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Jan Seago/Plainview ISD
Plainview ISD retirees honored during the awards banquet include Cheryl Lyles (front row, left), Andrea
Ingram, Susan McMillan, Joyce Wilbanks, Ruth Ann McNutt, Gary Kincanon (back row, left), Paulette
Manning, Sharon Gordon, Judy Buchanan and Linda Murphree. Not pictured are Sherry Thomas, Diana
Riojas, Karen James, Beverly Groves, Pat Chilton, Milton Finley and Debra Barrett.
Jan Seago/Plainview ISD
Plainview ISD employees honored for long-term service include: Andrea Ingram, 30 years (front row,
left); Carolyn Thompson, 25 years; Lynda Cate, 30 years; Linda Amador, 30 years; Susan Hayse, 25 years
(standing, left); Tracey Wirth, 25 years; Kayla Caldwell, 25 years; and Melody Miller, 25 years. Not shown
are: Stephanie Thompson-Sweatt, 35 years; Maria Garcia, 25 years; Carrie Rollins, 25 years; Nancy Lewis,
25 years; and Gaye King, 25 years.
Plainview ISD honors retirees, top educators
By JAN SEAGO
Plainview ISD
The Plainview ISD Board
of Trustees and school
administration held its
annual Employee Awards
and Recognition Banquet
for 2010-11 on May 20 to
honor district employees for
their years of service. Also
recognized were 18 retirees
and 16 certifi ed campus
educators elected by fellow
educators as campus Educators
of the Year. Employees
of Aramark, the district food
service provider, also were
recognized for their years of
service.
Dinner music was provided
by PHS graduating
seniors Shaniqua Whitaker
and Ray Villarreal.
Board Vice President
Lonnie DiSalvo gave a brief
message of appreciation to
the staff. His message was
followed by the presentation
of awards to the honorees
by Superintendent Dr. Ron
Miller and board members
DiSalvo, Sylvia De La
Garza, Phil Cox, Adam Soto
and Bryan Wood.
Years of Service Awards
were presented to:
10 years: ARAMARK — Linda Hernandez,
Paulina Owens; Ash — Sandra
Hancock; College Hill — Jennifer Havens;
Coronado — Rebecca Hilliard, Monica
Rodriquez, Konnie Schafer, Bruce Waldrip;
Edgemere — Kim Lambert; Estacado —
Janet Cunningham, Arlinda Hernandez,
Maria Sheetz; Hillcrest — Diana Magana;
Houston School — Mary Kindinger; La
Mesa — Tania Halbleib, Mary True; Plainview
High — Cindy Belt, Janice Cabler,
Anthony Gonzales, Sharon Hughes, Debbie
Raymond, Maria Vasquez; Technology —
Shelley Roberts.
15 years: Administration — Theressa
Burns; ARAMARK — Anita Alcozer; Ash
— Brandon Buchanan, Ted Ditmore, Rene
Kayler; College Hill — Boneva Hill; Coronado
— Maria Pena, Rigo Rey; Edgemere
— Melody Rockwell, LaTressa Waldrip,
Rhonda Williams; Estacado/Ash — Cliff
Franklin; Estacado — Kristie Goines,
Marci Owens, James Soder; Highland —
Patty White; La Mesa — Alissa Carter,
Tonjua Smith; Lakeside — Yesenia Pardo,
Shelley Slack; Plainview High — Maria
Ramos, Rodney Wallace; Plainview High/
Technology — Curtis Bailey; Thunderbird
— Lillie Barrett, Herminia Zuniga; Service
Center — Julie Rincon.
20 years: Administration — Rhonda
Weehunt; ARAMARK/Ash — Willie Polite;
Business Offi ce — Laura Spencer; Highland
— Betsy Lewis; Hillcrest — Hope
Gonzales; Houston/Estacado — Mike
Lewis; Lakeside — Jill Freeman; La Mesa
— Terry Higgins; Plainview High — Tracy
Dawson, Brenda McDonough, Valinda
Parker, Susan Rivera, Sandy Smith; Service
Center — David Lopez; Special Education
— Gayla Aycock; Technology — Jan
Seago; Thunderbird — Eava Marroquin,
Jimye Sadler, Elena Vera.
25 years: ARAMARK/Ash — Maria
Garcia; Edgemere — Susan Hayse; Highland
— Melody Miller, Tracey Wirth; La
Mesa — Carrie Rollins, Carolyn Thompson;
Plainview High — Kayla Caldwell,
Nancy Lewis; Thunderbird — Gaye King.
30 years: Administration — Andrea
Ingram; ARAMARK/Coronado — Lynda
Cate; College Hill — Linda Amador.
35 years: College Hill — Stephanie
Thompson-Sweatt.
• • •
Eighteen employees
retiring during the 2010-11
school year were recognized.
Retirees are:
•Judy Buchanan, assistant
superintendent of
curriculum and instruction,
is retiring with 39 years of
experience in education, all
in Plainview ISD. Buchanan
spent 19 years as a science
teacher, nine years as cheerleader
sponsor, fi ve years as
student council sponsor and
two years as class dean. At
the district level, she moved
from PHS instructional coordinator
to director of instruction
and then to her current
position. She is married to
Pat Buchanan and has one
son, Brandon, a daughter in
law, Tonya, and three grandsons
— Brosnon, Braydon
and Brendon. She plans to
spend her time in retirement
playing with her grandchildren,
renovating her
home, spending time in the
mountains and reading. She
says that as a teacher she
was rewarded with the gift
of viewing lives transformed
and knowing that she could
positively affect the future
simply by showing up and
doing her best every day.
•Andrea Ingram, executive
secretary to the super-
intendent and the board of
trustees, is retiring after
30 years with the district.
She began her career as
an aide, then moved to the
administrative offi ce to do
capital outlay inventory and
serve as bidding clerk. She
has served as secretary to
three superintendents. She
is a native of Big Spring
and is married to Rusty
Ingram. Her extended family
includes her son, Bryan, and
his wife, Brandy Merrick,
and her daughter, Le’Ann,
and husband, Mike McNutt.
She has two grandsons,
Peyton and Preston McNutt.
Andrea plans to be open to
God’s call while enjoying
life, family, volunteer work,
gardening, reading, bird
watching and working on
her “bucket list.”
•Paulette Manning, assistant
superintendent for
federal programs, is retiring
after 37 years in education:
26 1/2 years teaching and 10
1/2 years in administration.
She is a San Antonio native
with degrees from Mary
Hardin-Baylor University
and Wayland. She spent
most of her teaching career
as a math teacher at the
junior high and high school
levels before joining the
administrative staff as an
instructional coordinator and
then moving to director of
federal programs. Manning
is married to her high-school
sweetheart, Dr. Gary Manning.
Their family includes
son Troy and his wife Emily
and daughter Tami and her
husband Carlos. They have
one grandchild, Hogan
Lon, and are expecting a
second grandchild, Carter
Brooke. She plans to spend
retirement helping with her
grandchildren and teaching
adjunct classes for WBU.
She says serving children,
teachers, principals and district
staff through teaching
and leading was the call of
God on her life.
•Ruth Ann McNutt,
district PEIMS clerk, is retiring
after 31 years in various
secretarial positions with the
district. She was raised in
Hobart, Okla., and graduated
from Southwestern
Oklahoma State University
with a certifi cate in secretarial
science. She began her
career working as a secretary
in the Hobart school district
where she met her husband,
Larry McNutt, retired Hillcrest
principal. The McNutts
have three children — Molly
Summers, Michael McNutt
and Marla Abbott — and six
grandchildren. McNutt says
she has enjoyed her years
with the district, has made
some wonderful friends
and pleasant memories of
her time here. She is ready
to relax and plans to spend
time learning to use her new
sewing machine, volunteering
and traveling.
•Linda Murphree,
elementary instructional
coordinator and dyslexia
coordinator, is retiring after
29 years in education, 23 of
those with Plainview ISD.
She is a Bonham native and
a Wayland graduate. She
began her teaching career
teaching music in Floydada
ISD. She taught English in
Kress and then eighth-grade
science in Friona. After
moving to Plain view, she
taught one year at a private
school before joining the
district to teach second
grade at Highland for the
next 15 years. She has been
in her current position for
eight years. She is married
to Danny Murphree and
is the mother of two boys,
David and Trent. The family
also includes David’s wife,
Melissa; Trent’s wife, Emily;
and four grandchildren
— Gracie, Hunter, Ella and
Cole. Murphree has been
teaching a night class for
Wayland for the last eight
years and will be joining the
WBU Education Department
to teach education and teacher
prep classes beginning in
August. Until then she plans
to travel with her family and
spend as much time as possible
with her grandkids.
•Sherry Thomas, special
education/resource teacher at
Ash, is retiring after 31 years
in education. She was raised
in Abilene and is a Texas
Tech graduate. She began
her teaching career in New
Deal, moved to Lubbock
ISD and came to Plainview
ISD 10 years ago. She has
a married daughter who
teaches in Dimmitt and a
younger daughter who lives
in Fort Collins, Colo. She
is a 29-year cancer survivor
and plans to spend her retirement
years volunteering at
Hope Lodge in Lubbock.
•Susan McMillan, College
Hill teacher, is retiring
from a 34-year career
in education. A native of
Denison, McMillan is a
graduate of Texas Tech. She
began her career in Amarillo
before moving to Plainview
where she taught special
education for 8 1/2 years,
fourth grade for 20 years and
third grade for three years.
She is married to Tommy
McMillan and has two
children — Lori Johnston
and Chance McMillan. Lori
is married to Maj. James
Johnston, and they have two
daughters — Rileigh Faith
and Madeline Grace. Chance
and his wife, Kelsey, have
one son, Grayson Beau. She
says teaching can be a job or
a passion, but for her it has
been a passion. “We must be
accountable for instruction
and use every method to see
that every child can learn.”
•Diana Riojas, Coronado
teacher, retired after 29
years in education — 16
years in Lubbock ISD and
13 years in Plainview ISD.
Riojas, a graduate of New
Mexico Highlands University,
says her parents raised
fi ve children and instilled in
each of them a great passion
for learning. She says that
her teaching career has been
fulfi lling with wonderful
students and awesome colleagues.
Her plans for retirement
include living each
day to the fullest, laughing
loudly, loving daily, taking
care of family, cooking,
traveling, casinos and waiting
for God’s next big plan
for her and her husband,
Robert.
•Joyce Wilbanks, a
Wayland graduate, has been
a band director for 21 years.
She taught fi ve years in Hale
Center before coming to
Plainview. She is a native of
Terrell but spent her junior
and senior high school years
in Frisco, Colo., where her
love of music began. She
has one son, Anthony Wilbanks,
who lives in Denver.
She plans to relocate to the
Denton area where she will
work as a music substitute
and a private music instructor.
Her advice to incoming
educators is to be equipped
with patience, kindness and
love. “Anyone can teach
curriculum; inspiring them
to have passion about your
curriculum is where the
rewards are found.”
•Karen James is retiring
after 26 years with
Plainview ISD — two at
Coronado, fi ve at Ash and
19 at Estacado. She grew
up in Clovis, N.M., and attended
Eastern New Mexico,
Wayland and Texas Tech.
She is married to Don. Her
son Randy and his wife Cory
have twin boys, Lucas and
Logan. Her daughter Gina is
married to Trey Rogers, has
a son Cory and is expecting
a baby this fall. Her
words of wisdom are to “be
fl exible.” Her philosophy of
teaching: “Every child can
learn. It may not be in the
same way or the same day
but they can learn. You just
have to fi gure out how to
help them to learn.”
•Sharon Gordon,
Highland teacher, has been
a public educator in Texas
and Iowa for 22 years. She
is a native of McAdoo and
a graduate of Wayland. She
began her career in Hereford
and also taught in Friona,
Orange City and Bovina
before coming to Plainview
where she has taught for
six years. She is married to
Alec Gordon and has two
children, Kendra and Kris,
and a granddaughter, Alexa.
Upon retirement, she and
Alec will be moving to the
Austin area. She is excited
about what the future will
hold for them in this next
stage of life.
•Beverly Groves, Hillcrest
kindergarten teacher,
retired in January after 19
years in Plainview ISD.
•Pat Chilton, La Mesa
teacher, is retiring after 25
years in education, 24 of
those at La Mesa. She says,
“It has been a privilege to
work with students, parents,
teachers and principals.” Her
future plans are indefi nite,
but she is looking forward to
the choices available to her.
•Milton Finley, assistant
principal at PHS, is retiring
after a 40-year career in
education, 27 of those years
in Plainview ISD. He is a
graduate of Howard Payne
University and holds a midmanagement
certifi cate from
Wayland. After a year in the
Army Reserves, he began
his career as a coach and
history teacher at Loveland
before coming to Plainview
to coach. He has been in his
current position for 14 years.
He is married to Beth Finley
and has two sons — Mike,
senior program director at
the YMCA, and Kyle, who
is working at a YMCA
Camp in North Carolina.
Finley will spend time recuperating
from a recent
surgery and then he and
Beth hope to take some time
this summer to visit family
in Georgetown.
•Gary Kincanon, diagnostician,
is retiring after 29
years in education, the past
19 years in Plainview ISD.
He is a native of Muleshoe
and holds bachelor’s and
master’s degrees from Texas
Tech. He taught in Lubbock,
Lamesa and Ralls prior to
becoming a diagnostician.
He says that not every child
learns in the same way or at
the same rate. “Learning is
best accomplished by fi nding
the way a child learns
best and using that method
to teach him.”
•Cheryl Lyles, diagnostician,
is retiring with more
than 31 years in education
— 4 1/2 years in Hereford,
17 years teaching social
studies at PHS and nine
years in her current position.
She is a graduate of Hale
Center High School and
received her bachelor’s and
master’s degrees from West
Texas State. She is married
to A.B. Lyles, and her
family includes a son Aaron,
a daughter Amanda Clark,
son-in-law Jason Clark, and
three step-grandchildren.
Her retirement plans include
spending time with her
husband, rest and relaxation,
and traveling to visit her
children.
•Debra Barrett, Thunderbird
teacher, retired in
January after 19 years with
the district.
•Rita Alcozer, Edgemere
custodian, has worked for
the district for 25 years
under fi ve principals, four
of whom she says she “had
to train.” She adds that she
has loved working for the
school system. She was born
in Anson and is the mother
of three children, Henry,
Martin and Manda. She also
has seven grandchildren and
two great-grandchildren. She
plans to spend her retirement
taking care of her mom and
her grandchildren and plans
to enjoy not having to hurry
or be on anyone else’s clock.
• • •
Campus Educators
of the Year receiving
awards included: Susan
McMillan, College Hill;
Stacey Stevens, Edgemere;
Sharon Gordon, Highland;
Marijo Tunnell, Hillcrest,
Sue Patridge, La Mesa;
Deborah Alcozer and Elena
Vera, Thunderbird; April
O’Brien, Lakeside; Marla
Howard, Anne Kelley and
Karen Trudeau, Ash; Joyce
Wilbanks, Coronado; Julie
Brantley, Estacado; Stephanie
Baeza and Pam Kennedy,
Houston School; and
Richard Roberts, PHS.
McMillan’s, Wilbanks’
and Gordon’s biographies
are included previously with
the retirees.
•Stacey Stevens has
taught kindergarten at
Edgemere for seven years.
She grew up in Plainview
and is a graduate of PHS
and Wayland. She has a
daughter, Laken Stevens,
who is graduating from PHS
and will attend Texas Tech
in the fall. Her philosophy
of teaching: “Each child is
a unique individual who
needs a secure, caring and
stimulating atmosphere in
which to grow and mature
emotionally, intellectually,
physically and socially.”
Her words of wisdom: “Be
thankful for your mistakes;
they will teach you valuable
lessons.”
•Marijo Tunnell has 23
years of teaching experience
— eight years in Sugar
Land, three years in Midland,
three years in Houston,
one year in Floydada and
eight years teaching third
grade at Hillcrest. She is
a native of Houston and a
graduate of Texas Tech. She
is married to Jeff and has
two daughters, Sara Beth
and Natalie. She spent eight
years teaching in an open
concept school and says she
learned much from listening
to and watching co-workers.
Her words of wisdom: “Coworkers
are your biggest asset
— Embrace them!” She
says teaching is a ministry
and she hopes to witness
to her students every day
through her actions.
•Sue Patridge has 21
years of teaching experience.
She has taught at Edgemere
and College Hill and is
presently teaching second
grade at La Mesa. She is
married to Joel Patridge. Her
philosophy of teaching: “Being
a teacher is like being a
mother bird. I nurture, love
and teach them and then
watch as they learn to fl y. As
hard as it is to let them go,
it is even more rewarding
to see them succeed.” Her
words of wisdom is a quote
from Karen Buchner: “They
may not remember everything
you said, but they will
always remember how you
made them feel.”
•Deborah Alcozer is a bilingual
kindergarten teacher
at Thunderbird with three
years of teaching experience.
She is a graduate of PHS
and Wayland. She is married
to Tommy and has two sons,
Joseph Nathaniel and Adrian
Jeremiah. Her philosophy of
education is to recognize her
students as individuals, fi nd
what assists their learning
and what hinders it, become
their greatest advocate and
most constructive critic,
go above and beyond for
students, and then create an
environment conducive to
learning.
•Elena Vera has been
teaching at Thunderbird for
13 years, but also worked as
a paraprofessional at Edgemere
and Coronado. She is a
native of Olton and a graduate
of Wayland. She is working
on a master’s degree in
educational diagnostics. She
is married to Homer and has
two children, Micayla Vera
and Blake Vera. Her words
of wisdom: “Treat students
as you would like to be
treated, stepping up creativity
and choices instead of
criticism and punishment.
This makes life and learning
more enjoyable for teachers
and students.”
•April O’Brien has been
teaching at Lakeside for two
years. She and her husband,
David O’Brien, are dorm
parents at Wayland. She
says although her second
year has been amazing, her
fi rst year was challenging
and that she has learned to
listen and value the wisdom
and help of more experienced
teachers. Her philosophy
of education is that
teachers need to let students
know they care about them
fi rst. They also need to have
enthusiasm about what they
are teaching. “If they are
excited, students will be
excited about learning as
well.”
•Marla Howard is a
graduate of Plainview High
School and West Texas
State University. She taught
one year in Amarillo before
returning to Plainview to
teach math at Ash. She has
two children — David and
Deidre. She believes that
“some of us are teachers
because we enjoy learning.
Not only should we impart
knowledge, skills and wisdom
to our students, but we
should also share with them
our joy of learning.”
•Anne Kelley has been
teaching science at Ash
Sixth Grade Learning Center
for 14 years. She is a native
of Little Rock, Ark., and
earned bachelor’s and master’s
degrees from Wayland.
She is married to Tim. Her
daughter Kristen is married
to Bobby and has two children,
Bret and Maggie. Her
son Shawn and his fi ancé
Hailey will be married in
July. Kelley says that enthusiasm
for change is a key element
in her classroom. She
has a quote from Charles
Darwin posted in her room:
“It is not the strongest of the
species that survive, nor the
most intelligent, but the one
most responsive to change.”
•Karen Trudeau is completing
her eighth year as a
social studies teacher at Ash.
She grew up in Montana
and Idaho and received her
degree from Montana State-
Billings. She is married to
Pat and has three grown
children — Raelene, Jennifer
and Phillip. Her words
of wisdom: “Be fl exible, be
prepared, be professional,”
and each day is a new experience
with sixth graders.
Her philosophy of teaching
is primarily to help students
to be productive, self-suffi -
cient citizens of society who
are pleasant to be around.
•Julie Brantley has taught
for 19 years in Plainview
ISD — 10 years at Estacado
and nine years at Coronado.
She is a native of Tulia and
a graduate of West Texas
A&M. She will complete her
master’s degree from American
College of Education
on Friday. She is married
to Steven Brantley and has
two children — Breann and
Colt. Her words of wisdom:
“Whatever reasons a person
has to become a teacher,
love must be part of it.
Teaching is an emotional
and spiritual journey.” Her
philosophy of teaching in
part is: “I believe that the
learning environment is a
shared, public place that
must be welcoming, safe and
the responsibility of those
who share it.”
•Stephanie Baeza has
taught for 17 years with the
past six years spent teaching
science at Houston School.
She is a PHS graduate and
received her bachelor’s
degree from Texas Tech.
She is married to Raymond
Baeza, and they have six
children — Adrian, Samuel,
PISD, Page 5C