Justin Lascsak has been the Director of Technology for Mineral Wells ISD since the summer of 2019. He is nearing 25 years in the field of information technology, with almost 15 of those years in public education. Technology in the classroom has increased drastically over the past decade or two. He is excited to be a part of this growth as it enhances the educational environment of our students by creating and promoting new, innovative, and collaborative learning opportunities.

Leann Kidd, CETL, is the Executive Director of Technology Services at Northside ISD, bringing over 20 years of educational experience to the role. She began her career as a classroom teacher in 2004 before channeling her passion for digital learning into a career in instructional technology. After earning her Master of Education in Instructional Technology, Leann served as a Training & Development Technologist and later as Director, mastering the bridge between pedagogy and technical skill. Today, she leads a dynamic team dedicated to implementing innovative technology solutions that support and empower Northside ISD students and staff.

Greg Grimes serves as Executive Director Enterprise Systems at Plano ISD.

Dr. Melissa McCalla has served as the Chief Technology Officer for the Pasadena Independent School District for the last 4 years. Located in the Greater-Houston area, Melissa is beginning her 25^th year in education. She leads a diverse team of over 125 professionals across five different technology departments, which also include Libraries and Instructional Materials. Her strategic vision and leadership have been instrumental in conducting comprehensive needs assessments and streamlining technology decision-making processes to enhance student learning outcomes, infrastructure, staffing models, compensation plans and service delivery.

Curtis Shahan is the current Director of Technology for Wichita Falls ISD. He has over 25 years experience supporting both K12 and business technology. He feels his greatest accomplishment is the students he has mentored to amazing technology careers. 

Cara Carter has served as Northwest ISD’s chief technology officer since 2023, leading all district technology services including instructional technology, technology infrastructure, enterprise data and workflow, and student enrollment processes.

Ms. Carter previously served as executive director of technology for the district for four years beginning in 2019. In that role, she led the quick transition to remote learning during the COVID pandemic, oversaw expansions of the fiberoptic network and telephony upgrades as the district experiences unprecedented growth, and directed multiple refreshes of staff and student laptops.

Prior to leading the division, Ms. Carter served as the district’s director of instructional technology for four years, where she planned deployments of student and staff devices, coordinated the annual Expo student showcase, and created long-term district strategic plans for technology. She is a 19-year district veteran who has led major technology initiatives in her time in the technology division.

In 2021, the Texas Computer Education Association named Ms. Carter as its Technology Administrator of the Year for her work leading initiatives to support students and teachers across the district.

She holds a CETL certification from the Consortium for School Networking, and she is active in numerous education technology associations. As a longtime Northwest ISD staff member, Ms. Carter joined the district in 2004 as a classroom teacher and has also served as an instructional technology specialist and coordinator of instructional technology.

Ms. Carter earned her master’s degree in administration from Lamar University and her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of North Texas.

Victoria Yates serves as Technology Director at Abernathy ISD.