Connally ISD Board of Trustees

The Connally ISD Board of Trustees is made up of a group of elected officials that live within the district's boundaries. The school board, which is made up of dedicated community members, service their constituents by voting on policies and making decisions that are in the best interest of the needs of the students, faculty members, and the taxpayers of Connally ISD. Board members receive annual trainings to stay up to date on the latest laws, regulations, and best practices related to the process of running a school district. By utilizing the variety of skills that they have developed in their personal and professional backgrounds, the CISD Board of Trustees works hard to empower our teachers and students to uphold the standard of excellence and success that has come to be associated with Connally ISD.

2024 - 2025 Board of Trustees

Mr. Steven Carter

Steven Carter first joined the Connally ISD Board in May of 2009. Steven joins our team from a background of 24 years as an Occupational Therapy Assistant and Rehabilitation Director. Most recently, Steven was the Rehabilitation Liaison for Saint Catherine’s Skilled Nursing Facility in Waco, Texas. Steven has served as Rehabilitation Director for various Skilled Nursing Facilities across Central Texas and at one time owned his own therapy center. He has demonstrated a talent for managing and coordinating therapy services through building relationships and supervising people with compassion while incorporating the best strategies to help his company and the individuals served to achieve excellence. Steven is an active father and new grandfather living in Waco, Texas with his wife, Marci, and son, Isaiah. He is also an avid barbeque competitor on the weekends and enjoys running a pop up food truck business. Steven includes his daughters and their spouses, Morgan, Dylan, Kendra and Daniel as well as his grandson, Hayes and granddaughters, Hartley & Callie in his various adventures.

Mr. Carter runs a tight ship at work and at home because of his upbringing in a large family and his military service in the US Army. Having a therapy background, Steven is a natural advocate for others.

Mr. Carter has stated many times he got to Connally as fast as he could.

Mr. Keith Lowrey

Keith Lowrey first joined the Board of Trustees in June of 2021. He was motivated to serve because he wanted to help make a difference for the students and staff of Connally ISD.

Mr. Lowrey has worked as an Informational Technology professional for about 34 years. He currently works as an IT Specialist for the City of Woodway, a position he has held for 12 years. Prior to joining the City of Woodway, he worked for the State of Texas for 19 years. Mr. Lowrey has four daughters, two of whom graduated from Connally. He takes great pride in his community, and has consistently worked to stay active in it. He served as the President of the Lakeview Little League for over 10 years and is currently an Assistant District Administrator for the District 9 Little League.

His favorite part about serving on the board is being able to see the kids and staff of Connally ISD succeed.

Ms. Heather McCarty-Johnston

Heather McCarty-Johnston moved to Texas in the summer of 1992, just in time to start her sophomore year at Stephenville High School. After graduating in 1995, she moved onto the TSTC campus where she completed the Dental Assisting program and later began working for a Dental Lab in Waco. In 1999, she bought a house in Elm Mott and has been here ever since.

Ms. McCarty-Johnston's work within Connally ISD began in 2001 when her oldest child started kindergarten at the Elm Mott Center and is still going strong today. Over the years, she has been a room mom more times than she can count, planning many classroom parties and chaperoning countless field trips. She's helped plan Fall Festivals, senior nights, and coordinated several meals for the varsity football team. She's decorated locker rooms, homecoming floats, and has made many, many gift baskets for different events. Ms. Johnston started volunteering with the Athletic Booster Club in 2009 and has held every position in the organization over the years. She has definitely learned her way around a concession stand!

After working as a volunteer on the 2021 and 2022 Bond Election Committees, Ms. McCarty-Johnston gained a deeper understanding of school operations and board policy. This fascination led her to begin regularly attending school board meetings as a community member for a year, and she later decided to run for the board.

Through her wide variety of experiences as a parent, community member, volunteer, and board member, Heather has dedicated a lot of sweat and tears to Connally ISD. She truly believes that not a single moment has been a waste of her time, because she is proud to be a part of the Connally family. She feels that it is a great honor to serve on the Connally ISD Board of Trustees.

Mr. Danny Raines

Danny Raines is a 1996 graduate of Connally High School. He attended McLennan Community College to receive his certification as a firefighter. He currently serves as a firefighter/EMT for the City of Belton. He holds an advanced firefighter certification as well as his swift water level 2 certification. He is also certified to serve as an intermediate instructor. He and his wife, Jamie, have three daughters, two of whom have graduated from Connally, and one who is currently a junior in high school. Mr. Raines has been on the CISD Board of Trustees in various stints for over nine years. He takes pride in serving on the board to give back to the school district that has given him and his family so much. He believes that the school board has the capacity to overcome any adversity thanks to the amazing dedication and support of the students, teachers, and community that they serve. In his spare time, Mr. Raines enjoys supporting Connally in a variety of capacities - including serving on the football run-through helmet crew for the past 18 years.

Mrs. Kathy Coker

Kathy Coker was born and raised in Eastland, Texas and graduated from Texas A&M University in 1975. She and her husband Eddie came to Waco after graduating and eventually settled in the Connally community, where they have lived ever since. They have lived in this area for 40 years and their sons graduated from Connally ISD. Their grandchildren are currently enrolled in Connally schools. Mrs. Coker worked as an elementary school teacher in Connally for 27 years, retiring in 2013.
Mrs. Coker has served on the CISD Board of Trustees since 2014. She appreciates serving the staff and families of the district as a board member. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family - including her 7 grandchildren that keep she and her husband plenty busy. She has been married to her husband for 48 years, and she truly believes that Connally was the right choice for them to raise their family. She is particularly thankful for all of the relationships that she has developed throughout her time in this community and thinks that it is great to be a part of the Connally Cadet family.

Mrs. Diane Davis

Diane Davis started her career at Connally ISD as a substitute teacher on the elementary campus and loved it so much that she went on to work for the district for 25 years before eventually retiring. Mrs. Davis has been married to her husband Greg, who is a Connally alumnus (Class of 1982) for 37 years and is proud parent of two children, both of which attended Connally from kindergarten through graduation. She has always loved Connally for the family atmosphere that it has, something which she felt as both an employee and a parent in the district from day one. She wanted to be a part of the school board in order to serve the students, staff, and community of Connally ISD to the best of her ability.

Connally Independent School District