Re-Elect Kelly Daniel for PfISD Trustee, Place 5
Kelly Daniel for PfISD Trustee
Hello
I'm a native Texan who has lived in the Austin area for almost 25 years and within the Pflugerville ISD boundary for nearly 18 years. I was born to a second-generation American mother, who worked as a licensed professional counselor and as a licensed social worker. My father is a third-generation American and spent his career teaching at the university level and as a licensed psychologist. Being born to a family of community servants, mental health professionals, and educators, the values of caring about the community and the importance of education were instilled in me at a young age.
My Story
I first began to explore my love of education while earning money for college, working in the Houston Museum of Natural Science's Education Department. There I had the opportunity to teach and assist in curriculum development for the museum’s Science Exploration Camps. I spent several years working for Space Center Houston’s Education Department, teaching Explorer Camps and Space Center University, alongside certified teachers. At the University of Texas at Austin, I worked for the Dean of Students in New Student Services, helping incoming freshmen and transfer students to orient themselves to life at UT.
I am a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Geology (B.S.) with a concentration in environmental geology and hydrogeology. Following graduation, I remained in the Austin area, first moving within the boundaries of Pflugerville ISD in 2007, in the north Austin area. I am a licensed professional geoscientist (PG) in the State of Texas.
I currently work as a Vice-President and Area Manager for Kleinfelder, Inc. where I oversees Kleinfelder's Construction Materials Engineering and Testing (CoMET) and Construction Management practices in Texas and Oklahoma. I was the recipient of the prestigious Austin Under 40 Award for the Energy, Mobility, & Transportation Category in 2018. I have also been recognized by Engineering News-Record (ENR), selected amongst 300 candidates, to be named one of the National Top 20 Under 40 Professionals, appearing on the August cover of ENR in 2019.
I recently completed six years of service on the Pflugerville Education Foundation’s Board of Directors serving as Member-at-Large, Vice-President of Finance, Vice-President of Governance and President during my time on the board. I also recently served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Women in Construction’s Austin chapter, chairing both the Safety & Health Awareness Committee as well as the Community Involvement Committee. I am a member of the Association for Learning Environments and the Women in Transportation Seminar which keep me up to date with school construction trends and central Texas transportation design and planning. I am passionate about serving the community, having spent a decade volunteering for Meals on Wheels and Ronald McDonald House Charities and served as a volunteer for the Pflugerville Piranhas, the Pflugerville Area Youth Baseball and Softball League, and the Round Rock Sertoma Softball League.
I currently has two children in the district, one in elementary school and one in middle school. My family has lived in both the Connally and Weiss feeder patterns. Personally, I'm very excited about the district’s bilingual education and career technology education (CTE) programs. I'm an advocate for mental health support for students at every stage of their educational journey and for science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) curriculums.
In my free time, the Daniel home is a revolving door of neighborhood kids and friends, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I also enjoy spending time with my parents, who have chosen to retire in Pflugerville and I enjoy playing the occasional game of golf (which I am very bad at) with my husband of sixteen years.
