TASBO honored three recipients of its new Pathfinder Award at the 2024 School Operations Conference. This new awards program focuses on school operations and is sponsored by E3.
At the 2024 School Operations Conference in Allen, TASBO honored three recipients of its new Pathfinder Award. This award recognizes individuals or groups for innovative practices, responses to unprecedented situations, or connections to students and staff. The awards program is sponsored by new TASBO Strategic Partner, E3.
"This award is particularly important to TASBO since our operations and student support services teams are incredibly important to public education," said TASBO Executive Director Tracy Ginsburg. "Board Members Mike Brooks, Jeremy Trimble, and Brent Ringo were instrumental in shaping this award and served on the selection committee."
Below are descriptions of the three recipients:
Allen DeVault
Director of Maintenance and Operations | Beaumont ISD
Allen consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership and dedication to ensuring the safety, cleanliness, and functionality of his district’s facilities, many of which are aging and demand extra attention. His commitment to students, staff, and community is truly inspiring. He was nominated by the district’s Purchasing Director, Kristin Gentry, who said Beaumont ISD is “blessed to have him.”
Pictured Above: Klip Weaver, E3; Allen DeVault, Beaumont ISD; and Tracy Ginsburg, TASBO.
Caldwell ISD Safety Team
The Caldwell ISD Safety Team is nominated for the Pathfinder Award due to their innovative reunification plan. They collaborated with safety committees and law enforcement to design the plan, then took a unique approach by touring the reunification site with staff and community members. This allowed everyone to experience the process firsthand, leading to valuable feedback and a more comprehensive plan for keeping students safe in case of emergencies. Their dedication and thoughtful approach made Caldwell ISD a safer learning environment.
Pictured Above: Klip Weaver, E3; Tammie Novosad, Caldwell ISD; Heather Escalante, Caldwell ISD; Nathan Goodlett, Caldwell ISD; and Tracy Ginsburg, TASBO.
Brandon Boyter*
Executive Director of Construction Planning and Growth | Denton ISD
Brandon has shown a level of expertise that has redefined the position he currently holds. Not only does his commitment to high standards raise the bar for construction of district facilities but also raises the level of expertise of those around him. He is constantly challenging not only the design community with out of the box thinking but also the construction community with a higher standard of care when it pertains to construction technology.
*Dr. Jeremy Thompson, Deputy Superintendent at Denton ISD accepted the award on behalf of Brandon Boyter who was unable to attend the awards ceremony. Pictured with Dr. Thompson is Klip Weaver from E3 and Tracy Ginsburg from TASBO.
In the spring, TASBO will open nominations for the 2025 award. Visit tasbo.org/awards for information about TASBO scholarships and awards programs.
The 2024 School Operations Conference had nearly 400 attendees. Special thanks to title sponsors E3 and TASB Facility Services and event sponsors TASB Cooperative Purchasing and TASB Risk Management Fund. Additionally, for the second year Armko sponsored a first-timer scholarship program. Below is a group shot of Armko with some of the 24 first-time scholarship recipients:
