Get to Know the Class of 2025 Executive Board Members
Congratulations to the newest TCPEA board members who were elected at our fall meeting!
Dr. Jennifer Engle, assistant professor at Angelo State University, serves as Program Coordinator for the Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Advanced Certification programs, where she leads curriculum development and continuous improvement initiatives to ensure alignment with state and national standards. She has extensive experience teaching and mentoring graduate students, delivering courses through the Blackboard learning management system, and providing meaningful, constructive feedback to support candidate growth.
In her role, Dr. Engle actively contributes to program recruitment and marketing efforts, collaborates with faculty on course design and improvement, and mentors aspiring school leaders through one-on-one communication, online meetings, and timely feedback. Additionally, she oversees compliance, accreditation, and reporting processes to ensure program quality and adherence to state requirements for principal and superintendent preparation. She leverages her professional background to infuse real-world, practical insights into coursework, cultivating reflective, equity-minded leaders who are equipped to make data-informed decisions to improve instruction, positively impact student outcomes, and lead with integrity.
In addition to her work with students, she provides service to the university, department, and local community through committee participation, partnerships, and outreach efforts that strengthen educational leadership preparation. Committed to advancing the field, she participates in professional organizations, conferences, and research activities that inform best practices in online graduate education, and specifically, educational leadership preparation. Dr. Engle’s work reflects a dedication to high standards, continuous improvement, and developing future-ready leaders who can meet the complex challenges of today’s schools.
In her role, Dr. Engle actively contributes to program recruitment and marketing efforts, collaborates with faculty on course design and improvement, and mentors aspiring school leaders through one-on-one communication, online meetings, and timely feedback. Additionally, she oversees compliance, accreditation, and reporting processes to ensure program quality and adherence to state requirements for principal and superintendent preparation. She leverages her professional background to infuse real-world, practical insights into coursework, cultivating reflective, equity-minded leaders who are equipped to make data-informed decisions to improve instruction, positively impact student outcomes, and lead with integrity.
In addition to her work with students, she provides service to the university, department, and local community through committee participation, partnerships, and outreach efforts that strengthen educational leadership preparation. Committed to advancing the field, she participates in professional organizations, conferences, and research activities that inform best practices in online graduate education, and specifically, educational leadership preparation. Dr. Engle’s work reflects a dedication to high standards, continuous improvement, and developing future-ready leaders who can meet the complex challenges of today’s schools.
Dr. Cynthia A. Gallardo is an Assistant Professor of Educational Administration at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), where she specializes in educational leadership, dual enrollment, and STEM learning. Her research explores principal preparation, instructional leadership, and dual enrollment pathways, with a focus on representation and access across South Texas and the U.S.–México border.
In 2025, Dr. Gallardo was honored as the inaugural recipient of the ICPEL James Berry Emerging Scholar Award in recognition of her national and international contributions to educational leadership. She also participated in the Harvard Women in Higher Education Leadership Program, which further shaped her commitment to leadership and mentoring.
Dr. Gallardo has published in multiple journals and serves as Associate Editor of the Advancing Women in Leadership Journal and Co-Associate Editor of the AERA Division A Newsletter, while also reviewing for peer-reviewed journals. Her expertise spans grant writing, curriculum development, principal preparation, student retention, open educational resources (OER), and mentoring. She authored the first OER in Texas for Public School Law and successfully recertified her course through Quality Matters, advancing instructional design and accessibility.
As Principal Investigator of Project UP (Unveiling Perspectives), she leads a multi-site study examining how various stakeholders perceive dual enrollment. She also collaborates on NSF- and institutionally funded initiatives designed to strengthen STEM pathways.
Trained as a public health biochemist and molecular biologist with a Master in Health Science, Dr. Gallardo brings an interdisciplinary perspective to her teaching, which includes public school law, data-driven decision-making, curriculum evaluation, principal practicums, and instructional leadership.
In 2025, Dr. Gallardo was honored as the inaugural recipient of the ICPEL James Berry Emerging Scholar Award in recognition of her national and international contributions to educational leadership. She also participated in the Harvard Women in Higher Education Leadership Program, which further shaped her commitment to leadership and mentoring.
Dr. Gallardo has published in multiple journals and serves as Associate Editor of the Advancing Women in Leadership Journal and Co-Associate Editor of the AERA Division A Newsletter, while also reviewing for peer-reviewed journals. Her expertise spans grant writing, curriculum development, principal preparation, student retention, open educational resources (OER), and mentoring. She authored the first OER in Texas for Public School Law and successfully recertified her course through Quality Matters, advancing instructional design and accessibility.
As Principal Investigator of Project UP (Unveiling Perspectives), she leads a multi-site study examining how various stakeholders perceive dual enrollment. She also collaborates on NSF- and institutionally funded initiatives designed to strengthen STEM pathways.
Trained as a public health biochemist and molecular biologist with a Master in Health Science, Dr. Gallardo brings an interdisciplinary perspective to her teaching, which includes public school law, data-driven decision-making, curriculum evaluation, principal practicums, and instructional leadership.
Dr. Joel Leader is an Assistant Professor of Practice and the Director of Principal Preparation Programs in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Arlington. In this capacity, he oversees the design, coordination, and delivery of graduate-level programs that prepare aspiring principals to lead with vision, integrity, and a commitment to equity. He earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and an M.Ed. in Secondary Education from the University of North Texas, as well as a B.S. in Secondary Education from the University of Kansas.
Dr. Leader brings more than fifteen years of professional experience in PK–12 education. His career has included service as a classroom teacher, campus administrator, and district-level leader, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of the instructional, organizational, and policy dimensions of school leadership. Prior to joining the University of Texas at Arlington in 2022, he held a faculty appointment as an adjunct professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration at the University of North Texas, where he contributed to the preparation of future educators and leaders.
His research agenda centers on the ways in which school and district leaders collaborate with diverse stakeholders to design accountability systems that are responsive to community values, goals, and needs. Additional scholarly interests include state and federal education policy, public school law, equity-driven reform, educator preparation for social justice leadership, and the cultivation of strong and sustainable school–community partnerships.
Dr. Leader is an active member of the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) and the Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administration (TCPEA). He also serves as the University of Texas at Arlington’s Plenum Representative to the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA), where he contributes to national conversations on leadership preparation, policy, and practice.
Dr. Leader brings more than fifteen years of professional experience in PK–12 education. His career has included service as a classroom teacher, campus administrator, and district-level leader, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of the instructional, organizational, and policy dimensions of school leadership. Prior to joining the University of Texas at Arlington in 2022, he held a faculty appointment as an adjunct professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration at the University of North Texas, where he contributed to the preparation of future educators and leaders.
His research agenda centers on the ways in which school and district leaders collaborate with diverse stakeholders to design accountability systems that are responsive to community values, goals, and needs. Additional scholarly interests include state and federal education policy, public school law, equity-driven reform, educator preparation for social justice leadership, and the cultivation of strong and sustainable school–community partnerships.
Dr. Leader is an active member of the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) and the Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administration (TCPEA). He also serves as the University of Texas at Arlington’s Plenum Representative to the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA), where he contributes to national conversations on leadership preparation, policy, and practice.
Dr. Stephanie Zamora Robles is an Assistant Professor of Graduate Education at
Midwestern State University (MSU), where she also serves as the Program Coordinator for the Master of Educational Leadership, MSU’s Service-Learning Coordinator, and Graduate Education chair.
Before joining MSU, Dr. Zamora Robles spent 11 years with the Wichita Falls Independent School District, including five years as an assistant principal at the middle school level. She is passionate about leadership and school culture at the critical middle school years, which she views as a final opportunity to deeply engage students before high school.
Dr. Robles has contributed to several leadership teams, including two that successfully turned around
campuses previously designated as "Improvement Required" by the Texas Education Agency. Her research focuses on leadership in high-need schools, school culture, and the academic and social-emotional needs of middle school students.
An active community leader, she has taken on various roles outside of work, including President of the Bilingual Education Student Organization at MSU, Vice President of Zavala, board member for the Community Health Care Center, the Boys and Girls Club of Wichita Falls, and Hospice. She is a dedicated
volunteer with Café con Leche and serves on the Amo Leer committee. Her awards include being named Region 9 Assistant Principal of the Year (2018–2019) by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (state finalist) and receiving the 2021 West College of Education Distinguished Alumni Award.
Midwestern State University (MSU), where she also serves as the Program Coordinator for the Master of Educational Leadership, MSU’s Service-Learning Coordinator, and Graduate Education chair.
Before joining MSU, Dr. Zamora Robles spent 11 years with the Wichita Falls Independent School District, including five years as an assistant principal at the middle school level. She is passionate about leadership and school culture at the critical middle school years, which she views as a final opportunity to deeply engage students before high school.
Dr. Robles has contributed to several leadership teams, including two that successfully turned around
campuses previously designated as "Improvement Required" by the Texas Education Agency. Her research focuses on leadership in high-need schools, school culture, and the academic and social-emotional needs of middle school students.
An active community leader, she has taken on various roles outside of work, including President of the Bilingual Education Student Organization at MSU, Vice President of Zavala, board member for the Community Health Care Center, the Boys and Girls Club of Wichita Falls, and Hospice. She is a dedicated
volunteer with Café con Leche and serves on the Amo Leer committee. Her awards include being named Region 9 Assistant Principal of the Year (2018–2019) by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (state finalist) and receiving the 2021 West College of Education Distinguished Alumni Award.
Affiliations
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TCPEA is an affiliate of the International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership (formerly the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration), which is committed to the practice and study of educational administration. Established in 1947 (as NCPEA), ICPEL continues its commitment to serve the interests and needs of professors of educational administration and practicing school leaders.
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TCPEA is a partner organization with the Texas Association of School Administrators, whose mission is to promote, provide and develop leaders who create and sustain student-centered schools and develop future-ready students.
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Member Universities
