The retiring head football coach at Memorial High School received the Spring Branch ISD (SBISD) Council of PTAs 2025 School Bell Award at the Founder’s Day event held at Memorial Drive Elementary.

After 47 years of service in SBISD, Coach Gary Koch was recognized for mentoring thousands of students over the years as a teacher, coach, and athletic director. His humility was evident in his post-award remarks:

“It’s quite an honor,” Koch said. “I am pretty sure, among all these people here, I am far behind them, but I am humbled to be nominated for the award. To win it was a shock.”

He says creating relationships with students is what it is all about—to “be there for them.” Coach Koch believes that if someone is not in education for these reasons, then they shouldn’t be in the field. He especially appreciates how the students he taught, coached, and mentored over 47 years helped him grow as a person. View event photos here.

Koch was chosen from 24 educators and school staff members who were nominated for the award by their PTA communities. See the list below.

Before the announcement of the School Bell Award winner, SBISD Council of PTAs President Linda Dang and Dominique Harvey, Texas PTA director at large, read the names of 83 PTA members in SBISD who received Honorary Life Memberships or Extended Service Awards (for 10+ years of PTA service) from the Texas PTA. See the list below.

They also presented James and Mallory Shaddix and Chris Gonzalez with Texas PTA Honorary Life Memberships for their years of service in SBISD and contributions as Angel Members. Angel Members’ financial support benefits all 30 PTAs and 14,650 members in the district.

Four schools were honored with PTA’s most prestigious award, the Platinum Voice for Every Child. This award recognizes school PTAs that have more members than students, ensuring that every child in their schools has representation in the PTA:

• Bunker Hill Elementary: 766 students, 934 PTA members
• Frostwood Elementary: 837 students, 902 PTA members
• Cornerstone Academy: 425 students, 589 PTA members
• Wilcrest Elementary: 842 students, 897 PTA members

This year’s PTA Founder’s Day event celebrated the 138th anniversary of the nation’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to advocating for children, made entirely of volunteers.

Texas PTA Honorary Life Membership and Extended Service Award (marked with an asterisk) Recipients

Bunker Hill Elementary

Maria Hubbard
Amy Kuykendall
Margaret Murphy
Olivia Porter
Sera SoRelle
Keleigh Spinner
Amy Walker

Cornerstone Academy

Mara Bonilla
Jenny Riley
Megan Sakkal
Nicole Stone

Edgewood Elementary

Hope Shiver

Frostwood Elementary

Lindsay Lanham
Tiffany Lim
Lauren Nix

Hunters Creek Elementary

Katie Bennett
Niki D’Agostino
Mary Kristen Valentine
Keri Wagner

Meadow Wood Elementary

Sarah Deakins
Susan Snelling
Pam Townsend
Jenny Trahan

Memorial Drive Elementary

Brandy Boza
Hallah Fakhoury
Chas Fargason
Tori Fitzpatrick
Para Flores
Lydia Holland*
Larry Kivett
Jenny Norton*
Emily Saab
Ellen Sweet

Memorial High School

Suzanne Farrow*
Lorie Medlenka
Paul Suess

Memorial Middle School

Lauren Amedee
Ivette Chapman
Ana Franco
Kristi King

Nottingham Elementary

Kristin Anderson
Sarah Davidson
Kate Ghazi
Karen Smith

Rummel Creek Elementary

Lindsey Alleman
Gaby Becerra
Kelly Buster
Kirby Cipra
Shelbie Ghiotto
Catherine Henry
Amy Sandidge
Aranza Simpson
Courtney Smith

Spring Branch Middle School

Angela Bray
Joan Cullum
Maya Franchi
Charline Ibanez*
Whitney Janke
Leslie Parkan
Laura Williams

Spring Forest Middle School

David Anthony
Larry Maple
Helen Pearce
Stephanie Rasch
Krista Sherlock

Stratford High School

Pam Ferworn*
Debbie Green

Valley Oaks Elementary

Somer Garza
Kathy Jacobson
Colleen Lang
Sarah Stanfield

Westchester Academy

Sasha-Lee Johnson
Christine Potosky
Lisa Unger

Wilchester Elementary

Kristina Cupic*
Laura Fletcher*
Anne Liddle
Annie McQueen*
Erin Naman
Emily Raines*
Courtney Squillante
Holly Stephenson*

2025 School Bell Award Nominees

• Buffalo Creek Elementary: Hannah Haas
• Bunker Hill Elementary: Maria Hubbard
• Cedar Brook Elementary: Debbie Agudelo
• Cornerstone Academy: Justin Gaston
• Edgewood Elementary: Nicole McLaughlin
• Frostwood Elementary: Barbara Perry
• Hunters Creek Elementary: Tracey Tomaro-McCall
• Meadow Wood Elementary: Kammy Armijo
• Memorial Drive Elementary: Lisa Tran
• Memorial High School: Gary Koch
• Memorial Middle School: William Ivins
• Nottingham Elementary: Jeanne Breidenthal
• Pine Shadows Elementary: Courtney Tank
• Ridgecrest Elementary: Guadalupe Perez
• Rummel Creek Elementary: Marlo Pond
• Sherwood Elementary: Joly Giraldo
• Spring Branch Middle School: Chenique Whitney
• Spring Forest Middle School: Faralyn Rasberry
• Spring Woods High School: Jennalae Ziegler
• Stratford High School: Matthew Ache
• Terrace Elementary: Sean Ferratt
• Valley Oaks Elementary: Colleen “Annie” Mitchell
• Westchester Academy: Julie Labrie
• Wilchester Elementary: Holly Davis

#SBISDProud