Wednesday is the last day of school for students and faculty in Tuloso Midway ISD, and beyond that, the end of an era for the district.
Superintendent Sue Nelson is hanging up her hat after nearly forty years in the district.
Dr. Nelson moved to the Coastal Bend in the early 1980’s, and over the past 34 years has defined what it means to be a warrior.
“You know, I’ve retired four times before, and so everybody is waiting to see if this really is the final chapter,” Nelson said.
Rodney Sumner, Nelson’s successor, called her a staple of TMISD.
“Dr. Nelson is an icon to this community. When a lot of people think of Tuloso Midway, they think of Sue Nelson,” Sumner said.
Over her tenure, Dr. Nelson has touched the lives of tens of thousands of students.
“Not only do I know many of the students, and now I know their parents, and now it’s getting to the point where I also know their grandparents,” Nelson said.
She’s a fierce advocate for education and a supportive face in the crowd. You can often find Dr. Nelson in the cafeteria having lunch with students and faculty.
“The most rewarding thing to me is to be able to work with such passionate educators who really care about kids, and to watch those kids succeed in so many things,” Nelson said.
She was named Region 2 Superintendent of the Year in 2016.
“She’s always welcome here. She’s got reserved seats at the football stadium, reserved seats at the PAC named in her honor, and she’s gonna be looked at as royalty,” Sumner said.
Sumner will assume interim superintendent duties beginning July 1st.
Dr. Nelson looks forward to spending the summer with her family at their cabin in the mountains.
