U.S. Senate campaign and the field organizing director for O'Rourke's 2022 gubernatorial campaign.
Gómez's top priority is to provide all students-especially students from low socioeconomic backgrounds-the opportunity to pursue their goals and reach their full potential. He strives to help build partnerships between HISD, students' families, and community organizations. He also wants to ensure that the district supports its teachers and provides excellent services to special education students. He recognizes that no one has all the answers, and he welcomes feedback from anyone willing to make a good-faith effort to improve the experience and outcomes of HISD students.
Job Titles:
- Clerk
- Support Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Chief of Leadership and Professional Development
- Third Future Schools Network As Executive Director
Ms. Massey is starting her 30 th year in education. Sandi has had the distinct opportunity to work in private, public, and charter school education from early childhood through Early College. After her first seven years in the classroom, she was asked to take over the South-Central Region of the U.S. as Early Education Director for Association of Christian Schools International, where she trained teachers and principals in areas of school law, philosophy, and led accreditation teams. Included in this role was planning, leading, and speaking for Early Education conferences around the South-Central Region, which included Texas and the surrounding states.
After completing her teaching career, Sandi earned her master's in educational leadership and spent several years as Elementary and Middle School Assistant Principal, then was promoted to High School principal for a total of nine years. Ms. Massey was able to lead her Dallas ISD Thomas Jefferson high school team from an F to a B while serving as principal and obtained Master Principal designation. During this time, she was allotted the privilege of being named one of America's top 500 educators in 2022, designated Marquis Who's Who of 2022, and named Preston Hollow's "Person of the Year".
Over the last two years Ms. Massey has served the Third Future Schools Network as Executive Director and Deputy Chief of Schools. Serving the Houston community as Chief of Leadership and Professional Development is her greatest honor yet.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Principal
Job Titles:
- Finance Reports
- Superintendent Search
Job Titles:
- Assistant Principal
- Member of the Leadership Team