Hundreds of Spring ISD employees gathered on May 8 for one of the district’s most anticipated traditions, the annual Employee Recognition Banquet. The evening celebrated the educators, campus leaders, support staff and retirees whose dedication continues to shape the lives of Spring ISD students while also honoring a milestone year marking 90 years of the district.

As employees and their loved ones arrived dressed in their finest, they were welcomed by the sounds of the Westfield High School Jazz Band. The evening officially began with the Dekaney High School JROTC posting the colors, followed by Westfield High School student Sa’Myah Ettinoffe performing the National Anthem.

“For 90 years, Spring ISD has been built on the strength of people who believed in making a difference,” said LaTracy Harris, Chief of Staff. “That same spirit continues today through every classroom prepared, every student encouraged, every campus supported, and every life impacted by the people in this room.”

That spirit — nine decades of connection and community — was exactly what Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Kregg Cuellar had witnessed firsthand across the district this year.

“There is something special about a room filled with the very people who make this district strong,” said Cuellar. “What stands out most is the heart behind the work and the outstanding employees who go above and beyond every single day to support our students, families and schools. Tonight is about recognizing that heart.”

For Spring ISD Board of Trustees President Justine Durant, that heart has always had one clear beneficiary.

“We often celebrate student success,but we know those successes are not accidental,” said Durant. “They are the direct result of the dedication, care and commitment of the people in this room. You are the reason our students thrive.”

That message carried into the next presentation as trustees joined Sandra Harper Scott , executive director of the Spring ISD Education Foundation, to present the Employee Excellence Awards — an honor that allows anyone in the community to nominate employees who have brought the Spring ISD mission to life.

Durant presented the 2025-26 Employee Excellence Award Winner of the Year and a $1,000 check to Mitch Poland of the Maintenance Department, recognized for his unwavering service to the campuses and students of Spring ISD.

While Poland’s recognition captured a year of extraordinary effort, the evening’s next honorees measured their service in decades. 

Dr. Xochitl Rodriguez, Chief of Transformation, recognized Spring ISD retirees, each receiving a beautiful commemorative clock honoring their years of service. She also recognized employees celebrating milestone anniversaries with the district, including those marking 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of service.

As principals and supervisors moved throughout the ballroom pinning employees directly at their tables, applause filled the room as colleagues honored the men and women who dedicated decades of their lives to Spring ISD students and families.

Dr. Terrell King, Chief of Human Resource Services, addressed the room to announce the district’s Rookie Teachers of the Year, Paraprofessionals of the Year, Guest Employees of the Year and Aspiring Teachers of the Year — educators either just beginning their careers or actively preparing to step into the classroom for the first time.

“The future of education is bright — and it shines through the dedication and enthusiasm of those preparing to become classroom teachers right here in Spring ISD,” said King. “Our teachers have shown extraordinary promise, commitment, and passion as they take the first steps toward careers in education.”

Among those stepping into that future are educators who have traveled from far beyond Texas borders to do it.

This school year, the district launched a new initiative welcoming its first cohort of international teachers through a cultural exchange program aimed at strengthening instruction and broadening students’ global perspectives. Director of Staffing Roshonda Griffin took the stage to present the inaugural Visiting International Teacher of the Year recognition,honoring Reynaldo Parillo of Hoyland Elementary School and Nisha Johnson of Carl Wunsche Sr. High School. 

“Our Visiting International Teachers not only support instruction — they enrich our campuses by sharing their culture, experiences, and unique perspectives with our students,” Griffin said. “They remind us that education has no borders — and that learning is strengthened when we embrace diversity.” 

The evening also recognized the district’s top campus leaders. Dr. Alisa Zapata, Chief Learning Officer, presented the 2025-26 Principal of the Year honors, awards selected through campus observations, performance data and peer feedback. The awards recognized leaders whose work exemplified the district’s mission and priorities.

LaToya Patterson of Hirsch Elementary School was named Elementary Principal of the Year, while LaQuisha Knowles of Wells Middle School earned the Secondary Principal of the Year. Both principals had previously been surprised at their campuses earlier in the school year with the news. 

Before the evening’s top honor was announced, Reynolds Elementary School teacher Casey Archield — the 2024-25 Spring ISD Teacher of the Year and newly named Houston’s Favorite Teacher’ by the Houston Chronicle returned to the stage and was surprised with a commemorative plaque honoring the recognition.

“Every person in this room knows what it takes to do this job well,” said Archield. “The long hours, the planning, the problem-solving — and the moments that make it all worth it.

With the room’s anticipation at its peak, Shawn Burns, general manager at Randall Reed’s Planet Ford, stepped forward to announce the district’s top teacher honor. Gregory Sever of Bailey Middle School was named the 2025-26 Spring ISD Teacher of the Year and received the keys to a brand-new Ford Escape through the dealership’s longstanding partnership.

Standing beside the vehicle moments later, Sever struggled to find words. 

“Speechless. Humble. Appreciative,” said Sever. When he gathered himself, he made clear the moment was never just about him.

“Everybody at the school has put in a lot of hard work,” said Sever. “I feel like this represents Bailey. All the teachers have been doing it for a long time that haven’t gotten recognition, and I do it for them.”

Burns, who has watched that moment play out across 16 years of partnership with Spring ISD, reflected on why Planet Ford keeps showing up.

“We just feel like it’s very important to give back to the community,” said Burns. “Teachers are probably a little underappreciated — when you come to an event like this and see the best of the best, your heart goes out to give.”

Randall Reed’s Planet Ford also honored Meyer Elementary School teacher Hannah Greer, the district’s Elementary Teacher of the Year and runner-up for the evening’s top prize  with a $2,500 Visa gift card.

“It felt like I was living in a dream, but it was actually my reality,” said Greer. “I was very excited about winning because my love for the education field was on full display and it showed how smart my students are. This was definitely a win for us.”

As the evening came to a close, King returned to the stage with one final reminder.

“Tonight is a celebration, but it’s also a reminder: the work you do matters,” said King. “It matters to our students, to our families, and to this entire community.”

Recognitions presented were as follows:

Retirees

• Lydia Aranda – Special Education
• Toscia Arvie – Cooper ES
• Darla Boudreaux – Dekaney HS
• Barbara Breaux – Building Operations
• Mary Broussard – Bailey MS
• Diane Buller – Meyer ES
• Barbara Byrd – Roberson MS
• Jose Camargo – Grounds
• Donald Carrethers – Special Education
• Michelle Carter – Meyer ES
• Eugenia Charytoniuk – Burchett ES
• Laurie Coker – Transportation
• Lillia Corona – Finance
• Tyrone Dargins – Claughton MS
• Alma De La Torre – Eickenroht ES
• Laurie Ebarb – Anderson ES
• Brenda Foley-Lucas – Dekaney HS
• Laronda Garrett – Meyer ES
• Linda Garza – Transportation
• James Gill – Claughton MS
• Cathy Griggs – Dekaney HS
• Stephanie Hicks – Spring HS
• April Hollins – Major ES
• Erica Jordan – Westfield HS
• Cindy Kercheval – Procurement
• Charles Koonce – Momentum HS
• Richard Lancaster – Spring Early College Academy
• Sandra Laroe – Spring HS
• Grace Leal – Lewis ES
• Melissa Lynch – Springwoods Village MS
• Thanh Mach – Building Operations
• Delia Maddoux – Booker ES
• Cheryl Mckenzie Eugene – Springwoods Village MS
• Jennifer Meehan – Eickenroht ES
• Rosa Membreno – Building Operations
• Sofia Mendez – Mcnabb ES
• Marcelino Mendoza – Transportation
• Gretchen Mitchell – Police Department
• Joseph Mokracek – Grounds
• Maria Morales – Building Operations
• Thelma Moreno – Building Operations
• Dorset Neeley – Tax Office
• Gary Novick – Spring HS
• Sandra Olea – Burchett ES
• Efrain Olivo – Student Support Services
• Vessa Parker – Transportation
• My Phan – Building Operations
• Daniel Ponce – Wunsche HS
• Andrew Pope – Wunsche HS
• Rosa Ramos – Superintendent Office
• Sarita Rey – Special Education
• Mayela Roldan – Reynolds ES
• Josefa Rubio – Tax Office
• Nattaya Smith – Transportation
• Susanna Solano – Jenkins ES
• Becky Souder – Marshall ES
• Louise Summerford – Transportation
• Shelly Tindle – Burchett ES
• Michael Truong – Building Operations
• Ronnie Turner – Spring HS
• Juan Urdiales – Cooper ES
• Betty Wadi – Salyers ES
• Jacqueline Warren – Link ES
• Lisa Weil – Anderson ES
• Cynthia Williams – School Leadership

20 Years of Service

• Kristin Falcon – Anderson ES
• Anne Michelson – Anderson ES
• Milagro Perez – Beneke ES
• Alma Salazar – Beneke ES
• Marelys Acosta – Booker ES
• Maria Garza – Burchett ES
• Sonia Aparico de Casares – Child Nutrition
• Paulette Eaglin – Child Nutrition
• Miriam Jimenez – Child Nutrition
• Kalvinder Kaur – Child Nutrition
• Maria Mandujano – Child Nutrition
• Leonor Moreno – Child Nutrition
• Maria Olaya Osorio – Child Nutrition
• Gloria Ortiz – Child Nutrition
• Relinda Shorts – Child Nutrition
• Shawna Smith – Child Nutrition
• Katie Stewart-Shorts – Child Nutrition
• Chekesha Henderson – Claughton MS
• Letisha Kelly – Dueitt MS
• Tiese Turner – Dueitt MS
• Natalya Hogan – FACE
• Diana Brown – Heritage ES
• Antoinette Clark – Heritage ES
• Patrina Johnson – Heritage ES
• Christel Deeter – Jenkins ES
• Velma Moss – Jenkins ES
• Karina Cazares – Lewis ES
• Natasha Miller – Lewis ES
• Ruby Rubiano – Lewis ES
• Juan Cantu – Major ES
• Rhonda Williams – Marshall ES
• Desiree Pittman – Meyer ES
• Juana Delgado – Operations
• Maria Escobar – Operations
• Lan Ngac – Operations
• Kieu Nguyen – Operations
• Eugene Gutierrez – Police Department
• Adrienne Futch – Ponderosa ES
• Katiuska Busti Vasquez – Reynolds ES
• Norma Joyner – Reynolds ES
• Betty Wadi – Salyers ES
• Blanca Sarrach – Smith ES
• Judith Awino – Special Education
• Lupita Cortina – Special Education
• Latasha Dixon – Special Education
• Diana Espinoza – Special Education
• Allison Johnson – Special Education
• Ayana Lebron – Special Education
• Mikeela Pittman – Special Education
• Glenda McSwain – Spring HS
• Cynthia Hatch – Spring HS 9th Grade Center
• Jacqueline Gilchrist – Technology
• Darlene Manning – Transportation
• Mary Murphy – Transportation
• Linda Nabors – Transportation
• Levora Stafford – Transportation
• Maria Torres – Transportation
• Dora Nora – Transportation
• Karol Gillum – Westfield HS
• Rasheda Malveaux – Westfield HS
• Phelecia Parks – Westfield HS
• Michael Shotwell – Westfield HS
• Brandon Jackson – Westfield HS 9th Grade Center

25 Years of Service

• Cynthia Langstaff – Anderson ES
• Raquel Govea – Beneke ES
• Evette Lopez-Rocha – Beneke ES
• Julie Smith – Beneke ES
• Paula Hernandez Cruz – Building Operations
• Lilian Rubio – Building Operations
• Leticia Almader – Child Nutrition
• Margie Castillo – Child Nutrition
• Norma Cruz – Child Nutrition
• Catrennia Foreman – Child Nutrition
• Maribel Jimenez – Child Nutrition
• Constantina Perfecto – Child Nutrition
• Frankie Johnson – Communications
• Kathleen Cromwell – Cooper ES
• Robert Silvy – Cooper ES
• Angienette Harrison – Hirsch ES
• Shelly Jackson – Hirsch ES
• Tiffany Weston – Human Resource Services
• Dana Arnold – Lewis ES
• Jacqueline Warren – Link ES
• Linda Hundley – Marshall ES
• Schlonda Taylor – Meyer ES
• Kimberly Naylor – Northgate ES
• Gaila Lister – Roberson MS
• Kimberly Jankowski – Smith ES
• Curtis Alford – Special Education
• Regina Razo – Special Education
• Mary Velez – Spring HS
• Roxane Farrar – Spring HS 9th Grade Center
• Deborah Wilson – Spring HS 9th Grade Center
• Christy Hedrick – Technology
• Chad Smith – Thompson ES
• Nattaya Smith – Transportation
• Hingwah Wong – Transportation
• Michael Culbertson – Twin Creeks MS
• Michael Ratz – Westfield HS 9th Grade Center
• Hayley Culbertson – Winship ES
• Tami Branch – Wunsche HS

30 Years of Service

• Jefferson Lundquist – Beneke ES
• Judy Northrup – Beneke ES
• Raekeisha Womack – Booker ES
• Anhdao Le – Child Nutrition
• Dulce Reyes – Child Nutrition
• Elva Sosa – Child Nutrition
• Carlos Meza – Distribution Services
• Wanda Gilleylen – Marshall ES
• Gabriela Green – Reynolds ES
• Robert Green – Special Education
• Kelly Middleton – Special Education
• Albert Williamson – Special Education
• Juan Munos – Transportation

35 Years of Service

• Mary Branch – Building Operations

Employee Excellence Award Winners

• Adriana Monjaras – Salyers Elementary School
• Latee Bauswell – Wells Middle School
• Claudia Jennings – Building Operations
• Susan Rhodes – Carl Wunsche Sr. High School
• Mitch Poland – Maintenance

Rookie Teachers of the Year

• Danyelle Rea – Anderson ES
• Sarah Elizalde – Bailey MS
• Madison Reinke – Beneke ES
• Blanca Lopez – Burchett ES
• Jasmine Cerda – Carl Wunsche Sr. High School
• Effiel Teves – Clark ES
• Michael Lopez – Claughton MS
• Kimberley LaChapelle – Dekaney HS
• Yeimi Molina – Dueitt MS
• Ladarrion Lara – Eickenroht ES
• Shivani Garg – Gloria Marshall ES
• Natashia McNeese – Heritage ES
• Reva Wren – Hirsch ES
• Ms. Eryn Davis – Hoyland ES
• Judah Williams-Groves – Jenkins ES
• Luisana De Los Rios – Lewis ES
• Angela Varon – Link ES
• Kiara Myers – McNabb ES
• Chloe Lewis – Meyer ES
• Mark Labostrie – Ponderosa ES
• Matthew Gordon – Reynolds ES
• Jacolby Lillie – Salyers ES
• Jea Ramos – Smith ES
• Asante Slater-Henderson – Spring HS
• Philip Esaw – Springwoods Village MS
• Lauren Wright – Thompson ES
• Brenny Kinnamon – Twin Creeks MS
• Shaira Fagaragan – Westfield HS

Paraprofessional of the Year

• Rozaura Vega – Jenkins ES
• Reyna Trejo – Eickenroht ES
• Christina Ross – Major ES
• Latanya Wade – Bammel ES
• Cassie Martinez – Reynolds ES
• Elsie Yanes – Momentum HS
• Tamara Coleman-Haynes – Wells MS
• Neisha Black – Spring Early College Academy
• Gloria Hamilton – Spring Leadership Academy
• Elexis Powell – Dueitt MS

Guest Employees of the Year

• Brittany Jenkins
• Liliana Chavez Wright
• Todd Brown
• Angela Monroe
• Alberta Trotty

Aspiring Teachers of the Year

• Idalis Lopez – Salyers ES
• Spencer Small – Richey Academy
• Gael Zuniga – Dekaney HS
• Shaquierra Baker – Ponderosa ES
• Jennifer Parrish – Smith ES

Visiting International Teachers of the Year

• Reynaldo Parillo – Hoyland ES
• Nisha Johnson – Wunsche HS

Elementary Principal of the Year

• LaToya Patterson, Hirsch Elementary School

Secondary Principal of the Year

• LaQuisha Knowles, Wells Middle School

Elementary Teachers of the Year

• Ashleigh Merritt – Anderson ES
• Britney Johnson – Bammel ES
• Joshua Grant – Beneke ES
• Nora Leal – Booker ES
• Mounik Congram – Burchett ES
• Shawn McHellon – Clark ES
• Portia Poe – Cooper ES
• Carmela Dockery – Eickenroht ES
• Shaniqua Irving – Gloria Marshall ES
• Kirsten Cottle – Heritage ES
• Lacy Mack – Hirsch ES
• Eduardo Aponte – Hoyland ES
• Willie Kiel – Jenkins ES
• Tamera Robinson – Lewis ES
• Jadlyn Colvin – Link ES
• Zipporah Curry – Major ES
• Anetra Williams – McNabb ES
• Hannah Greer – Meyer ES
• Modesta Leal – Northgate Crossing ES
• Adrienne Futch – Ponderosa ES
• Abigail Lawson – Reynolds ES
• Detra Conner – Salyers ES
• Alejandra Trevino – Smith ES
• Maria Flores – Thompson ES
• Jason Meade – Winship ES

Middle School Teachers of the Year

• Gregory Sever – Bailey MS
• Carol Wyatt – Bammel MS
• Marielle Kapileo – Claughton MS
• Meaghan Courson – Dueitt MS
• David Kitchel – Richey Academy
• Victoria Brown – Roberson MS
• Rachelle McCoy – Spring Leadership Academy
• Latrina Montgomery – Springwoods Village MS
• Erica Encalade – Twin Creeks MS
• Voceya Campbell – Wells MS

High School Teachers of the Year

• Nicole Capodagli – Carl Wunsche Sr. High School
• Jessica Cunningham – Dekaney HS
• Sarah Foster Yankey – Momentum HS
• Mario Hamilton – Spring Early College Academy
• Cedric McLaughlin – Spring HS
• Derek Lamothe – Westfield HS