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Executive Leadership Impact Team
Office of Communications
Adams holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Stephen F. Austin State University and has been recognized by the Texas School Public Relations Association for her outstanding work. Her career has also included significant roles at the Lufkin Convention and Visitors Bureau, Memorial Health System, The Coalition (a nonprofit), and St. Cyprian’s Episcopal School.
A native of East Texas, Adams is deeply committed to her community. While in Lufkin, Adams actively served on the boards of the Lufkin Education Foundation, United Way, and Harold’s House. Her involvement with professional organizations like TSPRA and the East Texas School Public Relations Association underscores her dedication to professional growth and community service.
Adams directly supports the superintendent and works with district leadership to implement the district’s strategic plan’s priorities.
Adams is responsible for developing, leading, and executing a comprehensive and strategic communications plan that showcases Aldine ISD’s educational programs and initiatives. That responsibility includes oversight of media relations, internal and external communications, branding, and special events. She also works to elevate AISD’s equity initiatives.
Office of Teaching and Learning
Cantú most recently served as a School Assistant Superintendent (SAS) of Elementary Schools. As a SAS, she supported principals to ensure they reached students where they were while challenging them. Before joining Aldine ISD in June 2019, Cantú served as the Director of Multilingual Programs for Sheldon ISD, where she was responsible for implementing curriculum and developing and leading district initiatives, including a dual language program that begins in prekindergarten and extends to seventh grade. Cantú has also served as an assistant principal and principal.
As the Chief Academic Officer, Cantú is responsible for showcasing leadership in planning, developing, and maintaining the development of the district’s curriculum and instruction. She has oversight of these areas:
- Special Education
- Multilingual
- Teaching and Learning
- Library Media Services
- Professional Learning and Technology Integration
- Technology Innovation and Initiatives
- School Choice
Human Resources
Villarreal oversees school administration and comprehensive student support services as the Chief of Schools at Aldine Independent School District. With responsibilities spanning 84 campuses, he spearheads leadership and development initiatives while ensuring the effective implementation of instructional programs and the delivery of crucial student support services, including attendance, guidance and counseling, health services, social and emotional learning, and school administration. Previously, Villarreal was the district’s chief human resources officer, successfully implementing strategic programs that improved talent acquisition and employee relations. He implemented the Teacher Incentive Allotment as the largest school district in Texas to create a path for all teachers to receive designations and refined employee benefits.
Villarreal holds an Ed.D. in professional leadership from the University of Houston, where his research focused on comparing traditional and developmental bilingual programs. He also possesses an M.Ed. in school counseling from the University of St. Thomas and a B.A. in psychology from the University of Houston. Villarreal’s dedication extends beyond his professional accomplishments, as he actively engages with educational organizations, serves on boards and advisory committees, and shares his expertise as an adjunct professor and guest lecturer.
Schools Office
Since joining Aldine ISD in 2022 as Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services, Melendez has worked to align resources and support systems to improve student engagement, wellness, and academic success. She brings over 20 years of experience in education, along with a deep commitment to equity, relationships, and results.
Before returning to Aldine, Melendez served as Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Spring ISD, where she led the development of PreK–12 curriculum, supported integration of literacy and SEL across content areas, and helped build staff capacity to use data to drive instructional decisions. She also oversaw the district’s assessment development and coordinated its annual summer learning programs.
Melendez began her career in education at Nimitz Ninth Grade School in 2002, where she served as a teacher and softball coach. She later served in leadership roles in Humble ISD, including Assistant Principal at Humble High School and Associate Principal of Curriculum and Instruction at both Summer Creek High School and Humble High School. In 2016, she became Principal of Spring High School, where she successfully improved student outcomes by reducing discipline incidents, increasing attendance, and raising academic performance.
As a proud product of public education, Melendez’s passion for ensuring that every student has access to meaningful opportunities that lead to long-term success is unwavering. She firmly believes that with the proper support, all students — regardless of background — can achieve at high levels.
Office of Accountability, Assessment, and Analytics
Rodriguez is the Chief of Accountability, Assessment and Analytics. She is responsible for providing leadership and oversight in the areas of accountability, evaluation, student data, and state assessments. She also provides leadership with special projects. Rodriguez manages the following departments:
Technology
Adam Galván serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CIO). As the CIO at Aldine ISD, Adam has ensured all departments have the necessary technology while bridging the gap between curriculum and technology. He also works with the current technology team to create an organizational structure that is efficient and scalable and develops goals to optimize the talent of the department.
He has over two decades of technology experience. Before joining Aldine ISD in the spring of 2022, Adam served as the Assistant Superintendent of Operations and Technology at Lockhart ISD, where he modernized the district’s technology systems, including securing up-to-date technology and digital security for educators, bringing wireless internet to all campuses, and setting the district up to become 1:1 as soon as COVID pandemic started.
Adam excels in his role by seeking connection with everyone he meets and is driven to leave things better than he found them. He is devoted to making intentional and sustainable changes that will ultimately support the creation of choices and opportunities for Aldine students and their families.
Adam holds a bachelor of science degree in information technology from the Kaplan Institute. Outside his day job, Adam enjoys being with his family. You will often find him coaching his kids’ soccer and basketball teams. Adam often says he would love to coach. He looks forward to using this love of coaching to mentor and build his team and set Aldine ISD students up for success.
Business and Finance Department
Momanyi’s career reflects a commitment to fiscal stewardship and excellence. Before his current role, he served as executive director of finance at Montgomery ISD and as officer and director of budgeting and financial planning at Houston ISD. His extensive background includes strategic financial planning, budget development, and the implementation of systems to ensure operational efficiency and transparency.
He holds a bachelor’s in accounting and finance from the University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business and a master’s in business administration from Houston Christian University’s Archie W. Dunham College of Business. He is a Registered Texas School Business Administrator (RTSBA) and a Certified Public Funds Investment Manager (CPFIM).
Recognized for his strategic financial leadership, Momanyi plays a critical role in Aldine ISD’s mission to ensure that financial resources align with the district’s goals and priorities, fostering success for students and staff alike.
The Business and Finance Department is responsible for overseeing the financial management of the district. The role involves ensuring that the district’s policies are cost-effective and promote efficient and orderly operations of the business affairs. The Business and Finance Department also leads the district’s financial services activities to ensure effective management practices are in place. The overall goal of his role is to ensure the district’s financial responsibilities are met and that policies adopted by the Board of Trustees are executed efficiently.
As the head of fiscal operations in the district, the main responsibility is to ensure that the budget, finance, and business operations align with the district’s objectives and support the instructional program. The Business and Finance Department maintains accurate accounting procedures for recording all monetary transactions, including cash receipts and disbursements across various funds. The Business and Finance Department oversees the preparation of monthly financial statements to be presented to the Board of Trustees and monitors the fiscal control of all federal and state funds allocated to the district. In summary, the Business and Finance Department has oversight over all financial areas in the district.
- Business Services Team
- Accounts Payable
- Purchasing Department
- Payroll Department
- Accounting and Finance Team
- Budget
- Accounting
- Finance
- Campus Department Support
- Grants Department Team
- Risk Management
- Tax Office
Operations
Additionally, he worked closely with multiple internal and external constituencies to advance the university’s objectives and goals. In this position, Washington supervised a diverse group of 60 and managed an annual operating budget of $16 million. He managed the university’s physical plant, including construction and planning, facilities maintenance, grounds maintenance, custodial services, locksmith, wastewater treatment plant, telephone office, campus mail, transportation, fleet management, parking, and the police department. Washington also created budgets, implemented strategic planning strategies, and developed fundraising initiatives generating over $400,000 in new yearly gift funds from new and recurring partners.
Washington began his career at the university in 1994 as a senior director of auxiliary services/assistant vice president for finance and administration, a position he held for 11 years before serving as vice president of administration and auxiliary services for three years. Between 2008 and 2018, he was vice president of administration and auxiliary services and director of athletics.
His tenure as athletic director was highlighted by PVAMU football returning to its winning tradition. The Panthers won 14 SWAC regular season or tournament titles, with PVAMU Athletics winning back-to-back Commissioner’s Cup crowns as the top overall sports program in the SWAC in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013.
The PVAMU Panthers captured the C.D. Henry Award and the James Frank Award. In 2009-2010, the athletic program earned the Barbara Jacket/Sadie Magee Award as the top overall women’s sports program in the SWAC for only the second time in school history.
In 2010, Washington introduced the first-ever Athletic Director’s Challenge at PVAMU. The financial challenge helped generate support for the sports complex, which opened in 2016. The Panther Stadium represented the first time in the university’s 140-year history that it had a state-of-the-art facility to house its championship-level Panther football team. The stadium has 15,000 seating capacity and amenities: a covered concourse, including concessions and merchandising space, premium seating, and a press box level. The Athletic Field House, adjacent to the stadium, houses a strength and conditioning area, sports medicine suite, team meeting rooms, academic support space, and locker rooms.
He holds a master of arts degree in community development, an MBA, and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Prairie View A&M University. The military veteran served 23 years in the United States Army Reserve and retired with a Major rank.
Operations
Since joining Aldine in 2020, Sierra has led the development and implementation of new school models, school redesign efforts, and innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Her work has included expanding the district’s Choice Schools portfolio and building the systems, partnerships, and leadership capacity needed for innovative practices to grow and endure.
Before joining Aldine, Sierra served as Redesign Program Manager in Spring Branch ISD, where she supported comprehensive school transformation efforts. She began her career in public education in Houston ISD, serving for more than eight years as a bilingual teacher, instructional specialist, and acting assistant principal.
Prior to entering public education, Sierra founded Sapience Training & Consulting, a professional learning firm serving the oil and gas industry in Venezuela.
Sierra earned a master’s degree in Public Education Management from Yale School of Management and is an alumna of The Broad Center. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Media Studies from Universidad Santa Maria.
The Chief Transformation Officer sets the vision and direction for innovative school models. She leads innovation at Aldine by creating, designing, and innovating school systems to enhance student outcomes. She collaborates with the district Executive Leadership Team to drive decisions to increase high-quality instruction in each seat to accelerate the number of A- and B-rated schools. The CTO is responsible for research, design, and implementation of actions to transform schools by providing them with autonomy over people, time, money, and academic programs, including utilizing a range of interventions for campuses, including redesign. To this end, she works collaboratively with designated partners, including internal and external stakeholders. She develops a sustainable foundation for planned and future campus transformations. The main objective is to serve students better and meet district achievement, instruction, and school culture goals. Additionally, she oversees the Choice Schools programs, which include magnet schools, the International Baccalaureate continuum (Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma Programs), one-gender schools, early college, P-TECH schools, and other specialized schools.
She has oversight of these areas:
- Advanced Academics
- CATE
- Visual Arts
- Performing Arts
- School Choice
- Online Learning
Códova honorably retired from the HCSO in 2014 and accepted a position as a Police Captain with the Rice University Police Department. While at the RUPD, Córdova oversaw several areas, including patrol, building security, special events, training, and emergency medical services. He also managed the protection of high-profile dignitaries such as Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Former Secretary of State General Colin Powell. Córdova also initiated several programs, including the Owl Safety Walk, to help secure the campus from outside threats by seeking advice from students living on campus, faculty members, and staff members. He also helped to form a youth camp to help mentor at-risk juveniles to become interested in careers in public service. Córdova also completed the effort to get the police department accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agency, which requires best practices in law enforcement.
In 2017, Córdova joined the Houston Independent School District (HISD) as assistant chief of police. Working closely with HISD Facilities, Risk Management, and Transportation departments, he helped manage the police department’s response to Hurricane Harvey. The following year, Córdova served as interim chief of police before being promoted to Chief of Police. During his tenure as HISD’s chief of police, he added an Office of Community Outreach, an Emergency Response Team, and a Cyber Crimes Unit. Córdova also improved the K9 Unit, restructured the command staff, and opened a second office for the police department on the north side of Houston to augment support services and increase officer presence. As the head of the largest public school district police department in Texas, Córdova supervised 215 officers and was responsible for the safety and security of more than 209,000 students, 29,000 employees, and 280 campuses.
Córdova joined the Aldine ISD Police Department in May 2020. He feels fully vested in the community since he has lived and worked most of his adult life in the Aldine area. His two daughters graduated from Nimitz High School with highest honors. Córdova is a public school advocate. His mother, now retired, was an elementary school principal for HISD. Since his arrival to Aldine, Cordova has added supervision on all levels, an Emergency Response Team, a K9 unit, Detective unit, Training unit, and Community Outreach unit. His department has engaged the community in many events such as Coffee with a Cop, Trunk or Treat, Shop with a Cop, Paint the Convert, National Night Out and many other free events to serve the community and make positive connections with the student body. There have been many enhancements to equipment, accountability and training since his arrival.
Cordova holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice Leadership and Management from Sam Houston State University. Córdova is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, FBI LEEDS and the Leadership Command College of the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas. He serves on the Executive Board of the Texas School District Police Chiefs Association and the Houston Area Police Chiefs Association. He is a past Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Lone Star Police Academy and a current Board Member.
Chief Córdova is a life member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the FBI National Academy Association, the Texas Police Chief’s Association, the Houston Area Chiefs of Police Association, the Texas School District Police Chief’s Association, and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. He is also a Life Member of The 100 Club of Houston.
Ray A. Mondragon has over two decades of experience in public education, with nearly 20 years specific to early childhood education.
Mondragon joined Aldine ISD in April 2020 as Executive Director of Early Childhood Learning. He led all change efforts to increase access to quality programs for the district’s youngest students. This included collaborating with partners and community organizations to create more student opportunities.
Before joining AISD, Mondragon was vice president of programs at the Collaborative for Children in Houston. Mondragon began his career as an early childhood education/Head Start teacher in Denver Public Schools, where he advanced to hold several positions, including student advisor, assistant principal of teaching and learning, and principal. Mondragon left DPS in 2015 to join the Oakland Unified School District (Oakland, CA) as deputy chief of early learning.
Mondragon holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and liberal arts with a minor in elementary education from Adams State University and a master’s in education leadership and policy studies from the University of Denver. He also holds a graduate certificate for completing the Buell Early Childhood Leadership Program from the University of Colorado.
Reporting to the Chief of Schools, the School Assistant Superintendent of Primary Schools executes the district’s priorities through a coordinated approach to program development and implementation. Mondragon oversees the early learning division by creating meaningful connections and sustainable outcomes in early childhood by improving students’ learning experiences in our schools. Mondragon fosters cohesion, consistency, and collaboration to increase the impact and quality of learning experiences for our youngest learners, families, and early learning educators.
Mondragon provides focused support and oversight to principals at the primary campuses and the Early Learning Department.
Child Development Center
Garcia-Leza Primary
Griggs Primary
Hinojosa Primary
Jones Primary
Keeble Primary
Kujawa Primary
Lane School
Magrill Primary
Reece Primary
Vardeman Primary
Vines Primary
Dubberke began his career in education in 1999 as a third-grade teacher at Blackboard Elementary School in Aldine ISD. Dubberke went on to serve as the fourth-grade lead teacher and the curriculum specialist at the same campus. In 2006, Dubberke joined Gray Elementary School as an assistant principal, a position he held until 2014 before being named campus principal. Dubberke was named the AISD 2018 Elementary/Intermediate Principal of the Year. He moved into a district administrative role in 2021 as a human resources director.
Dubberke received his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and his master’s from Sam Houston State University in administration.
Scott A. Dubberke provides focused support and oversight to the elementary campus principals on Elementary Team 1:
Carter Academy
Cypresswood Elementary
Ermel Elementary
Escamilla Elementary
Francis Elementary
Greenspoint Elementary
Harris Elementary
Hill Elementary
Impact Leadership Academy
Jones Elementary
Ogden Elementary
Spence Elementary
Stehlik Elementary
Thompson Elementary
Most recently Dr. Orozco served as the Houston Area Superintendent for the International Leadership of Texas, where she played a pivotal role in overseeing the education and well-being of 10,300 students across the expansive Houston/Cleveland/CS area.
Previously she was the Assistant Superintendent of Technology, Chief School Officer North overseeing 37 schools, Assistant Superintendent of Special Populations, School Support Officer all in the Houston Independent School District. She also served as an Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Administration for the Beaumont Independent School District. Dr. Orozco has served as a principal earning recognition as a National Blue-Ribbon School of Excellence. Additionally, she has worked as an assistant principal and a bilingual classroom teacher.
Dr. Orozco’s has earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston, Master’s degree in Executive Leadership from the University of Houston-Clear Lake and her Doctorate in Professional Leadership from the University of Houston Main Campus.
Dr. Matilda Orozco provides focused support and oversight to elementary campus principals on Team 2:
Anderson Academy
Bussey Elementary
Calvert Elementary
Carmichael Elementary
Carroll Elementary
Caraway Elementary
Dunn Elementary
Goodman Elementary
Johnson Elementary
Kujawa Elementary
Marcella Elementary
Reed Academy
Stephens Elementary
Worsham Elementary
The School Assistant Superintendent provides focused support and oversight to middle and specialty school principals at the following Secondary Team campuses:
Avalos P-TECH
Drew Academy
Garcia Middle
Grantham Academy
Hambrick Middlel
Jones Middle
La Promesa
Mead Middle
Plummer Middle
Shotwell Middle
Victory Early College HS
Young Women’s Leadership Academy
Watson has robust experiences turning around schools, maintaining high expectations for student achievement, and cultivating rich campus cultures. She is also invested in developing and empowering leaders. In her new role, she believes leaders can create conditions where education is the great equalizer. Watson believes our narrative should be “Excellence and Equity in Teaching and Learning.” Watson thinks we must do what we know in our core is right for all students.
Watson earned her bachelor’s in English education and her master’s in English literature from Grambling State University. She received her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Texas Southern University.
Dr. Watson provides focused support and oversight to middle and specialty school principals at the following Secondary Team 1 campuses:
Aldine 9th Grade
Aldine HS
Blanson CTE HS
Carver HS
Davis 9th Grade
Davis HS
Eisenhower 9th Grade
Eisenhower HS
Hall Success Academy
Knippel Education Center
MacArthur 9th Grade
MacArthur HS
Nimitz HS
Dr. LaToya Wynne provides focused support and oversight to the following campus principals:
Dr. Wise is dedicated to the students and staff of Aldine ISD. Her involvement, support, and communication of our many innovative programs and district achievements have been invaluable. She has a proven track record of excellence. She has supported student and teacher growth at the building and district levels. She is responsible for providing guidance, supporting staff, and implementing initiatives that align with meeting Aldine ISD’s overall strategic vision, mission, goals, and objectives.
She has 16 years of experience in education, 15 of those years in Aldine ISD. Leading up to her role as assistant superintendent, Wise brings an extensive background in education. As director of learning recovery tutoring and student initiatives, Wise supported 16 high school campuses (Grades 9-12) with approximately 18,000 students. Wise collaborated with secondary core content program directors to support all high school campuses’ academic needs and developed data analysis protocols while providing coaching through an action-planning process.
Wise began as a middle school math teacher in 2007 in Bryan ISD before joining Aldine ISD in 2008 as a math teacher/math leader at Stovall Middle School. Five years later, she moved to Parker Intermediate (now the Aldine Young Women’s Leadership Academy) as a mathematics skills specialist. In 2014, she joined Teague Middle School as an assistant principal of administration before advancing three years later to serve as an AP of administration at Aldine High School. Three years later, she was named to serve as an AP of curriculum and instruction at the same campus, a position she held before being named to her most recent role.
A graduate of Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in math and science, Wise also holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the same university. Wise completed her doctoral studies at the University of Houston in 2017 by earning her doctorate in professional leadership. She also holds several certifications, including English as a second language (ESL), and completed the superintendent certificate program.
Wise grew up in the Aldine area, attending Magrill Elementary, Parker Intermediate, Teague Middle, and Nimitz Ninth. She graduated from Nimitz High School. The Nimitz alum can often be seen at the school’s football games. Wise is excited about her new role in AISD.
She is responsible for providing guidance, supporting staff, and implementing initiatives that align with meeting Aldine ISD’s overall strategic vision, mission, goals, and objectives.
Thania Gonzalez has served as the Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance for Aldine ISD since March 2025. With over 19 years of experience as a Certified Public Accountant, she brings extensive expertise in fiscal management, governmental accounting, and strategic financial leadership to the district. She has a strong background in providing audit services to governmental entities and has advised clients on compliance with complex federal and state regulations.
She began her career in public accounting, auditing local governments, including school districts, counties, and cities. Throughout her career, she has led teams in financial reporting, budget development, internal controls, and operational efficiency. She has overseen multi-million-dollar capital spending and operations & maintenance budgets, and led the issuance of multiple revenue and refunding bonds. She has also directed financial restructuring efforts that streamlined operations and improved overall fiscal performance.
Gonzalez holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy from The University of Texas at El Paso. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM).
She is committed to sound financial stewardship and supporting Aldine ISD’s mission through effective, transparent fiscal management.
The Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance supports the Chief Finance Officer in the Finance Department’s Initiatives and is responsible for providing leadership in the following areas:
Accounting and Finance Services
Accounts Payable
Bond Finance
Federal State and Special Programs
Payroll
Purchasing
Risk Management
Tax Office
Since January 2015, Abel Garza has served as Assistant Superintendent of Community and Governmental Relations. He previously served as director of community engagement and partnerships.
Garza has 25 years of experience in community outreach and governmental relations.
He began his career in 1998 as a community outreach/government affairs representative at the Metropolitan Transit Authority. In 2000, he moved to the State Senate Department to assume the role of legislative aide. In 2007, he joined Devry University as director of community outreach. He joined Aldine ISD in August 2014 as director of community engagement and partnerships.
Garza received his bachelor’s in political science from the University of Houston and his master’s in public administration from Keller Graduate School of Management.
As the Executive Director of Accountability, Assessment & Analytics she oversees accountability, state assessment, conducting applied research, reviewing research requests, state and federal compliance, data reporting and tracking, and dashboard visualizations. She works to enhance learning opportunities for students through monitoring the progress and effectiveness of district programs and providing professional and administrative assistance at all levels in the areas of accountability, state assessment, improvement planning, and research and program evaluation.
