Mission Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustees has announced a lone finalist for their superintendent search at a special meeting on Wednesday.

Dr. Cris Valdez will begin her job as superintendent following a required 21-day waiting period before she can officially be hired.

According to a news release, Valdez has 32 years of experience in education. She was recently the Deputy Director for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment at Region One Education Service Center.

Valdez began as a substitute teacher for Weslaco Independent School District. She has since taken on other roles, such as a high school English teacher, varsity athletic coach, varsity cheer coach, high school assistant principal, middle school principal, elementary principal and district bilingual coordinator, according to the news release.

She joined Mission CISD as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction and served as Interim Superintendent from 2017 through 2018. Valdez was also Assistant Superintendent in Garland Independent School District, where she supported 56,000 students, and served as Interim Superintendent in Weslaco ISD in 2021.