The Fort Worth school district’s new Board of Managers has been announced. Here’s what we know about the nine men and women appointed by the Texas Education Agency to temporarily replace the elected school board for at least the next two years.
A nine-person Board of Managers is replacing Fort Worth ISD’s elected school board members, starting on March 24, 2026. They are, top row from left: Courtney Lewis, Frost Prioleau and Tennessee Walker; middle: Pete Geren, Bobby Ahdieh and Laurie George; bottom: Luis A. Galindo, Rosa Maria Berdeja and Jay Stegall. Fort Worth ISD Bobby Ahdieh
Bobby Ahdieh is the chief operating officer of Texas A&M University’s Fort Worth campus, the vice president of A&M’s professional schools and programs, and the dean of the university’s law school. Ahdieh came to Texas A&M in 2018 from Emory University in Atlanta, where he taught international law, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Prior to that, Ahdieh was a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, and he worked as a judicial clerk for Judge James R. Browning, who was appointed by John F. Kennedy to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Adieh graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 1994 and obtained his law degree from Yale University in 1997. Ahdieh’s biography on the Federalist Society’s website says his “scholarly interests revolve around questions of regulatory and institutional design, especially in the financial arena.”
Rosa Maria Berdeja
Rosa Maria Berdeja is a longtime Fort Worth resident and an immigration attorney with an office at La Gran Plaza. She serves as chair-elect for the board of directors of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and chairs the board of the Recovery Resource Council, a nonprofit focused on substance abuse and mental health support.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Berdeja graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas in 2005 and worked as a paralegal while obtaining her law degree from Texas A&M. She is one of nine children in her family, and the first in her family to graduate high school and attend college.
In a statement posted to LinkedIn, Berdeja said she wanted to serve on the school district’s board of managers “because I believe that education is the cornerstone of success. I, along with my fellow Board of Managers, will be ‘kids-first’ leaders. Rest assured that every decision we make will be aligned with improving student outcomes.”
Luis A. Galindo
Luis A. Galindo is an attorney specializing in construction, business and real estate law. He has practiced law in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1991, according to his LinkedIn profile. Prior to that, Galindo was an assistant city attorney in Austin.
Galindo teaches business law at Texas Wesleyan University and is an adjunct supervising attorney with the Texas A&M School of Law. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1982 and obtained his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1985. On his website, Galindo says he represents clients in the borderlands, where the U.S. and Mexico meet.
Laurie George
Laurie George is a managing partner with Mackenzie Eason and Associates, an executive search firm. She is a Fort Worth school district parent and previously spent more than a decade as a public school educator. Her profile on the Mackenzie Eason website says George is a “serial entrepreneur” who has founded multiple businesses, including Mackenzie Eason.
George has three children, and the middle child was diagnosed with autism at age 4. George has been an advocate for creating an inclusive learning environment for students with developmental disabilities, and she is a 2023 graduate of the Texas Partners in Policymaking leadership training program organized by the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities.
George graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy and a master’s degree in education with a focus on bilingual instruction. She is pursuing a doctorate degree in educational psychology from the University of North Texas.
Pete Geren
Pete Geren is the president and chief executive officer of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation in Fort Worth, which provides grants to nonprofits in Texas and supports the Sid Richardson Museum in Sundance Square, which exhibits art showcasing the American West.
From 1989 to 1997, Geren represented Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was named acting Secretary of the Air Force under President George W. Bush in 2001, and served as Secretary of the Army from 2007 to 2009. Geren was in the Pentagon during the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. Geren obtained his undergraduate degree in history in 1974 and his law degree in 1978 from the University of Texas at Austin.
Courtney Lewis
Courtney Lewis is the Fort Worth area president of First Bank Texas. She has worked in the banking industry for more than 25 years and serves on the board of directors for the Fort Worth Chamber and the Housing Channel.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Lewis is also the incoming president of the Association for Corporate Growth Dallas/Fort Worth, an organization for professionals working in mergers and acquisitions. Additionally, Lewis is active in the Rotary Club of Fort Worth. Lewis’ LinkedIn profile says she graduated from SMU’s Cox School of Business in 2000.
Frost Prioleau
Frost Prioleau is the founder and executive chairman of advertising and marketing software company Simpli.fi, which he started in 2010. In 2021, the company was valued at approximately $1.5 billion.
Prioleau has worked in tech for nearly 30 years, according to his LinkedIn profile. He’s also served on the boards of directors for the STAR Sponsorship Program and the Children’s Scholarship Fund, both of which provide financial support enabling low-income students to attend private schools. Prioleau graduated from Princeton University in 1982 and has lived in Fort Worth for nearly 25 years, according to the TEA announcement.
Jay Stegall
Jay Stegall is a McDonald’s franchise business partner in the company’s Dallas field office, according to his LinkedIn profile and the McDonald’s website. He previously worked as an operations consultant for McDonald’s, a regional director of franchise operations for Schlotzsky’s, a field consultant for 7-11 and an account manager for Bimbo Bakeries USA.
Stegall graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2001 and obtained a master’s of business administration from TCU in 2012.
Tennessee Walker
Tennessee Walker is a personal injury attorney with the Patterson Law Group in Fort Worth. According to his profile on the Patterson Law Group website, Walker grew up on a ranch near Mexia. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M in 2005 and obtained his law degree from Baylor University in 2008.
Walker is a past president of the Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association and serves as the secretary and vice president of finance for the Tarrant County Trial Lawyers Association. He has volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Tarrant County since 2011 and currently serves as the organization’s board chair, according to the TEA announcement.
Walker is the father of three children enrolled in Fort Worth ISD schools.
New FWISD superintendent
The appointment of the nine board members was announced at the same time as a new state-appointed superintendent, Peter Licata, who will lead the school district during the TEA takeover.
The state’s takeover of Fort Worth ISD was prompted by one school receiving five consecutive F ratings, and overall low math and reading STAAR tests scores in the district.
Editor’s note: Pete Geren is the president and chief executive officer of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, which is a funder of the Star-Telegram’s Crossroads Lab. The Star-Telegram retains independence in all coverage decisions.
This story was originally published March 24, 2026 at 11:29 AM.
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Matt Adams is a news reporter covering Fort Worth, Tarrant County and surrounding areas. He previously wrote about aviation and travel and enjoys a good weekend road trip. Matt joined the Star-Telegram in January 2025.