Having just reached the 40-year mark of his career in education, Richard Matkin, the Superintendent of the Plano Independent School District (PISD), will be retiring on Jan. 30, 2015.

“In the years that I have worked with Mr. Matkin, I’ve come to know that he has the utmost level of integrity, great leadership skills, and always has the best interests of the students in his vision,” board president Nancy Humphrey said. “We certainly are sad to see him go.”

During his 11 years on the Board of Trustees, the district built 11 new schools, two employee child care centers, a stadium, a staff development center and a warehouse—and completed 61 renovations and expansions. These successes, although plentiful and important, are not the only achievements of Matkin’s career.

“In 2014, the Plano ISD Board of Trustees and I oversaw the creation of a Community and Student  Engagement Accountability System (CSEAS) assessment tool in order to fulfill requirements of House Bill 5 (aimed at improving public school education by expanding curriculum options, reducing standardized testing, and enhancing school accountability),” Matkin said. “The district’s engagement model has been adopted by 30 school districts.”

Matkin became the Superintendent of Schools in the spring of 2012, something that was initiated by his prior experience.

“He served for 12 years as PISD’s  Associate Superintendent of Business and Faculty Services and stewarded the district financially through years of rapid growth,” Humphrey said. “His keen financial expertise provided the district guidance to purposefully manage the financial operations of the district.”

He kept the position and thrived under it—consistently winning the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting; this was mainly due to his attributes.

“He has an excellent work ethic and gives 110% in everything he does,” Humphrey said. “He has a passion for the highest success of each student in the district. He is a good listener and an astute decision maker, which, combined with his great sense of humor and ability to bring groups together, makes him a natural diplomat.”

Although he is retiring, he still plans to be involved in education, as well as in the lives of his family members.

“As I conclude my school years, my grandkids are just beginning theirs, and I look forward to having more time to enjoy every minute of it,” Matkin said. “I will also continue to stay connected to education and to consult with other school districts on a variety of educational platforms.”