Denise Wallace-Spooner - Secretary (At-Large)

Denise Wallace Spooner currently serves as a Trustee At-Large for the Beaumont Independent School District and is Secretary of the Board. Since first being elected in May 2017, she has remained a committed advocate for educational equity and community engagement. She was among the first elected trustees to be seated by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath following the state-appointed Board of Managers, playing a key role in BISD’s historic return to local governance in 2018.

A lifelong resident of Beaumont, Mrs. Spooner is a proud graduate of Hebert High School (Class of 1975), where she actively participated in cheerleading, choir, Spanish Club, and Future Teachers of America. Her educational foundation and early leadership experiences have shaped her enduring commitment to academic excellence.

Mrs. Spooner holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood/Elementary Education from Lamar University and a Master of Education in Educational Administration from Prairie View A&M University. Her 30+ year career in public education has included roles as a teacher, instructional leader, and professional development facilitator. Early in her career, she was hired as a paraprofessional to launch the first PreK program at Martin Elementary outside of BISD’s Head Start campus. She also organized the district’s first elementary cheerleading squad at Blanchette Elementary, with the assistance of Dr. Kim Vine Guillory, fostering student engagement and school spirit.

Dedicated to lifelong learning and servant leadership, Mrs. Spooner actively participates in a wide range of civic and professional organizations, including:

• Antioch Missionary Baptist Church – Graduation Ministry & Christ Debutantes

• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Alpha Omega Omega Chapter – Executive Board Member

  • AKA 90th South Central Regional Mary Louise Williams Guiding Star Public Service Award (2022)

• National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. 

• Pioneering Women 2020 Rise of Women Centennial Honoree

• Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc. – Executive Board & Beautification Chair

• Beaumont Chamber of Commerce – Leadership Beaumont Graduate (1994)

  • Beaumont Chamber of Commerce Champions Graduate (2022)

• Beaumont Community Players – Education Chair, Board of Directors

• Hebert High School Alumni Association

• NAACP – Life Member

• National Council of Negro Women

• Texas Association of School Boards – Delegate Assembly Member (2017–2020)

• Texas Alliance of Black School Educators – Distinguished Educator Award Recipient

• Beaumont Area Alliance of Black School Educators – Two-Time Teacher of the Year

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park – Commissioner

• Lamar Institute of Technology – Black History Scholarship Committee

Mrs. Spooner continues to champion policies and initiatives that support student achievement, teacher development, and inclusive community partnerships. Her enduring passion for education and service exemplifies the values that BISD strives to instill in every student.