The Katy ISD board of trustees addressed several issues at a special meeting held May 31, including swearing in new board member George Scott.

Scott—who won the May 7 election for the Position 1 seat on the board of trustees—was sworn into office after the board canvassed the results of the May 24 recount.

“It feels nice,” Scott said. “My grandkids were here, that’s the big thing.”

The board of trustees was expected to consider the naming of the new superintendent of schools at the meeting but board officials announced that the hiring process is ongoing and did not release the names of any finalists.

Tom Gunnell, KISD’s chief operations officer, will temporarily act in an advisory role similar to superintendent, providing the board with guidance and advice until a new superintendent is chosen, said Denisse Cantu Coffman, the district’s director of communications.

Cantu Coffman said Gunnell is not an interim superintendent.

The board of trustees also reorganized at the meeting, electing officers for the 2016-17 school year. Rebecca Fox was chosen as president, Ashley Vann was tabbed as vice president, Courtney Doyle was named secretary, Bryan Michalsky will fill the treasurer seat and Henry Dibrell was selected as sergeant-at-arms.

“I am honored to be chosen as president to lead the board through the next year,” Fox said. “I’m an inclusive communicator, and I look forward to all of us becoming stronger. The most important thing is working for the children of our district.”

From left: Katy ISD board of trustees members Rebecca Fox, Courtney Doyle, Charles Griffin, Joe Adams, Ashley Vann, Henry Dibrell and Bryan Michalsky. The board of trustees recognized Adams on the final night of his 27 years of school board service. From left: Katy ISD board of trustees members Rebecca Fox, Courtney Doyle, Charles Griffin, Joe Adams, Ashley Vann, Henry Dibrell and Bryan Michalsky. The board of trustees recognized Adams on the final night of his 27 years of school board service.[/caption]

Before the meeting was adjourned, Joe Adams—who served on the board for 27 years prior to losing the May 7 election to Scott—was presented with a farewell gift and emotional goodbyes from each of the members of the board he had previously served with.

Adams, who held every position on the board at least once and served as president for four different terms, said that he considers progress and teamwork to be the high points of his nearly three decades of service.

“I’ve served with a lot of great people,” Adams said. “It’s been a great ride. We don’t do anything individually; we do it as a team. I think that we have a lot to be thankful for.”