Hello, GCISD! I’m Kimberly Phoenix, and I’m running for Place 7 of the GCISD School Board. 

My husband and I chose to move to Grapevine prior to our daughter entering Kindergarten specifically for the excellent programs and academic opportunities GCISD offered for our kiddo.

I will be a caring, knowledgeable, accessible, non-partisan trustee for GCISD, devoted to excellence over extremism. For the last 8 years I’ve dedicated myself to GCISD almost full time and watched our experienced teachers and staff build GCISD into a destination district filled with parent choice through our various programs offered on different campuses. The creativity and compassion shown by our teachers as they navigated ever-changing pandemic guidance was nothing short of heroic and the resilience shown by our students gives me hope for the future. 

Despite the challenges of the last couple of years, our students are still breaking academic and extracurricular records which is a testament to the value of the strategic plans set in place in LEAD 2021 and LEAD 2.0. Our schools are not failing! The false attacks on our district achievement, our teachers and our students must stop. We need to undo the damage before we lose more valuable teachers, staff and families and work to rebuild our reputation as the BEST.

Volunteer Service & Connections

My volunteerism has given me a broad and deep perspective of public education in Texas, and specifically in our district. I’ve supported GCISD in so many different ways. I was on the LEAD 2.0 Committee, which was tasked with long term planning for the district. I’ve served on a variety of campus committees that support student success, teacher appreciation, building community among families, and even tracking Box Tops.

Personal 

I attended public school in a small town in Kansas where most of my family still lives. My dad was a master plumber, and my brother has a masters in education and just recently retired after teaching in public schools for 32 years — just two examples in my personal life of how public school is the foundation of our family’s success. I moved to DFW, attended UT Arlington, worked a rewarding nonprofit career, met and married Stephan, and became a mom to Amelia. She’s now a busy pre-teen, and our family enjoys a blessed life together full of learning, exploring and cherishing every moment we have.

Professional Experience

I’m a UT Arlington graduate and have enjoyed a rewarding career as an Association Management Executive in the international meeting and event industry, and in the advertising and marketing industry working for two international associations. For 16 years, I served on executive teams responsible for day-to-day operations, special events, trade shows, staff and volunteer training, member relations, governance, volunteer recruitment, and other key areas. I also provided strategic vision and tactical implementation for both organizations’ boards of directors as they built, revitalized, and optimized their operations. In 2002, I was proud to earn the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). Since 2010, I’ve been a consultant providing marketing support, project and budget management, meeting logistics and on-site event support to clients across several industries. Last year, I consulted with a team that established a new 501c6 organization in the healthcare sector.

“Thanks for reading all about my experience and qualifications! Click the Next button to find out about my Campaign’s Core Values: Excellence Over Extremism; Our Teachers Deserve Better; Restore Integrity & Transparency; and Save Special Programs.” — KP