Last Friday morning, Greenville ISD made history as it hosted its First Annual Lions Choice Awards at the Greenville Municipal Auditorium. The event aimed to honor and celebrate the exceptional efforts of its staff members across various categories, including Service Award Milestones, Retirees, Campus Teachers of the Year, District Teachers of the Year, and the newly introduced Lions Choice Awards.
A total of ninety-nine employees were recognized for their combined 1,075 years of service to the district. Special mention was given to Barbara Garcia and Melanesia Allen-Hawkins from Greenville High School for their remarkable 30 years of service.
Eleven retirees bidding farewell to Greenville ISD were acknowledged for their significant contributions and commitment to the district with special engraved service clocks.
Campus Teachers of the Year and District Teachers of the Year were celebrated for their outstanding contributions to student and campus success. Nine Campus Teachers of the Year received tokens of appreciation from both GEUS and the Greenville Educational Enrichment Foundation.
The highlight of the event was the announcement of the 2024-2025 District Teachers of the Year, Kathryn Douglas from Bowie Elementary and Eric Norris from Travis Intermediate. They will compete for the Regional Teacher of the Year for Region 10 and were surprised with a $1,000 check each, generously donated by "The K Award".
A notable addition to the awards was the introduction of the Lions Choice Awards, recognizing outstanding staff members nominated and voted on by the staff. The recipients included Dr. William Stewart for the Leading Lion Award, Bailee Gerdes for the Innovative Lion Award, Jackie Harrison for the Oasis Award, Bryan Alvarez for the New Lion of The Year Award, and Gina Burk for the Spirit of a Lion Award.
Additionally, Greenville ISD introduced the Mary Ann Asbury Award, honoring a former employee, which was awarded to Johnny McFail. The 2024 Partners of the Year, Quality Care ER and Latsons.com, were also recognized.
The event concluded with Dr. Joe Lopez, the newly appointed Superintendent of Schools, expressing his excitement about being part of the Lion Family and his commitment to fostering a culture of excellence within Greenville ISD, ending his address with: “Greenville ISD will set the standard, and everyone around us will follow.”.
