Greg Grimes serves as Executive Director Enterprise Systems at Plano ISD

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.

Fernando De Velasco's professional experience in education technology began in 2004 after he had been in the private sector since the late 90s. He currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer for Prosper Independent School District. Prosper ISD is a fast-growing district located north of the Dallas area. He has served in this position since 2017, and during this time he has been entrusted with incorporating the physical security and Skyward groups into Technology. This latest addition led to the creation of a Management Information team in the department to accommodate growth. During De Velasco's time since 2017, Prosper ISD has grown by 11 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 2 high schools, and over 13,000 additional students.

After almost 20 years in education, De Velasco's knowledge spans many areas of technology and the integration and collaboration with multiple departments such as curriculum and instruction, the business office, construction, and student management, to name a few. His greatest skill is the ability to look ahead and plan for numerous possibilities. De Velasco is a leader who builds into his team and encourages them to reach greater heights. His main goal is to build the Technology team and the technology infrastructure at Prosper ISD in such a way that when he turns around he can say we are building an exceptional district (both people and equipment).

As a 20-year educator, Leann Kidd is a Certified Educational Technology Leader (CETL) and is currently the Director of Training and Development in Northside ISD’s Technology Services Department. 

Her professional career started in 2004 as a classroom teacher, where she cultivated a passion for education before becoming a Computer Instruction Teacher to assist others with integrating technology into the curriculum. With an expanding interest in technology, she received her Masters of Education in Instructional Technology. She worked as a Technologist with that new knowledge, blending pedagogy insight with technology skills for staff and students. 

She now has the fortunate opportunity of leading and collaborating with a dynamic team in Northside ISD, implementing technology solutions in education to support their students. As a director, she continues to present at district and state conferences and is eager to learn from and collaborate with others.

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.

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. 

Director of Network and Infrastructure, Lubbock-Cooper ISD