Board of Directors, Executive Director & Advisory Council
Brad Marshall, President
Brad and his family moved to Cleburne in 2007. He has three daughters. Morgan is a graduate of CHS and Texas Tech University and teaches in Cleburne ISD. Maggie is a graduate of Cleburne High School and currently attends Stephen F. Austin State University. Marlie is a student at CHS. Brad and his wife DeNay graduated from Texas Tech University. Brad has worked in private business and banking for over 30 years and has been involved in many organizations in both Burleson and Cleburne. He and his family are active members at Cleburne Bible Church where he is currently serving as an Elder.
As an involved parent of three children and education advocate, Brad believes that providing adequate tools to teach along with strong resources for teachers and administration are key to building a successful district.
Amber Witte, Vice President
Amber and her husband Mike both grew up in Cleburne and are graduates of Cleburne High School. They have three sons, two are graduates of Cleburne ISD and currently attend Texas Tech. Their other son is a student in Cleburne ISD. Their family is active members at First United Methodist Church in Cleburne.
After her graduation from CHS, Amber continued her education and received her Bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University. She is a Branch President for Pinnacle Bank in Cleburne where she has worked for almost 20 years. Amber has served on many non-profit boards through the years and has a passion for giving back to her community. Amber believes every student deserves access to a top notch education and joined CEF to help CISD students achieve their very best.
Amy Tennison, Secretary
Amy and her husband, Jason, moved to Cleburne in 2007 and have three kids in Cleburne ISD. She has a psychology degree from Baylor University and since 2008 has handled the marketing and accounts payable for her husband’s orthodontic practice. She also has a side business making cake pops.
Amy has served as president of Gerard Elementary PTA, is a past president of Cleburne City Council PTA, and has served on multiple CISD advisory committees over the years. She is passionate about excellence in education for all children and enjoys giving her time to do what she can to help our students and educators be successful
Aaron Keen, Treasurer
Aaron and his family moved to Cleburne in 2016. He and his wife, Laurian, have three children, Braven, Annberly and Terrell. Braven, his oldest, is currently enrolled in CISD. Aaron grew up in Fort Worth and graduated with a degree in Economics and Spanish from Texas Christian University.
Aaron has been in banking for more than 15 years and is currently the Branch Manager-Mortgage Loan Officer for Southside Bank in Cleburne. He has volunteered in different capacities for the city since moving here. Aaron also takes great pride in teaching financial literacy to CISD students and family as he believes education the best investment for our community’s future.
Eric Bishop, Member
Eric and his family moved to Cleburne in 2013. He and his wife Joni have three children Carter, Harper and Leighton, all whom are students in Cleburne ISD. Eric is a graduate of University of Texas at Arlington and has worked in High Tech development and sales for the last 25 years.
He and his family are active members at Cleburne Bible Church where he serves in Men’s Ministry and along with Joni in Marriage Ministry. Eric strongly believes education should be an equitable experience across our campuses giving each student and teacher the opportunity to succeed. He also feels that as we equip our students for success we are equipping our community for success as well.
Trina Cody, Member
Trina and her husband, Donnie, were raised in Cleburne, are both graduates of Cleburne High School, and are veteran public educators. They have two sons, Trenton and Landon, who are also graduates of CHS. Trenton, a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, is a CPA and resides in Dallas. Landon graduated from Tarleton State University in Stephenville where he is currently completing his MBA and plays baseball. The Codys are active members of Field Street Baptist Church, where Trina serves in the Women’s Ministry, sings in the adult choir, and works with children in the Awana program.
Upon graduation from CHS, Trina completed her Bachelor of Science in Education at Texas Wesleyan University, and her Master of Science in Education and Dyslexia Therapy from Southern Methodist University. Her 32 years of service to Cleburne ISD included various roles as a classroom teacher, Dyslexia Specialist and Dyslexia Coordinator. Trina believes that serving our school district and community through the Cleburne Education Foundation is an excellent avenue for providing local educators the resources needed for innovative lessons, and enhancing student learning opportunities.
Dr Juanita Reyes, Member
Juanita and her husband, Rudy, have been married for 29 years and are both graduates of Cleburne High School. Their daughter, Vivian, is currently attending middle school in the district. The family of three are active members of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Cleburne. Juanita is currently a graduate faculty member for the Department of Educational Leadership and Technology at Tarleton State University. Prior to joining Tarleton State, she served 20 years in various roles as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, and campus principal at Cleburne ISD.
As a Cleburne ISD alum and educator, she has been positively influenced by so many outstanding elementary, secondary and post-secondary educators in her life; and therefore, would like to give back by participating in this foundation that provides educators with the necessary resources that enable them to continue impacting student’s lives and their future.
Paige Harris, Executive Director
Paige was hired as executive director in January 2018. She came on board to help CEF grow with her background in nonprofit management and fund raising. She worked at Meals on Wheels of Johnson and Ellis Counties for 21 years, most recently as Director of Donor Relations.
Paige has lived in Cleburne since 1998. She and her husband, Rick, have one son, Carson, who is a graduate of Cleburne High School and is attending Texas Tech. Paige is passionate about public education and helping Cleburne ISD provide the best opportunities possible for its students and our future workforce.
Our Advisory Council
Donnave Abt
Albert Archer
Shanna Bates
Sara Bell
Dee Bubp
Vance Castles
Robert Childress
Carolyn Cody
Crystal Dudley
Scott Dudley
Gabby Emerton
Nelle Gentry
Betsy Harty
Will Head
Justin Hewlett
Allie Hughes
Guy James
Kay Kelm
Lori Lyness
Brad Mead
Janet Mobley
Jeff Pakeltis
Debbie Reynolds
Shelly Samuels
Lorna Smith
Dan Taylor
Gloria Tennison
Jared Treesh
Rosa Varela
Jane Walker
Kay White
Cheri White
Raydean White
Susi Whitworth
“ We feel so blessed and thankful for the support the Cleburne Education Foundation and its donors provide to our teachers, students, and schools. ”
OUR HISTORY OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The Cleburne Education Foundation (CEF) was born out of a committee called the “Friends of Cleburne” which was formed in 2009 to lend a positive voice and financial support to Cleburne ISD. CEF is not a department of the school district, but a private non-profit organization that is a bridge between our community and our schools. CEF’s focus is to raise private dollars to invest in programs in CISD that are not funded through local, state or federal tax dollars.
In March 2011, the CEF Board of Directors was established, and they applied for and received tax exempt charitable status from the IRS. The Foundation awarded its first Innovative Teaching Grants to CISD teachers in 2012 which included help with technology at the two middle schools and construction of a greenhouse at the high school. Since 2012, our funding has grown to include many additional types of awards, and the Foundation has given over $285,000 for programs that are creative and enhance the educational journey for our students.
Quality schools are essential to the strength, growth and improvement of Cleburne. Involving the community in these efforts assures a quality education for our leaders and workforce of tomorrow. By building strong community support for public education in Cleburne, we can help ALL of our students achieve their dreams.
CHANGE A LIFE TODAY
As long as there are children in need of education, we will continue to build and nurture the strong community support needed for providing quality education at our public schools. If you are interested in contributing toward providing higher quality education for our future leaders, we would appreciate your assistance.