Midland Independent School District Superintendent Orlando Riddick’s selections for chief academic officer and the chief operations officer hail from a familiar place.
Riddick’s new hires have connections to his previous district, Cedar Hill Independent School District, some 300 miles to the east.
MISD named Lisa Goodnow to the chief academic officer position, filling a position that has been vacant since the start of the 2020-2021 school year. MISD’s new chief operations officer will be Kellie Spencer.
Riddick said he reviewed numerous resumes before choosing his former colleagues.
“In the case of the chief academic officer role, the search even extended nationwide, with MISD interviewing candidates hailing from Houston to Chicago and everywhere in between,” the superintendent told the Midland Reporter-Telegram. “Ultimately, Dr. Goodnow and Ms. Spencer were the top candidates based upon their employment history, demonstrated results and passion for the work.”
Goodnow has been in education for more than 30 years. Starting out as a middle school teacher in 1989, she went on to become a principal in the Hays and Cedar Hill school districts.
She comes to MISD from Austin Independent School District, where she was an assistant superintendent tasked with overseeing several departments, including special education, academics, and social and emotional learning.
A visit to Midland left Goodnow a good impression.
“I’m excited to be a part of a school community that shares the strong commitment to meeting students’ and teachers’ needs,” she told the Midland Reporter-Telegram. “I’m eager to join the Midland ISD family and community and serve on a dynamic leadership team with truly caring educators. … I’m also excited about a team that looks ahead and takes an innovative approach to education.”
Spencer is also a longtime educator with 22 years of experience, all at Cedar Hill ISD.
She told the Midland Reporter-Telegram that she and her family are excited to move to Midland.