(Geronimo) – Navarro ISD Superintendent Mandy Epley is getting some much-deserved praise from her college alma mater.
The Navarro ISD Superintendent has been named a 2025 Distinguished Educator of the Year by the College of Education at Sam Houston State University (SHSU).
School officials say this prestigious award recognizes Epley’s exceptional leadership, dedication to student success, and significant contributions to the field of education. This year, the selection committee reviewed a highly competitive pool of nominees and ultimately chose Epley for her outstanding accomplishments and unwavering commitment to her community.
Epley says this award reflects not only her work but also that of her incredible team of Navarro ISD teachers, staff, and students.
“Being recognized as an educator is certainly something that I’m very proud of. It’s a career decision that I have always seen as a service and I don’t seek any recognition so those times,
when there is a recognition of the work that you have done to serve students and families, it is a very sweet reward on top of an amazing career. To receive it from my university where I got my undergrad degree and got certified in English and Theatre Arts is a really special opportunity to be able to go back to the university and see that journey come full circle of starting out as a young student thinking about being an educator and now coming back as a superintendent and honored as a Distinguished Educator is just a really special opportunity and very very humbled by the recognition,” said Epley.
Proud of this well-deserved recognition is Melissa Sartain, president of the Navarro ISD Board of Trustees. Sartain says Epley’s leadership has had a profound and positive impact on the district, and says this award is a testament to her hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to students.
“I think I can definitely speak for not just the board but all of the community in the fact that we are extremely honored that our superintendent is being recognized this way, and it is Mrs. Epley’s award. She has definitely earned it, and we get to reap the benefits of the type of leader that she is, and we are extremely grateful for that,” said Sartain.
Sartain says this prestigious recognition is more than just an award, it’s an example.
“We are really investing a lot of our energy and effort into the academic track in our high school, particularly for students who are looking for their college experiences and where to go and I just think that having a state college being Mrs. Epley’s alma mater and the students getting to see what leadership looks like and that leadership is coming from one of our own schools in our own state and so I think that is great too,” said Sartain.
The Distinguished Educator of the Year award honors alumni educators who have made significant contributions to the field of education.
Nominees must be an alumnus of SHSU’s College of Education and have demonstrated expertise or outstanding service in the classroom, school, district, and/or community.
Superintendent Epley will be formally honored at the Distinguished Educator of the Year Ceremony on March 29 in Huntsville.
The other four honorees this year include Dr. Kristin Craft, superintendent of the Boerne ISD; Dr. Carnelius Gilder, superintendent of the West Sabine ISD; Dr. Cedric Steward, a principal in the Aldine ISD; and Ashley Wright, a school counselor in the Conroe ISD.