Tomball ISD superintendent named finalist for Texas superintendent of the year

Tomball ISD’s superintendent has been named one of five finalists for the 2023 Texas Superintendent of the Year honor from the Texas Association of School Boards, according to an Aug. 28 news release from the district.

Two-minute impact

TISD superintendent Martha Salazar-Zamora—who was named Region 4 Education Service Center Superintendent of the Year in May—was selected from a pool of 19 superintendents interviewed for the TASB superintendent of the year. Candidates were:

• Evaluated based on their “work in improving student outcomes, developing a strong team-of-eight relationship, advocacy, and their ongoing commitment to innovation and leadership,” according to the release
• Interviewed by a team of school board members from across Texas

“Serving as a superintendent is one of the toughest yet most rewarding jobs in the world, and we’re thrilled to be able to celebrate these accomplished and committed leaders who do so much for our students,” TASB Executive Director Dan Troxell said via an Aug. 28 news release from TASB.

The setup

For the Region 4 honor, Salazar-Zamora was nominated by the TISD board in April and chosen from Region 4's service area, which includes eight counties and 48 school districts.

• Salazar-Zamora has served as TISD’s superintendent since 2017 and has worked in education for more than 36 years.
• Before her time as TISD superintendent, Salazar-Zamora served three years as the district's chief academic officer.

Quote of note

“While managing our fast-growth district, [Salazar-Zamora] has helped establish TISD as a leader in the region. ... The board of trustees is overjoyed that ‘the word is out’ and our superpowered superintendent is being recognized for her efforts to make TISD the destination that it is,” TISD Board President Lee McLeod said via the district’s news release.

What’s next

On Sept. 29, the 2023 Texas Superintendent of the Year will be named in Dallas at the TASB and the Texas Association of School Administrators’ upcoming convention.

Anna Lotz contributed to this report.