Canyon Independent School District trustees voted last week to appoint Matt Parker to the Place 5 seat on the school board.

Parker, vice president of cardiovascular services at the BSA Healthcare System in Amarillo, was selected by trustees after the board sought applications to replace Jim Murphy, a longtime fixture on the school board who served for over 40 years before retiring this year. According to reports, Parker said he sees his service on the board as a chance to give back to the Canyon ISD community.

“I had a lot of people invest time and energy in me to do well with my education,” Parker said. “This is an opportunity for me to serve and to give to the community to make sure people have the same opportunities to advance and learn and empower themselves to grow.”

Parker will serve out the remaining months of Murphy’s term until voters have a chance to elect a new Place 5 trustee in May 2021.

Along with Parker, Trustees Randy Darnell, Bill Jenkins, and Jenni Winegarner will also be up for re-election.

Canyon ISD covers a portion of southwest Amarillo, all of Canyon, and rural areas in between the two communities. The school board is made up of seven members, elected at-large to four-year terms.

Thomas Warren

Thomas Warren, III is the editor-in-chief of the Amarillo Pioneer newspaper in Amarillo, Texas.

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