TEA names new, state-appointed leaders of Fort Worth ISD as takeover begins

Fort Worth Star-Telegram | By Lina Ruiz | March 24, 2026 

The names of the 10 new state-appointed leaders of the Fort Worth Independent School District were announced on Tuesday morning, marking the start of a state takeover of the largest school district in Tarrant County.

An early-morning press release from the Texas Education Agency contained the names of a new superintendent and a nine-person Board of Managers who are replacing Superintendent Karen Molinar and elected school board members. They begin their positions immediately.

Peter B. Licata, who most recently served as superintendent of Broward County Public Schools in Florida, will oversee Fort Worth ISD as superintendent moving forward.

Dr. Peter B. Licata was named Tuesday, March 24, 2026, as the new superintendent of Fort Worth ISD. He was appointed by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath as part of a state takeover of the Fort Worth school district. The TEA said Licata has more than 30 years of experience improving educational outcomes for students. He most recently served as the superintendent of Broward County Public Schools in Florida,

The members of the Board of Managers and their backgrounds, according to TEA, are:

• Bobby Ahdieh: A higher education leader, Bobby Ahdieh arrived in Fort Worth in 2018 to serve as the Dean of the Texas A&M University School of Law, a role that has grown to oversee the training of graduate students across the healthcare, energy, and finance sectors as chief operating officer of Texas A&M University – Fort Worth. Ahdieh holds degrees from Princeton University and Yale Law School.
• Rosa Marie Berdeja: Rosa Marie Berdeja has called the Fort Worth-area home for more than three decades. The sixth of nine children, she was the first in her family to both graduate high school and pursue higher education. An attorney, Berdeja serves as Chair-Elect of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Recovery Resource Council. She holds degrees from the University of North Texas and Texas A&M University School of Law.
• Luis A. Galindo: A practicing attorney for more than 35 years in the construction, business and real estate arenas, Luis A. Galindo has been involved in numerous community advocacy and philanthropic organizations in Fort Worth. In addition to his law practice, Galindo is an adjunct supervising attorney at the Texas A&M School of Law’s Entrepreneurship Law Clinic and teaches Business Law at Texas Wesleyan University. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law.
• Laurie George: A current Fort Worth ISD parent and former educator with more than a decade of experience working in public education, Laurie George brings significant experience supporting multilingual learners and students with disabilities across K-12 systems. A graduate of Oregon State University, George is a teaching fellow and pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of North Texas.
• Pete Geren: A Fort Worth native and proud Arlington Heights Yellow Jacket, Pete Geren has worked extensively with education partners, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders to build a literacy ecosystem in the broader Fort Worth community. Currently the president and CEO of Fort Worth-based nonprofit the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, Geren worked more than eight years in the Department of Defense under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Prior to that, Geren represented Fort Worth in Congress for four terms and served as a lawyer and business executive. He earned degrees in history and law from the University of Texas at Austin.
• Courtney Lewis: A finance and banking professional, Courtney Lewis is actively engaged in the Fort Worth civic and nonprofit space. She currently serves on the boards of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and Housing Channel and is an active member of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) DFW and Women Steering Business.
• Frost Prioleau: Guided by the philosophy of servant leadership, Frost Prioleau spent more than 35 years building successful, high-growth technology companies. A graduate of Princeton University, he and his wife Martha have called Fort Worth home for nearly 25 years.
• Jay Stegall: A business operations veteran in the restaurant, retail and consumer packaged goods industries, Jay Stegall leverages his professional experience in strategic planning and leadership toward serving his community. A Fort Worth native and proud husband, father and grandfather, he holds a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and an Executive Master of Business Administration from Texas Christian University.
• Tennessee Walker: A parent of three children enrolled in Fort Worth ISD schools, Tennessee Walker is an attorney and serves as the board chair for Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Greater Tarrant County. He has been actively involved in BBBS for more than 15 years, twice serving as a Big Brother in the program. Walker holds degrees from Texas A&M University and Baylor University School of Law.

“Fort Worth wants the best possible academic outcomes for every student, as evidenced by the hundreds of community members that showed their willingness to serve,” Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement. “Possessing a diverse range of experiences and expertise, the governance and leadership team appointed today is comprised of individuals with an aligned vision and collective belief that all students, when properly supported, can achieve at high levels. I look forward to seeing this belief in action and their leadership of Fort Worth ISD’s next chapter.”

The new superintendent and board members held a live-streamed press conference on Tuesday morning.

Starting on Tuesday, Licata is working under a 21-day interim contract until the Board of Managers gives formal approval of his long-term contract at an upcoming board meeting. A regularly scheduled Fort Worth ISD school board meeting was set for Tuesday evening at 5:30 p.m., but it was canceled in light of the new leadership appointments.

Peter Licata, the state-appointed superintendent of the Fort Worth school district, speaks during a news conference Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at the Reby Cary Youth Library. He was joined by board member Courtney Lewis, left; board chair Pete Geren; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; his wife Maria Licata; and board members Rosa Maria Berdeja and Luis Galinda.

According to TEA, Licata has more than 30 years of experience in education, specifically for improving student outcomes. Florida’s Broward County Public Schools, the nation’s sixth-largest school district, received its first “A” rating from the state in more than 14 years under his leadership. His previous roles include teacher, coach, principal, regional superintendent, assistant superintendent and university professor.

“My North Star for Fort Worth ISD is simple and unwavering: every student reading on grade level, mastering mathematics, and graduating prepared for college, career, or military service in a system strong enough to sustain that success long after state intervention ends,” Licata said in a statement.

Lori Alhadeff, Broward County school board member and co-founder and CEO of Make Our Schools Safe, said she saw Licata’s “unwavering commitment to students and his ability to lead with both heart and accountability” while working with him during his time in Florida.

“Peter is a relationship-driven leader who listens, builds trust and isn’t afraid to make tough decisions in the best interest of children. Fort Worth ISD is gaining a leader who is deeply experienced, student-centered, and fully committed to doing the hard work required to move the district forward,” she said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Board of Managers will oversee the same duties as the elected school board and is bound by the same legal requirements and obligations. This includes holding public board meetings and hearings, allowing for public comment and posting budget and tax information for public review and discussion.

The highly anticipated announcement comes almost two months after Fort Worth ISD lost its final appeal challenging the state takeover, which was prompted by a now-closed campus receiving five failed accountability ratings in a row from the state. When this happens, state law requires the Texas education commissioner to either close the failing campus or replace the elected school board with a board of managers.

Fort Worth ISD officials had already closed the campus, the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade, by the time it was notified of the potential state intervention in May 2025.

The nine Board of Managers appointees were first said to be selected from a pool of 286 applicants, but on Tuesday, TEA officials said the full applicant pool was 305. Of those, 182 candidates completed the required Lone Star Governance training before the pool was narrowed down.

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker speaks during a press conference introducing the Fort Worth school district’s Board of Managers and state-appointed superintendent Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at Reby Cary Youth Library. Parker was joined by board member Courtney Lewis, left; board chair Pete Geren; Superintendent Peter Licata and his wife, Maria; and board members Rosa Maria Berdeja and Luis Galinda.