Administrative changes announced this week include the retirement of a longtime AISD administrator, and the promotion of three administrators to new posts.

  • Deputy superintendent Gail Gregg is retiring after a 39-year career in education, including the last 27 in Abilene ISD.
  • Dr. Gustavo Villanueva, currently the executive director of secondary education, is the new assistant superintendent for leadership and student services. He will oversee that department, which combines the current offices of student services and administrative services.
  • Alison Sims, principal at Ward Elementary School, is being promoted to become the next executive director of elementary education.
  • Stevanie Jackson, principal at Bonham Elementary School, is being promoted to become director of special education.

All of the above moves will take effect at the conclusion of the current school year.

Gregg has served in a variety of leadership roles since joining the district in 1992. He has been deputy superintendent, executive director of career and technical education, executive director of secondary education, and he was the principal of Cooper High School, Holland Medical High School and Franklin Middle School. He will officially retire at the end of June.

“I am extremely thankful for Mr. Gregg’s faithful service to the students and staff of AISD,” Young said. “He is a pillar of the Abilene community and will be deeply missed.”

Villanueva has been the executive director of secondary education for the last 3½ years and has been a campus administrator at the elementary, middle school and high school level. He will oversee student services, elementary education and secondary education. Sims will lead the elementary education services, and former Cooper High principal Dr. Karen Munoz will oversee secondary campuses.

“These changes allow for some streamlining of processes and even more effective customer service at One AISD Center through combining the student services and administrative services departments into one department,” Young said.

Sims has been principal at Ward since 2015 and previously worked as a counselor and instructional coordinator at Bowie Elementary. The Cooper High graduate began her career in 1996 as a classroom teacher for seven years.

Jackson has extensive experience in special education as a teacher and supervisor. Prior to becoming principal at Bonham in 2016, she was a special education social studies teacher, special education department head and 9th grade academic specialist at Cooper High School.