WIMBERLEY —Marlayna Zachary, assistant principal of Jacob’s Well Elementary School in Wimberley, was named the 2024 Region 13 Assistant Principal of the Year by the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA).

The peer-based award recognizes assistant principals from the 20 TEPSA Regions across the state for their commitment to student learning as evidenced by exceptional school leadership. Region 13 encompasses more than 50 public school districts.

“Marlayna strives daily to ensure our students, staff, families and community have the best experience possible at Jacob’s Well,” said Jacob’s Well Elementary School Principal SueAnna Thomas, who nominated Zachary for the honor. “Her passion for learning, students and teachers shines through her work. She builds relationships and a sense of community everyday, starting with morning duty and continuing throughout the day by visiting classrooms, talking to students at lunch, checking on teachers, attending meetings, making positive phone calls home and afternoon car duty,” she said.

“I am honored to be recognized by TEPSA as Assistant Principal of the Year for Region 13 and grateful to have been nominated for such an award among so many amazing educational leaders,” Zachary shared. “I am truly blessed to serve the WISD community!”

Zachary is now eligible to be selected as the 2024 National Assistant Principal of the Year for Texas, which will be announced later this spring. All regional winners will be recognized at the TEPSA Awards Dinner on June 12 at the Round Rock Kalahari.

Christi Moeller, WISD’s current Danforth Junior High principal, received the Region 13 Assistant Principal of the Year honor from TEPSA for the 2021-22 school year while at Blue Hole Primary and current Wimberley High School Principal Ryan Wilkes was honored as the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) Region 13 High School Assistant Principal of the Year for 2022-23. In addition, Thomas was named the 2023 Region 13 TEPSAN of the Year.