Bonewald named lone finalist for WISD Superintendent
Greg Bonewald was named the lone finalist by the Wimberley ISD Board of Trustees in the search for the next superintendent. Bonewald will succeed retiring Superintendent Dwain York.
“After an arduous interview process, our clear choice was Bonewald,” WISD Board President Rob Campbell said. “I look forward to working closely with Bonewald as he leads our district. We welcome him back to Wimberley.”
Bonewald has worked at Victoria ISD since 2014, serving most recently as Deputy Superintendent and also working as Assistant Superintendent and Executive Director of HR. Prior to his time in Victoria, Bonewald spent 14 years at Wimberley ISD, including seven years as Wimberley High School Principal (2007-2014). He was also an assistant principal at the high school and spent five years as a teacher/coach for the Texans.
“I never lost the love that I have for Wimberley, and what that really means is the love I have for the people that make Wimberley what it is” Bonewald said at the meeting. “Thank you for the opportunity to come back home and rejoin this family. I’ve been keeping up with all of the amazing things that have been happening in the school district, and I’m just so excited to be a part of that with you. I look forward to what we can do together to build upon what you’ve already been doing… What I want you to know is that you recognize and I recognize how critical the success of our school district is to the success of our community. That’s something we all take to heart, and we will continue to take the heart. We will do everything that we possibly can to maintain that tradition of excellence that’s existed here.”
As Deputy Superintendent in Victoria, Bonewald directs and leads the Business, Communications, Human Resources, Operations, and Athletics departments. He has vast knowledge of the school finance system, experience in partnering with Victoria’s city leadership and VISD’s education foundation, and has led the effort to educate his community about a bond election, which was approved.
“Wimberley ISD has a widely recognized tradition of excellence that is the result of the community’s commitment to providing outstanding opportunities for all students,” Bonewald said. “I am grateful to the Board of Trustees for their support in allowing me the opportunity to return to Wimberley ISD and serve as the next Superintendent of Schools. I am also excited to begin working alongside our talented teachers and staff to build upon the foundation of success our students and community have worked so hard to create together.
Bonewald is married to his wife Wendy and has four children. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University in Austin, a Master of Education degree from Texas State University, and a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Retiring Superintendent York, who will assist with the superintendent transition throughout this summer, was principal at WHS when Bonewald was a teacher and assistant principal at the campus. He also promoted Bonewald to principal when he took the WISD Superintendent position in 2007. “I’ve been impressed with Greg since I first got to see him in action as a teacher and a coach. I immediately received positive feedback from students about him - he was a natural,” Mr. York said. “I’ve continued to be impressed with his strong leadership as I’ve watched his career progress. He’s a man of integrity and a class act, and I’m thrilled that he’s coming back to Wimberley,” Mr. York added.
Monday’s announcement of Bonewald as lone finalist is the penultimate event in a search process the WISD Board began in August 2021 following Mr. York’s retirement announcement. The board hired Thompson and Horton LLP to lead the superintendent search and reviewed 57 applications for the position. Two separate sets of interviews were held on back-to-back weeks in April with the final candidates, leading to Monday’s announcement of the lone finalist. “I thank my fellow Trustees for their time and concentrated effort during this process, “ Campbell said. “We are also most grateful for our search consultants, David Thompson and Mike Moses.” Following the state-required 21-day waiting period, the WISD Board will vote to approve the hiring of Bonewald during its regular meeting on May 23.