Texas Education Agency appoints Board of Managers and Names New Superintendent to Lead Fort Worth ISD

AUSTIN, Texas - March 24, 2026 - The Texas Education Agency (TEA) today announced the appointment of a nine-member Board of Managers and selection of a new superintendent to lead the Fort Worth Independent School District (ISD).

"Fort Worth wants the best possible academic outcomes for every student, as evidenced by the hundreds of community members that showed their willingness to serve," said Texas Education Commissioner, Mike Morath. "Possessing a diverse range of experiences and expertise, the governance and leadership team appointed today is comprised of individuals with an aligned vision and collective belief that all students, when properly supported, can achieve at high levels. I look forward to seeing this belief in action and their leadership of Fort Worth ISD's next chapter."

Commissioner Morath named Dr. Peter B. Licata as the new superintendent of Fort Worth ISD. Superintendent Licata began working today under a 21-day interim contract until he receives formal approval from the Board of Managers during an upcoming board meeting.

Dr. Licata has more than 30 years of experience improving educational outcomes for students. Most recently, he served as the superintendent of Broward County Public Schools in Florida, the nation's sixth-largest district, where he led the district to its first state "A" rating in more than 14 years. Dr. Licata has served as a teacher, coach, principal, regional superintendent, assistant superintendent, and university professor. He is known for aligning instructional priorities to meet the needs of students while strengthening accountability and transparency.

Commissioner Morath appointed the following individuals to the Fort Worth ISD Board of Managers:

• Bobby Ahdieh: A higher education leader, Bobby Ahdieh arrived in Fort Worth in 2018 to serve as the Dean of the Texas A&M University School of Law, a role that has grown to oversee the training of graduate students across the healthcare, energy, and finance sectors as Chief Operating Officer of Texas A&M University - Fort Worth. Ahdieh holds degrees from Princeton University and Yale Law School.
  
• Rosa Marie Berdeja: Rosa Marie Berdeja has called the Fort Worth-area home for more than three decades. The sixth of nine children, she was the first in her family to both graduate high school and pursue higher education. An attorney, Berdeja serves as Chair-Elect of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Recovery Resource Council. She holds degrees from the University of North Texas and Texas A&M University School of Law.
  
• Luis A. Galindo: A practicing attorney for more than 35 years in the construction, business and real estate arenas, Luis A. Galindo has been involved in numerous community advocacy and philanthropic organizations in Fort Worth. In addition to his law practice, Galindo is an adjunct supervising attorney at the Texas A&M School of Law's Entrepreneurship Law Clinic and teaches Business Law at Texas Wesleyan University. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law.
  
• Laurie George: A current Fort Worth ISD parent and former educator with more than a decade of experience working in public education, Laurie George brings significant experience supporting multilingual learners and students with disabilities across K-12 systems. A graduate of Oregon State University, George is a teaching fellow and pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of North Texas.
  
• Pete Geren: A Fort Worth native and proud Arlington Heights Yellow Jacket, Pete Geren has worked extensively with education partners, non-profit organizations, and community leaders to build a literacy ecosystem in the broader Fort Worth community. Currently the president and CEO of a Fort Worth-based non-profit, Geren worked more than eight years in the Department of Defense under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Prior to that, Geren represented Fort Worth in Congress for four terms and served as a lawyer and business executive. He earned degrees in history and law from the University of Texas at Austin.
  
• Courtney Lewis: A finance and banking professional, Courtney Lewis is actively engaged in the Fort Worth civic and non-profit space. She currently serves on the boards of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and Housing Channel and is an active member of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) DFW and Women Steering Business.
  
• Frost Prioleau: Guided by the philosophy of servant leadership, Frost Prioleau spent more than 35 years building successful, high-growth technology companies. A graduate of Princeton University, he and his wife Martha have called Fort Worth home for nearly 25 years.
  
• Jay Stegall: A business operations veteran in the restaurant, retail and consumer packaged goods industries, Jay Stegall leverages his professional experience in strategic planning and leadership toward serving his community. A Fort Worth native and proud husband, father and grandfather, he holds a bachelor's degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and an Executive Master of Business Administration from Texas Christian University.
  
• Tennessee Walker: A parent of three children enrolled in Fort Worth ISD schools, Tennessee Walker is an attorney and serves as the board chair for Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Greater Tarrant County. He has been actively involved in BBBS for more than 15 years, twice serving as a Big Brother in the program. Walker holds degrees from Texas A&M University and Baylor University School of Law.

The appointed Board of Managers today temporarily replaces the current elected board of trustees and will be responsible for overseeing the management of the school district. The Board of Managers will hold public board meetings and has the same legal requirements and obligations as the elected Board of Trustees. This includes holding all meetings in public, allowing for public comment, holding public hearings and posting all required budget and tax information for public review and discussion.

The newly appointed Board of Managers will work in collaboration with the new superintendent to ensure Fort Worth ISD educators and staff have the necessary tools and resources at their disposal to facilitate student success in the classroom and beyond. As part of their duties as the governing body of Fort Worth ISD, the Board of Managers will also provide strategic leadership and oversight of the new superintendent. This will involve getting feedback from multiple district stakeholders, working to improve support for teachers, getting schools resources they need and laying a foundation for success for students in the district.

In addition, the Board of Managers will work with the new superintendent to accomplish the exit criteria set forth by TEA that must occur before the transition back to the elected board. Specifically, the exit criteria that address the underlying causes for intervention include (1) ensuring the district has zero multi-year unacceptable campuses, (2) the district exceeds the state and/or regional average for "Meets Grade Level" proficiency in Reading Language Arts and Mathematics and (3) using the Lone Star Governance Continuous Improvement Framework, the School Board must achieve a "Meets Focus".

Background of Agency Intervention and Board of Managers Process

On October 23, 2025, Commissioner Morath announced TEA's intent to appoint a Board of Managers for Fort Worth ISD, an action required under the bipartisan law, House Bill (HB) 1842, passed in 2015 by the Texas Legislature. Applications for the Board of Managers came from Fort Worth community members of all backgrounds.

• Total applications: 305
• Total applications from within FWISD boundaries: 235
• Male - 141, Female - 164
• African American/Black - 75, White - 169, Hispanic - 48, Other - 13
• Educational Attainment: Doctorate - 78, Master's - 137, Bachelor's - 63, High School Diploma - 23, No High School Diploma - 4
• Lone Star Governance: 182 candidates completed the required LSG training

Superintendent Selection Criteria

Per statutory authority granted by HB 1842, the Texas Education Commissioner is required to appoint a Board of Managers and superintendent. TEA conducted a national search and interviewed candidates with a strong track record of improving outcomes for students in prior school system leadership roles. Additionally, candidates were evaluated for competencies in several key areas including curriculum and instructional leadership, student support services, talent management, performance management, systems leadership and community engagement and communication.

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