The Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees named principals of two new middle schools at their regular November meeting.

Diane Wheeler, who has served in several capacities at Atkinson Elementary since 1993, was recently appointed the principal of Dr. Dixie Melillo Middle School on Hughes Road by the Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees. Liz Ortiz, current principal at Pomeroy Elementary, will serve as the new leader at North Central Middle School. The new which will serve fifth and sixth grade students.

Ortiz has served as principal at Pomeroy since 2003 and was assistant principal at Kruse Elementary from 2000-2003. Before coming to Pasadena ISD, Ortiz had spent most of her teaching career in Deer Park ISD. She was a language arts and physical education teacher at Deepwater Junior High from 1983-1995 and then taught language arts at Fairmont Junior High from 1995-1996. Ortiz was also a fourth grade teacher at Carpenter Elementary from 1996-2000.

Ortiz got her start the education field as a teacher and coach in Willis ISD. She received her bachelor's degree from Sam Houston State University in 1980 and earned her master's from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1999.

Wheeler began her career as a fifth grade teacher at Atkinson 14 years ago and then became the school’s peer facilitator in 1999. In 2002, she was promoted to assistant principal on the campus.

Wheeler received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and earned her master’s in educational management from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.