Interim District Leaders appointed to permanent positions; New West Assistant Principal hired

Three WSISD administrators who have been serving in interim positions were approved for permanent positions at the Feb. 23 school board meeting. 

Courtney Berry, who has served as Interim Special Programs Director since May, was officially named Special Programs Director. Randy Summerhill will serve as the district’s new Executive Director of Auxiliary Services, and John Hebert was named the permanent principal of Blue Haze Elementary, after serving in the interim role since November.

Special Programs Director

Berry served as North STEAM Academy principal for two years and West Elementary principal for four. She began her 17-year career with WSISD as a teacher at Liberty Elementary, where she also served as Assistant Principal. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Texas Christian University, a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Tarleton State University, and her Superintendent Certification.

Executive Director of Auxiliary Services

Assistant Human Resources Director Randy Summerhill has worked alongside Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations David Bitter—who will retire at the end of the school year—since December. Summerhill will oversee the Operations, Transportation and Custodial Services Departments.

In his 29th year with WSISD, Summerhill served as principal at Brewer Middle School for four years and Tannahill Intermediate for six. He began his career as a custodian and groundskeeper in the WSISD Operations Department. Summerhill became a teacher and coach at BMS after he earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Columbia College. After he received his Master of Education in Administration from Lamar University, he was promoted to Athletic Coordinator and Assistant Principal.

A 1991 Brewer High School alumnus, Summerhill and his wife, Christy, have two grown children who graduated from BHS. 

Blue Haze Elementary Principal

Trustees officially appointed John Hebert as the permanent principal of Blue Haze Elementary, after serving in the interim role since November. A retired educator with 35 years' experience—27 in WSISD—Hebert returned to education three years ago, when he became an Assistant Principal at the West Early Learners Academy. 

His tenure in WSISD spanned multiple leadership roles including six years as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, three years as Brewer High School principal, and one year as Blue Haze Elementary principal. He began his career as a teacher and coach at Brewer Middle School and later served five years as the BMS Assistant Principal. 

After leaving WSISD, Hebert served three years as principal of Lake Worth High School. He was then promoted to superintendent, a position he held for four years before retiring from education.

A 1979 BHS alumnus, he and his wife, Pam, have two sons who graduated from BHS. 

West Early Learners Academy Assistant Principal
Lei McDade was hired as the new assistant principal at West Early Learners Academy. In November, John Hebert, who previously held the position, became interim principal at Blue Haze Elementary.  

An educator in Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD for the past six years, McDade most recently served as the Behavior Interventionist for Bryson Elementary.  For five years prior, she taught at George Clark Elementary in Fort Worth ISD. She brings 14 years' experience in education.

McDade has a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Texas Permian Basin-Odessa and a Bachelor's Degree in Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington.