Author’s Note: Specific candidates, such as Kelly P. Cavender, Nataly Huddleston and Lanford Rodgers were contacted a week in advance about providing information for the article. The candidates listed did not get back to the ENO staff in time of publication, and the article will be updated as candidates re-establish contact. 

Residents will be able to vote on candidates for the district school board May 7. Voters will decide who fills the Place 1, Place 3 and Place 6 on the district school board.

The Prosper Chamber of Commerce introduced the school board candidates in a meeting Wednesday, March 30. Collin County voters will be available to vote for the school board members, as well as vote for the general election, in the designated community room in the Prosper Town Hall. PTO board members can vote early April 11-15. Early voting for residents will be conducted April 27 to May 3.

Each candidate gave an overview of their personal achievements, as well as tasks that they wish to accomplish during the meeting, while answering questions asked by the panel. In order for candidates to be qualified to run for a Texas school board, they must be a Texas citizen for at least one year, as well as lived within the district for six months.

Sample Ballot

Place 1 Candidates

Jorden Dial

Dial and his family moved to Prosper in August of 2016 because of the district’s reputation.

“My wife, Whitney, is our stay-at-home Chief Operations Officer and community volunteer,” Dial said. “Our daughter, Emerie, is a first grader at Folsom Elementary and our son, Rowen, is three and already looking forward to starting Folsom Kinder in 2024.”

Dial said that after moving, his family’s focus was on investing in the community.

“We wanted to dive in and build community in our community, giving back every opportunity we had,” Dial said. “We joined a local church (The Trails Church), I joined the Prosper Education Foundation (PEF) board, we served Cornerstone as a Cornerstone Christmas host family, and I sat on the 2019 PISD Bond Advisory Committee.”

Recently, Dial completed Prosper University in the Prosper Promise Initiative, and regularly works as a Watchdog Dad at Folsom.

“It has been a great privilege and rewarding experience to serve as a board member, Vice President, and now the President of the PEF Board, working alongside our incredible board and staff, who have all worked tirelessly to grow the foundation in our support of our growing district,” Dial said. “This work has given me a front row seat to the wonderful things going on in our district, along with building some great relationships with many educators and administrators in PISD.”

Additionally, Dial works as a commercial general contractor.

“The core markets we serve and build in are K-12 schools, retail and grocery, faith-based, and others,” Dial said. “I help lead an office for a statewide company, Joeris General Contractors, and focus primarily on client services and business development.”

Dial said he looks forward to serving and supporting the students, staff and community.

“We live in a wonderful place; a community that is passionate about student success, with a district that has the best administrators, educators and staff working for it,” Dial said. “I am excited to have the broader opportunity to connect with our students and their families and learn how we can continue to provide the best and most diverse set of opportunities for them.”

Dial said that even though the district is growing, he wants to see the district remain “one” community.

“I want Prosper ISD to continue to be a sought-after school district, both from the families who are moving here and top-level educators and staff that want to come here to care and love on our students and families,” Dial said. “I want to continue seeing our students succeed at all levels and in all areas: academics, fine arts, athletics, journalism, agriculture, etc.”

He said that he is committed to the district, and will be for years.

“My time serving PISD through the PEF has brought me great joy and I am excited to take this next step in serving the students, staff, and families of PISD,” Dial said. “I will not be afraid to have the difficult conversations, and commit to listening to all sides, always working towards what is best for all students. I will work to bring new opportunities to our students, to supporting and caring for our staff well, and will continue being an advocate in the community for raising awareness about the amazing things going on in our schools.”

Kristin Meier

Meier has four children, three of which attend a district school. She also has an adult daughter who works as a middle school science teacher.

“I graduated from Concordia State University with a BA in Business Management, then spent the majority of my professional career as a buyer/planner in the manufacturing industry,” Meier said. “Six years ago, we moved from Kansas City to Prosper for my husbands’ career. Like most families making their home in Prosper, we moved here for the incredible education PISD is known for.”

Meier said that her vision for the future of the district is “that each student feels Prosper ISD has stayed true to the mission and helped them along their path to future success.”

Meier was a varsity swimmer in high school, relating her experience of balancing her academic, physical and social life to many students today

“My own children are busy with all of these things as well,” Meier said. “So I see how hard it can be for students to juggle all of their responsibilities.

Meier has a lot of experience volunteering in leadership positions throughout Prosper ISD, including:

• 5 years of PISD PTO involvement allowing me to better understand student, staff, parent and administrative perspectives
• Selected as a member of the 2019 PISD Bond Political Action Committee
• Currently a part of the District Site Based Planning Committee
• PISD Ambassador
• Member of the Parent Welcoming Committee at PHS
• Went through Prosper University; which was designed to help participants understand how public education is governed in the state of Texas.

“I am happiest serving others,” Meier said. “I get great satisfaction and joy giving back my time and talents to the school system that has given my children a solid foundation for their future. I look forward to being an active member of the team of seven, serving as a link between the community and the school district.”

Meier said that she believes that the school board’s purpose is to serve students and staff.

“There are several complex issues the board is presently facing that include student and staff health, safety, rapid growth and the balance of program funding. As a board member I would invite students to voice ideas and concerns, and participate in the conversation as we shape the future of PISD.”

Kerry Antwine

Antwine has spent his whole career in education.

“I have a unique ability to see things from the perspective of a parent, teacher, administrator and a student,” Antwine said.

Antwine’s wife, Sheila, was a teacher, as well. They have one daughter, a son-in-law and two grandchildren.

“If elected, I look forward to continuing my service to students as well as ensuring all parents have a voice in their child’s education,” Antwine said. “My vision for Prosper is to maintain the quality of facilities and academic performance as Prosper faces many growth issues.”

Place 3 Candidates

Kelly P. Cavender

Nataly Huddleston 

Lanford Rodgers

Place 6 Candidates 

Garrett Linker

Linker and his family moved to Prosper almost a year and a half ago.

“After many years of living in a community where parental involvement had taken a back seat, a continuous decline in public education was occurring, and living in a community that we no longer recognized, we decided to make the move and establish roots in the amazing community of Prosper ISD,” Linker said. “After much prayer and research, this is where we felt our calling. The amazing leadership in Prosper ISD over the last few decades has built this community into a destination district.”

Linker and his wife of 13 years, Lyndi, have three children, whose ages are 3, 5 and 7. His two oldest children attend Stuber Elementary School, with his youngest at Little Learner’s Christian Preschool in Prosper.

“I am looking forward to contributing my ideas and skills to Prosper ISD as we go through this unprecedented time,” Linker said. “Coming from somewhere that was not exceptional like Prosper ISD, I know the gem that we have with our public schools in this district. I realize how important it is to continue the excellence that has been experienced in Prosper ISD.”

Linker is a graduate of Arizona State University, with degrees in Human Communication, Business and Political Science. He is also a small-business owner in Prosper, and his family attends Rock Creek Church. In his free time, he volunteers as a Watch Dog at Stuber Elementary School.

“Being a newer resident to Prosper gives me insight that is unique and beneficial due to the growing diverse population that calls Prosper ISD home,” Linker said. “I have an appreciation for the small-town charm and culture, but also understand the mindset of what is bringing folks to our community.

Linker said that the biggest challenge and opportunity that the district is facing is growth.

“With growth comes the challenge of recruiting and retaining the best educators,” Linker said. “Keeping our academics as high as possible, getting our class sizes consistently at or below the mandated limit and making sure every parent has a seat at the table.”

When asked about his vision for Prosper ISD, Linker said that his is “one where every teacher wants to teach in our district, both because we have the best culture and because our compensation structure is the most competitive.”

“My vision for Prosper ISD is one where every student has all opportunities possible so they can excel and be the best version of themselves,” Linker said. “My vision for Prosper ISD is one where every parent knows that their voice matters and they are embraced in a collaborative way to benefit our district. My vision for Prosper ISD is that it is the best district in North Texas to live, work and learn. While my relatively short period of time in Prosper ISD may be a bit unconventional for a run for Prosper ISD School Board, the times that we are in are also incredibly unconventional.”

Linker said he believes that his background, leadership and his profession in finance will allow him to contribute greatly to the Board of Trustees as the district navigates both the challenges and opportunities surrounding growth over the next several years.

“We need the right leadership on our Board of Trustees that will look out for our students, advocate for our educators and be a representative of the district that the community can be proud of,” Linker said. “We need to have leaders who can fully execute their role as Trustee and be free from any conflicts of interest that could limit the voice of the community.”

Lane Chamblee

Chamblee and his family have called Prosper home since 2009.

“We moved to Prosper for the same reasons many families come today, the Prosper Independent School District,” Chamblee said. “Courtney and I have two daughters, both at Rogers Middle School in the seventh and eigth grade, and part of the dual language program since kindergarten.”

Chamblee has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Auburn University and a MBA from University of Dallas. He is currently the Vice President of Sales for a HDPE pipe manufacturing company that has four plants across the country.

“In the school district, I started volunteering for Watch Dogs when my oldest child was in kindergarten,” Chamblee said. “Since they have started middle school I have had to find other places to give back. Most recently, I am a part of the Prosper Parent Ambassador program. I am an ambassador for Rogers Middle School, we help give tours of the campus and answer questions from parents.”

This past year, Chamblee also attended Prosper University, which he described as “another group that gives parents a better understanding of how the school board operates.”

“I am looking forward to helping continue the excellence of PISD,” Chamblee said. “We have the best teachers, admin and staff. As a board member I want to make sure that we continue to set policy and budgets that will help us attract and retain the best of the best. I also look forward to meeting so many new people.”

Chamblee said that there were a lot fewer people when his family moved to Prosper 12 years ago.

“I have built some strong relationships over those years and I look forward to meeting new friends and building more relationships,” Chamblee said. “I tell people that PISD is like a teenager. We have grown and gotten bigger and now we are on to our hard years as teenagers.”

Great leaders are what Chamblee said he hopes to see for the next 10 years in Prosper.

“In 10 years, the student enrollment is expected to be almost double the approximately 22,5000 students we have now,” Chamblee said. “So with strong leadership, I believe that we can continue being the best school district in north Texas despite doubling in size. We are going to continue to build the best facilities, hire the best educators, and continue to develop wonderful young adults. During our 12 years here, I have been fortunate enough to help in several other places in the community.”

From 2013 to 2021, Chamblee was a board member for Cornerstone North Central Texas. He was tasked with spending money in a fiscally responsible manner to help as many people as possible.

“The growth Cornerstone experienced is evidence of just that,” Chamblee said. “We were able to expand and grow to help hundreds of families each year in the surrounding communities.”

Chamblee also volunteers with his children’s extracurricular activities. These activities include coaching soccer, volleyball and basketball.

“I currently coach the Prosper girl’s seventh and eighth grade lacrosse team where I am starting my fourth year as their coach,” Chamblee said. “And as of January, I am co-director of the Girls Youth Lacrosse Program. And this past fall you could hear my voice at each Rogers Middle School home football game as the announcer for the Rogers Emerald dance team.”

Author’s Note: Article was updated on Thursday, April 14 at 11:24 a.m. to include early voting information for Prosper residents.