Dallas ISD Names Several New Leadership Positions

On November 13, Dallas ISD announced a new Deputy Superintendent, Deputy Chief of Construction Services and Chief of Communications Services.

Susana Cordova has been named Deputy Superintendent of Dallas ISD who will oversee School Leadership, Teaching and Learning, and Strategic Initiatives. Cordova currently serves as superintendent of Denver Public Schools and has more than 30 years of experience in education as a teacher and school leader at elementary, middle and high school levels. She began her teaching career as a bilingual middle and high school teacher, serving for a time as an elementary assistant principal and principal at a Title I school, which saw a 33 percent increase on the state’s reading assessment over four years.

As superintendent, Cordova has led significant improvements in student outcomes over the past five years, including an 8 percent increase in graduation rates and a 10 percent improvement in Latino/a student graduation rates. In 2020, under her leadership, students completed more than 31,000 rigorous courses with a passing rate of 89 percent, and elementary multilingual students outperformed their peers across the state in reading.

Cordova holds an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Denver and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction/education administration from the University of Colorado. The University of Denver recently awarded her an honorary doctorate in education.

Brent Alfred has been named Deputy Chief of Construction Services. Alfred is an accomplished leader with a proven record of management and oversight of large capital projects for school districts. A registered architect and certified construction manager, he has vast experience as a designer, project manager and owner’s representative in the construction field. He has more than 20 years of experience in the design and construction industry with the last 12 focused exclusively on K-12 schools and the learning environment. He is a graduate of Southern University’s School of Architecture in Baton Rouge, LA. He currently serves as a program manager for Dikita \\ Vanir, a joint venture providing program management services for the district.

In addition to his professional experience, Alfred is a staunch community supporter and spends considerable time volunteering in the community and supporting students. He is particularly proud of his efforts teaching entrepreneurial skills and building playgrounds for kids in communities of need throughout the area.

Libby Daniels has been named Chief of Communications. Daniels has been with Dallas ISD since 2008 and has served in a variety of leadership positions, including acting chief and deputy chief of Communications, executive director in charge of media relations, digital media, marketing, Dallas Schools Television, special events and customer service. She has worked strategically with departments to ensure brand alignment and consistent messaging and provided strategic leadership during crisis management. She brings more than 30 years of experience in communications both in the private and public sectors. Daniels earned her degree in communications from North Texas State University in Denton.