Two veteran educators are taking the helms at Lamar CISD’s newest campuses.

Diane Parks, currently principal at Ray Elementary, will be the principal at Joe Hubenak Elementary in the Lakes of Bella Terra subdivision.

Vicki Stevenson, currently principal at Long Elementary, will be the principal at Cora Thomas Elementary in the Walnut Creek subdivision.

Both schools will open in the fall of 2009.

The two will assume their new duties during the spring semester. Thomas and Hubenak will be the 20th and 21st elementary schools in the district.

Parks became principal at Ray since 2001. Under her leadership, Ray earned the No Child Left Behind National Blue Ribbon, the highest honor for any school.

Parks received the 2008 Terrell Bell National Award for School Leadership and was the National Distinguished Principal for Texas in 2007. Raise Your Hand Texas chose her to attend the Harvard Principal Center in the summer of 2008.

Prior to taking the helm at Ray, Parks was principal at Austin Elementary from 1997 to 2001. She was an assistant principal and teacher in the Galena Park schools from 1982 to 1997.

She has her bachelor’s from Purdue University in Indiana and her master’s from the University of Houston.

Stevenson became principal at Long Elementary in 1999. She has a total of 18 years in education.

Prior to coming to Long, Stevenson served as an assistant principal and teacher in Houston ISD. She has her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Long Elementary achieved Recognized status in last year’s state accountability ratings.