Action at Monday night’s Bryan school board meeting included reorganizing the central office leadership team.
Approval was given to hiring a second executive director of school leadership. Brian Merrell, who comes from Waller ISD, joins Crystal Goodman in that role.
Superintendent Christie Whitbeck says Merrell and Goodman will work directly with principals at half of the Bryan ISD campuses.
The restructuring also involves reassigning Carol Cune as the district’s executive director of human resources.
Cune, Goodman, and Merrell will all report to Dr. Whitbeck.
Additional information from Bryan ISD:
The Bryan ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved Dr. Brian Merrell, a veteran leader from Waller ISD, tonight for the new executive director of school leadership position.
Merrell served as principal of Waller High School for the last nine years and will be responsible for the primary role of supervising and guiding campus leadership in Bryan ISD.
The position is part of a restructuring process under the leadership of Superintendent Christie Whitbeck. Previously titled Executive Director of Human Resources and Administration, Merrell’s new post focuses solely on campus administration along with Crystal Goodman, who performs parallel duties over the other half of Bryan schools. Carol Cune assumes the position of Executive Director of Human Resources. All three positions report directly to the superintendent.
The restructure, which includes removing the positions from the human resources department, allows Goodman and Merrell to use their experience as school principals to focus on supporting campus administrators to ensure all schools are positioned for success.
Merrell arrives at Bryan ISD with a long history of successful leadership in achieving student success. Waller High School achieved the state’s Met standard or Recognized ratings in every year he served as principal. His students attained a 98 percent graduation rate, 10 percent higher than the state average.
Additionally, Merrell expanded the school’s career and technical education programs, implemented a New Arrival Center and established professional learning communities.
Superintendent Christie Whitbeck said Merrell is a “a man of integrity and a proven leader” with a background that “fits perfectly” with the Bryan ISD vision.
“Dr. Merrell clearly knows how to inspire educators and students to achieve success,” Whitbeck said. “We are excited to add him to our already strong team of school leaders.”
About the Hire: A dedicated educator with a career spanning 20 years, Merrell currently serves as principal of Waller High School in Waller ISD. His school achieved distinction designations for math and post-secondary readiness. Before his time at Waller High School, Merrell served as a principal at two middle schools in Waller ISD and as an assistant principal at Cypress Fairbanks ISD. His career in education started as a classroom teacher at Cypress Falls High School in Cypress Fairbanks ISD.
Having earned a Doctor of Education degree in educational administration, a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts degrees from Texas A&M University, Merrell shared that he is happy to return to the Bryan area and is eager to work with the students, parents and staff in Bryan ISD.
Merrell is an elder at Bayou City Fellowship and serves on the leadership and finance team. His wife Crista is the global women’s pastor at the church. They have seven children and one grandson.