With over 30 years of educational experience in public and higher education, Dr. Carol G. Perez became the first female superintendent in Mission Consolidated Independent School District in July 2018.

Dr. Perez grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, graduating from La Joya High School and continuing to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Inter-American Studies from the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) in 1986. She earned a Master’s degree in Education in 1995, a Reading Recovery Certificate from Texas Woman’s University in 1997, and a Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Texas A&M University-Kingsville in 2010.  Since taking the helm at Mission CISD, Dr. Perez has exemplified the Service Delivery Model, integrating her Total Team Effort with the Mission CISD Board of Trustees and Administration.

Board support and her leadership enabled the district to close teacher salary gaps by implementing various cost savings strategies. Throughout the Pandemic, Dr. Perez continued to work from the Mission CISD offices with the Board of Trustees, alongside her Executive Leadership Team and all stakeholders, to ensure that students and staff remained safe, that students received meals at their doorstep, and that all students were provided the necessary tools to continue the District’s primary responsibility of educating Mission CISD students.

With a true passion for education and service to students, Dr. Perez’s tenure with Mission CISD has resulted in a renewed focus on providing quality instruction and meeting the needs of all students. Dr. Perez is responsible for overseeing all activities and personnel to ensure that all students are prepared and inspired to be equipped to excel in the college and career of their choice, dominate 21st-century skills in leadership, knowledge, language, and technology to compete in a global economy and serve as successful citizens in their community. Her goal is for every child to reach their fullest potential in developing academic skills and be motivated to become responsible citizens through careers of their choice.

Her vision for Mission CISD to provide progressive collaborative leadership with the Board of Trustees earned her recognition as the RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year in Education in 2021. Not only does Dr. Perez lead Mission CISD, but she has served the community, county, state, and nation through her membership on various boards:

• Hidalgo County Head Start Advisory Board
• City of Mission Chair of College and Workforce Readiness
• The City of Mission Juvenile Justice and Prevention Advisory Board Member
• Department of Rehabilitative Services Grant Advisory Committee McAllen
• Community Action of South Texas Board Member Alice
• UTRGV Leadership Advisory Committee for Principal Certification
• RGV Lead Board Member
• Raise Your Hand Texas
• Rotary Club
• Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce Board Secretary
• The ELA TEKS Standards Setting with the Texas Education Agency (TEA)
• Reading Exit Level Teaching Standards National Advisory Group
• Reading First Grant Impact Study with the U.S. Department of Education
• Region One TEKS Resource System Superintendent Representative
• Effective School Districts Framework TEA.

RGV LEAD is honored to have Dr. Perez serve on the Education Committee of the RGV LEAD Board of Directors!