LH Press Library
RISD Board Announces Superintendent Finalist
April 20, 2003
The Board of Trustees of the Richardson Independent School District (RISD) has unanimously named former Texas Commissioner of Education Jim Nelson, 54, as the sole finalist for superintendent to follow retiring Superintendent Carolyn G. Bukhair.
The announcement was made at the Board's April 19, 7:00 p.m. meeting, following an extensive search conducted by trustees with the assistance of contracted search firm Bracewell and Patterson. The three-month process included community and staff input through focus groups.
Trustees originally reviewed close to 40 applications and then conducted a series of interviews with six candidates before tapping Nelson as the person they believe can best serve as the district's next leader.
"Jim Nelson brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise, along with a strong commitment to public education. He will be a visionary leader for RISD, drawing on the best of our traditions and legacy while guiding our strudents and staff to their highest possible levels of learning and success," said Board President Anne Foster.
"The Board of Trustees is truly excited to add a proven educational leader the caliber of Jim Nelson to RISD's tradition of excellent superintendents. He is committed to facing head-on the many challenges RISD and public education face today, while ensuring focus on student achievement," Foster said.
In addition, the Board cited Nelson's knowlege of the state and national accountability systems, his expertise in the area of Texas school finance, and his working experience as a public education advocate in the legislative and political arenas as strengths he brings to RISD.
His collaborative leadership style, his commitment to the success of each student, his desire to serve students and staff in a highly diverse area, and his respected reputation among state and national educators also drew high marks from trustees.
Nelson told trustees, "RISD is the place where the passion I have for public education can be carried out."
The district must now wait three weeks before officially naming the finalist as superintendent of schools because of state guidelines. Texas law requires the Board to give public notice of the name or names of the finalists being considered at least 21 days prior to the date of the meeting at which a final action or vote is taken on the employment of the candidate. The date for that meeting will be announced by the District when it is set.
Foster said the waiting period will be used to introduce Nelson to the RISD staff and community, to finalize the potential superintendent's contract, for TEA certification processes, and for designing a plan to ensure a smooth transition of leadership within the district.
Nelson served as Texas Commissioner of Education from September 1999 through April 2002, appointed by then-Governor George W. Bush. Most recently, he has been the Senior Vice President for State and Federal Relations for Voyager Expanded Learning Systems in Dallas.
From May to September of 2003, he served as senior advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Education in Baghdad at the request of the White House and the Department of Defense, helping to reorganize and re-open schools in war-torn Iraq. Nelson is currently teaching a graduate class on governance at the Universities Center at Dallas, an affiliate of several local universities.
Prior to becoming commissioner, Nelson served as the chairman of the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) for three and a half years, and worked as a practicing attorney in Hobbs, New Mexico, and Odessa, Texas, for 24 years.
Nelson was an elected member of the Ector County Independent School District Board of Trustees from 1984 to 1995, twice serving as board president. During that time, he also served as board member and several officer positions for the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and was the association's state president from 1993 to 1994.
He holds a Juris Doctorate from the Texas Tech University School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration in management from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Professionally, Nelson is a member of the Texas Association of School Administrators, the State Bar of Texas, and a Life Member of the TBEC Board of Directors. He is a board member of StandardsWorks, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit organization committed to improving standards-based education in American school districts, a Presbyterian elder and current member of the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Denton.
Nelson and his wife, Karen, have three adult sons and one grandson.
For more information, please contact RISD Communications at 469/593-0300.
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