Dr. Thurston Lamb, Jr.
Reception Invitation
(June 16, 2022) Henderson ISD's Dr. Thurston Lamb has been named Regional Superintendent of the Year by the Region 7 Education Service Center. The center's executive director, Dr. Todd Schneider, announced the selection of Dr. Lamb at its annual superintendent symposium earlier this week in Dallas.
"The board is extremely excited," said Harold Sentmore, who currently serves as chairman of the HISD Board of Trustees. "We look forward to continuing our work with Dr. Lamb in fulfilling HISD's vision of 'Empowering All Students to Achieve Their Dreams.'"
Dr. Lamb has served as Superintendent of Schools for Henderson ISD since 2019.
“During his time with the district, Dr. Lamb has worked to build a positive atmosphere,” wrote Sentmore in the nomination documents. “This includes the development and implementation of his Instructional Leadership Academy (ILA); a rigorous, one-year program designed for candidates to learn to develop and improve their leadership skills. The program teaches participants how to develop relationships with peers, as well as supervisors, setting the foundation for success and leadership skill development in all areas."
Lamb has also continued his own education developing himself as a leader.
“Over the past few years, Dr. Lamb has participated in three prestigious educational leadership academies including the Thompson Leadership Academy, the SMU District Leadership Fellows, and the National Conference on Education presented by AASA,” wrote Sentmore.
Dr. Lamb will represent Region 7 in the annual Superintendent of the Year (SOTY) award program. Sponsored by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), the SOTY program has recognized exemplary superintendents for excellence and achievement in educational leadership since 1984.
Candidates are chosen for their strong leadership skills, dedication to improving educational quality in their districts, and commitment to public involvement in education. Superintendents from any of the state’s 1,026 local school districts are eligible for nomination by their school boards. Local nominees are submitted to a regional selection committee, which chooses one nominee to send to the state selection committee.
The State Selection Committee will interview all regional winners on August 26–27 and select five state finalists. The state's Superintendent of the Year will be announced later this year.
Background
Dr. Lamb has been an educator for nearly 25 years. During that time he has worked in the classroom and at every administrative level helping students in districts such as Garland, Richardson, DeSoto, Duncanville, Plano and Crowley. He has also taught undergraduate and graduate level courses for the University of Phoenix, and Concordia University in Austin, Texas..
Raised in rural Arkansas, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating from high school and served in Desert Storm. He then attended college earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Central Arkansas, a master’s degree in education from Texas A&M - Commerce, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Capella University.
He has spent his career focused on one task: helping kids. In that endeavor, he has initiated and implemented advanced academic programs such as International Baccalaureate and worked with non-profit organizations to feed and educate underserved communities.