Thompson School District is pleased to announce that Valerie Lara-Black has been named Director of Human Resources, effective July 1. She will fill the position that is being vacated by Thomas Texeira, who is departing the district.
Ms. Lara-Black is currently serving as the principal of Peakview Academy at Conrad Ball, a position she has held since January 2022 when she was hired to help develop the PreK-8 campus as it prepared for its opening in the fall of 2023. Prior to that role, she served as the principal of Mary Blair Elementary School for nearly ten years. Her previous career experience also includes assistant principal positions at Centennial Elementary and Chappelow K-8 Arts Magnet School in Weld County School District 6, as well as English Language Development, Spanish Language and Cultures teaching roles at Lucile Erwin and Walt Clark middle schools in Loveland.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to step into the role of Director of Human Resources with Thompson School District,” Ms. Lara-Black said. “I’m deeply committed to supporting the people who make our mission come to life every day—our educators, support staff, and leaders. I look forward to building strong relationships, fostering a culture of trust and belonging, and ensuring every employee feels valued, supported, and inspired to do their best work on behalf of our students and our community.”
Ms. Lara-Black earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish-Secondary Education and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Northern Colorado. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Executive Leadership for Equity at the University of Colorado-Denver.
For more information, please contact Michael Hausmann, Thompson School District Chief Communications Officer, at 970-613-5011 or via e-mail at michael.hausmann@tsd.org.