Two Abilene ISD educators are being honored in the Region 14 Education Service Center area for their outstanding service to their students and professional organizations.

  • Debra Stewart, principal at Ortiz Elementary, has been chosen as the Region 14 TEPSAN of the Year from the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association.
  • Jennifer Seekins, guidance counselor at Cooper High School, has been named the Region 14 ESC High School Counselor of the Year.

Both honorees will be recognized by the AISD Board of Trustees at its regular meeting on March 18.

Stewart has been the principal at Ortiz Elementary since 2016 and previously worked as the 9th grade principal at Abilene High School. She started teaching in the Texas public school system 21 years ago, first as an elementary teacher before moving to administration to become assistant principal at Bowie Fine Arts Academy in Midland ISD. She also was superintendent and principal at Compass Academy in Ector County for five years before moving to Abilene.

Seekins joined AISD in 2014 as the lead counselor at Cooper High School and added the title of lead secondary counselor for the district in 2017. She previously worked as the lead high school and district counselor at Clyde ISD. Seekins, who also has professional certifications as a principal and Licensed Professional Counselor, currently serves as president of the board for the Big Country Counseling Association. She began her career as an English teacher in the Sweetwater and Anson school districts.