Lamar CISD’s Dr. Roosevelt Nivens Named 2025 TASB Superintendent of the Year
In a milestone moment for Fort Bend County and the Rosenberg-area community, Lamar Consolidated ISD Superintendent Dr. Roosevelt Nivens has been named the 2025 Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). The award was presented on Friday, Sept. 12, during txEDCON, the annual statewide convention hosted jointly by TASB and the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA).
Now in its 41st year, the Superintendent of the Year (SOTY) Award is one of the highest honors a Texas public school leader can receive. It recognizes superintendents who demonstrate exemplary leadership, a commitment to public education, and a strong connection to community values. Nominees are submitted by local school boards each January, go through regional interviews in the spring, and are narrowed down to state finalists in the summer. The final selection is announced each fall at txEDCON.
“It’s a joy and an honor to represent Lamar CISD as Superintendent of Schools,” said Dr. Nivens. “I’m incredibly grateful and humbled to be named a Texas Superintendent of the Year and join the other distinguished recipients of this award over the past four decades.”
Dr. Nivens has served as Superintendent of Lamar CISD since 2021 and has been instrumental in leading the district through one of the most explosive growth periods in its history. With more than 49,000 students now enrolled across 57 campuses—and projections pointing to nearly 70,000 students within the next decade—Lamar CISD has been officially designated a hypergrowth district by state education officials.
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In their recognition, TASB’s selection committee cited Dr. Nivens’ steady, student-first approach and his ability to build partnerships that meet the challenges of fast-paced expansion while maintaining academic excellence.
“The challenges facing our school districts right now are real,” said Dr. Nivens. “Whether a district is large or small, growing fast or working hard to sustain enrollment, the landscape of public education is changing. I have tremendous respect for the work done by all my fellow superintendents across the state.”
Earlier this year, Dr. Nivens was named Region 4 Superintendent of the Year during a surprise announcement at the Lamar CISD June School Board Meeting. The nomination process for the TASB award began with a unanimous vote by the Lamar CISD Board of Trustees, which has itself received major accolades—most recently winning the 2025 H-E-B Excellence in Education Award for Best School Board.
“Dr. Nivens is a true servant-leader, dedicated to student success,” said Lamar CISD Board President Jacci Hotzel. “He’s strong enough to lead, and humble enough to know he can’t go it alone. He listens—to trustees, to parents, to teachers, to students—and that makes all the difference.”
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Dr. Nivens’ extensive career in education spans more than 30 years. Prior to joining Lamar CISD, he served as Superintendent of Community ISD in North Texas. He began his career in Dallas ISD and Lancaster ISD, working as a teacher, coach, principal, and assistant superintendent. His leadership has consistently focused on improving student outcomes, building collaborative campus teams, and promoting equity.
Over the years, Dr. Nivens has received multiple statewide and national recognitions, including:
- National Superintendent of the Year by the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE)
- Latino Serving Superintendent of the Year (2022) by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS)
- Region 10 Superintendent of the Year
- Elected Vice President of the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) in 2024
This year, he’s led the district under the theme “We Are Lamar CISD”—a message he describes as a call to unity, shared purpose, and elite daily effort in service to students.
“It takes all of us, working together and bringing an elite mindset every day, to be successful as a district,” he said. “We shine brighter together. I’m here because I have such a great team of trustees that I get to work with. I’m here because we have amazing teachers and staff members across our district who speak life into our young people every day. I’m grateful to all of them for their passion and dedication to student outcomes, and I’m blessed to be able to represent Lamar CISD and accept this award on behalf of our entire district.”
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Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
