Executive Cabinet
Dr. Shemeka Millner, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction
Leadership Responsibilities
Dr. Shemeka Millner-Williams has dedicated 22 years to public education and has held various significant roles in educational leadership. She served as the Interim Superintendent for Lancaster ISD immediately prior to coming to Cedar Hill ISD, and has contributed to the field of education at various levels during her career. Dr. Millner-Williams earned her Bachelor's Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies-Education from the University of Texas at Arlington, a Master of Education Degree from Texas A & M Commerce, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Liberty University. Her career highlights include positions such as Chief Academic Officer and Deputy Superintendent for Lancaster ISD, Campus Principal, and Director of Principal Leadership Development with the Texas Center for Educator Effectiveness (TXCEE) @ Region 18 Educational Service Center. She was also recognized as a TED-Ed Innovative Educator and produced a widely viewed Ted Talk on high expectations for students. Dr. Millner-Williams has a strong academic background and a wealth of experience in educational leadership, curriculum development, and principal leadership development and is happy to serve the Cedar Hill community.
James Hawthorne, Chief of Police
Leadership Responsibilities
School Based Law Enforcement
Crossing Guards
Emergency Operations
Security
James Hawthorne is Cedar Hill ISD’s chief of police. Hawthorne previously served as the assistant police chief with the Arlington Police Department, retiring after 28 years of service. He was chairman of the Joint Information Center during Super Bowl XLV, coordinated communication strategies for public safety during two World Series events and the NBA All-Star game in Arlington.
Chief Hawthorne teaches a police intelligence course at Southern Methodist University and a criminal justice research class for the Upward Bound Program at the University of Texas at Arlington. He has lectured on a state, regional, and national level on media relations and crisis communications.
Hawthorne received his bachelor's and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and the Senior Management Institute of Policing sponsored by the Police Executive Research Forum in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the proud husband to Ursula and father to four children and 1 grandchild.
Tierney Tinnin, Chief of Communications & Marketing
Leadership Responsibilities
Communications
Marketing
Family & Community Engagement
Cedar Hill Education Foundation
Tierney Tinnin joined Cedar Hill ISD as Chief of Communications and Marketing in 2019. Tinnin received her bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Langston University and spent eight years in broadcasting as a reporter for KAVU-TV, the weekend anchor for KXXV-TV and morning anchor at KOCO-TV.
Tinnin left the broadcasting field after accepting the media relations manager position for Oklahoma City Public Schools. While with OKCPS, Tinnin was promoted to Strategic Communications Director and developed the district’s community relations department which managed district partnerships, tutors, mentors and volunteers.
After eight years with OKCPS, Tinnin joined the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs, where she served as the policy advisor, communications director and lobbyist for the state agency. In 201,7 Tinnin returned to her home state of Texas to lead the communications department with Irving ISD, while there she implemented the district’s first marketing showcase, redesigned its website and developed its digital marketing strategy.
Tinnin has been named Top Under 35 in School Public Relations, School Communicators to Watch and the winner of a Gold Medallion, the National School Public Relations highest honor. She is married to Rob and mom to a 7-year old daughter. Tinnin is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and Concord Church.
Dr. Norbert Whitaker, Executive Director of Student Services
Leadership Responsibilities
Student Information Systems
Student Services
Transportation
Health Services
After graduating from Grambling State University with a management degree, he worked in the corporate world and eventually earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of North Texas in Denton.
The son of an educator, Whitaker grew up in Shreveport where he taught Algebra as a substitute. There he started a 17-year career in education. He has led schools in Fort Worth, Lancaster, and Duncanville.
Hallema Jackson, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources
Leadership Responsibilities
Staff Recruitment & Retention
Grow Your Own
Employee Relations
Human Resources Department Operations
Hallema Jackson attended the University of California at Los Angeles where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1997. In 1998, Mrs. Jackson began her teaching career in the Los Angeles Unified School District where she taught grades K-3. She also taught 2nd grade in the Lancaster Elementary Unified School District before moving to Texas in 2005. Mrs. Jackson continued her teaching career in Carrollton-Farmers’ Branch ISD and Duncanville ISD as a 2nd and 4th grade teacher respectively.
After earning a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Texas, at Arlington in 2008, Jackson became an Assistant Principal in Duncanville ISD. In 2012, she was named the principal of Britain Elementary in Irving ISD and in 2016, Jackson became the principal of Key Elementary in Arlington ISD.
Mrs. Jackson holds a certification in personnel from the Society for Human Resource Management. She has also served as a Field Supervisor for the University of Texas at Tyler. In addition, Jackson is pursuing her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Texas A&M Commerce.
Finally, Hallema has two children Lauryn (21) who is a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington; and Darius (18) who recently graduated from Cedar Hill Collegiate High School.
Heath Koenig, Executive Director of School Leadership
Leadership Responsibilities
Highlands Elementary
High Pointe Elementary
Plummer Elementary
Waterford Oaks Elementary
W.S. Permenter Middle School
Bessie Coleman Middle School
Heath Koenig is a graduate of Texas A&M and the University of Houston-Victoria. He has twenty-four years of experience in public education and currently holds a superintendent certification.
Mr. Koenig joined Cedar Hill ISD in 2015 and has served as a campus principal, data fellow and now supervises principals at six schools. Koenig has been a principal for an elementary campus, a fourth through sixth grade campus, a comprehensive high school campus, and a district alternative education placement which provided placement for sixth through twelfth grades. He entered education as a special education teacher.
Tyesha Smith-Lowe, Executive Director of Innovation/School Leadership
Leadership Responsibilities
Collegiate Prep Elementary School
Lake Ridge Elementary School
Collegiate Academy & High School
Cedar Hill High School
Advanced Placement
AVID
Career & Technical Education
GEAR Up
STEMspired Grant
Tyesha Smith-Lowe was born and raised in the small town of Marlin, Texas. Since a young girl, she wanted to be a “teacher of all".
Tyesha Lowe-Smith is a 26-year veteran educator in which she has been a Pregnancy Education Teacher for teenage parents, Special Education Teacher, Special Education Instructional Coordinator, a high school Assistant Principal and Dean of Instruction, Director of College and Career Readiness, Career and Technical Education Executive Director and currently serves as an Executive Director of School Leadership/Innovation for Cedar Hill ISD.
Tyesha Lowe-Smith earned both her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Education in Educational Administration degrees from the University of North Texas and her teaching certificate from Mary-Hardin Baylor.
As the Executive Director of School Leadership/Innovation Tyesha Lowe-Smith, secured a multi-million dollar STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) grant through the Texas Instruments Foundation. In addition, Lowe-Smith manages the district's career and technical education department, advanced placement, Montessori, JROTC, AVID, GEAR Up and school choice programs.
Smith-Lowe is the proud mom to an adult son.
Josh Skains, Executive Director of Maintenance & Operations
Josh Skains has worked in Cedar Hill ISD in some capacity since 2008. He was promoted to Executive Director of Maintenance and Operations in 2021.
Paula McBride, Executive Director of Finance
Paula McBride has played a key role in the success of the Cedar Hill ISD Business Office since joining the district in 2021.
McBride led CHISD’s effort in securing the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting as well as the ‘A’ rating the district received from the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST).
McBride now oversees Child Nutrition Services (CNS).
With more than 30 years of Accounting experience, McBride has three degrees in Accounting – a Master’s (Tarleton State University), a Bachelor’s (Western Governors University) and an Associate’s Degree (Kansas City, Kansas Community College).
McBride, a native of Kansas City, Kansas, was promoted to her current position in December 2023. She credits her pursuit of the Master’s and Bachelor’s Degrees with helping her secure that position.
Before CHISD, McBride worked in corporate accounting. She joined Mansfield ISD in 2009 where she worked as a PEIMS Clerk, Campus Secretary, Administrative Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer and in that district’s benefits office.
In her free time, McBride enjoys boating and camping.
Chris Malone, Executive Director of Technology
Leadership Responsibilities
Technology
Chris Malone, the son of a Superintendent and a classroom teacher, always wanted to match what his parents did – earning a Master’s Degree.
After years of working in the corporate world, Malone also wanted to work in public education, even if it wasn’t inside the classroom.
Malone, a native of tiny Kopperl, Texas (population 225), earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology and a Bachelor’s Degree from Tarleton State University.
He arrived at CHISD in late 2023 after leading Grand Prairie ISD’s Technology Department for five years – managing a staff of 130 employees. He was with GPISD for a total of 12 years. Prior to that, he was the Director of Technology for White Settlement ISD in Tarrant County.
Malone is married to his high school sweetheart, who’s a retired educator.
His goal for Cedar Hill ISD is to help the scholars become successful by creating equitable opportunities through technology.
In his free time, Malone enjoys traveling to Texas A&M home football games with his family, in their Recreational Vehicle.