NISD honors retirees, staff at 2026 Inspire Celebrations
NISD honors retirees, staff at 2026 Inspire Celebrations
Northwest ISD announced its Teachers of the Year and recognized outstanding educators and staff across the district during its annual Inspire Excellence Celebration on Thursday. The district also honored retirees and service pin recipients at a separate celebration on Friday.
From a strong pool of candidates, Teresa Ramirez of Prairie View Elementary was named Elementary Teacher of the Year, while Jeffrey Neaves of Eaton High School earned Secondary Teacher of the Year honors.
In addition, all 35 Northwest ISD campuses selected Exemplar Educators for the 2025–2026 school year, recognizing top teachers at each campus. These educators were selected through a rigorous selection process that evaluated leadership, motivation and classroom effectiveness.
The Inspire Excellence Celebration also recognized the district’s Employees of the Year. Retirees and longtime staff members reaching significant service milestones were honored during Friday’s Retiree and Service Pin Celebration. Photos from both events are available on the district’s Flickr page.
| Exemplar Educators (Elementary) | |
|---|---|
| Allison Palislamovic | Beck Elementary |
| Ashley Constantino | Berkshire Elementary |
| Halle Smith | Carter Elementary |
| Razel Saralde | Cox Elementary |
| Danielle Alsup | Curtis Elementary |
| Kelli Baugh | Daniel Elementary |
| Allison Lohmer | Granger Elementary |
| Emily Krzyzek | Haslet Elementary |
| Kristin Daugherty | Hatfield Elementary |
| Jenny Hover | Hughes Elementary |
| Sarah Jones | Justin Elementary |
| Kim Camacho | Lakeview Elementary |
| Enriquita Espree | Lance Thompson Elementary |
| Jennifer Hall | Love Elementary |
| Jessica Young | Nance Elementary |
| Billy Heng | Perrin Elementary |
| Kristy McClurg | Peterson Elementary |
| Teresa Ramirez | Prairie View Elementary |
| Lily Horak | Roanoke Elementary |
| Katie West | Schluter Elementary |
| Megan Wallace | Sendera Ranch Elementary |
| Kaylie Shuler | Seven Hills Elementary |
| Cindy Pool | Thompson Elementary |
| Exemplar Educators (Secondary) | |
|---|---|
| Baylie Salazar | Adams Middle School |
| Kayla Cotton | Chisholm Trail Middle School |
| Tiffany Wood | Medlin Middle School |
| Doug Eason | Pike Middle School |
| Isaac Dove | Tidwell Middle School |
| Morgan Greenwade | Wilson Middle School |
| Eva Goins | Worthington Middle School |
| Trey Baez | Byron Nelson High School |
| Jeffrey Neaves | Eaton High School |
| Janis Davis | Northwest High School |
| Katie Steinhauser | Steele Early College High School |
| Sheryl Jones | Special Programs Center |
| Employees of the Year | |
|---|---|
| Jennifer Aguilar (Instructional Support) | Seven Hills Elementary |
| Beth Miller (Administrative Support) | Byron Nelson High School |
| Jennifer Brewster (Support Services) | Adams Middle School |
| Retirees | |
|---|---|
| Curtis Aguirre | Eaton High School |
| Kathryn Allison | Northwest High School |
| Cindy Barksdale | Chisholm Trail Middle School |
| Jeff Barksdale | Northwest High School |
| Cindy Bauter, Ed.D. | Legal |
| Deborah Bockhoff | Thompson Elementary |
| Paige Cantrell | Medlin Middle School |
| Cheryl Chancelor | Northwest High School |
| Patricia Cunningham-Wake | Transportation |
| Jennifer Dearman | Worthington Middle School |
| Christy Edgar | Byron Nelson High School |
| Susan Erichson | Nance Elementary |
| Katherine Evetts | Chisholm Trail Middle School |
| Kristy Fair | Pike Middle School |
| Lisa Fishbeck | Byron Nelson High School |
| Karla Galligan | Worthington Middle School |
| Stephen Garretson, Ed. D. | Justin Elementary |
| Micah Gierkey | Student Support Services |
| Tammie Goodall | Nance Elementary |
| Craig Hardin | Eaton High School |
| David Hornback | Eaton High School |
| Shana Jackson | Guidance and Counseling |
| Stefanie Jardine | Tidwell Middle School |
| Kelly Kelly | Roanoke Elementary |
| Michael Killian | Byron Nelson High School |
| Ricky King | Worthington Middle School |
| Leah Knoche Berry | Byron Nelson High School |
| Cheryl Lemmons | Northwest High School |
| Susan Logan | Justin Elementary |
| Michele Markulec | Thompson Elementary |
| Kimberly Marzahn | Seven Hills Elementary |
| Patrick Matous | Byron Nelson High School |
| Laura Maunsell | C&I |
| Justine Nettleton, Ed.D. | Northwest High School |
| Ellyane Palmenteri | Chisholm Trail Middle School |
| Kitty Poehler | Human Resources |
| Deanna Rabalais | Student Services |
| Kimberly Reed | Eaton High School |
| Heather Rogers | Hatfield Elementary |
| Jim Sadler | Facilities |
| Ann Marie Sayre-Walther | CTE |
| Stephanie Shatt | Chisholm Trail Middle School |
| Michelle Smith | Hughes Elementary |
| Stephen Speer | Northwest High School |
| Stacy White | Student Services |
| Jerry Yowell | Northwest High School |
| Service Pin Recipients (25 years) | |
|---|---|
| DeYon Moore | Facilities |
| Bobby Morris | CTE/CCR |
| Pamela Shropshire | Justin Elemenntary |
| Service Pin Recipients (30 years) | |
|---|---|
| Laurie Bartels | Northwest High School |
| Jody Davis | Technology |
| Casey Dibenedetto | Berkshire Elementary |
| Cynthia Pavlakovic | Justin Elementary |
|
Service Pin Recipients (35 years) |
|
|---|---|
| Sandy Fuson | Technology |