Dr. Tanya Larkin 

Dr. Tanya Larkin serves as the Executive Director of Region 16 Education Service Center in Amarillo, Texas. Previously, Dr. Larkin served as Superintendent of Schools for Pampa ISD. She served in that role for six years. Dr. Larkin has over twenty years of administrative experience, including Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Executive Director, High School Principal, Elementary Principal, and Curriculum/Federal Programs Coordinator.

Dr. Larkin started her career in education in 1994 after graduating from West Texas A&M University. She returned to her High School alma mater in Shamrock, Texas, where she began teaching speech communication, theater arts, and English language arts to junior high and high school students. During this time, she also completed a Masters in Communications from WTAMU. While in Shamrock, she developed a very successful Theater Arts and Speech/Debate program that led to many district, regional, and state-level student championships.

Larkin moved to Pampa in 1998 and began teaching at Pampa High School and later served at-risk students at the Pampa Learning Center. After completing her Masters in Administration at WTAMU, she began serving PISD as the Elementary Curriculum Coordinator and Federal Programs Director. While working at the central office, Larkin managed multiple grants and led instructional initiatives, including intense work in early literacy and curriculum alignment.

In 2002, Larkin accepted the challenge of serving as the Principal at Wilson Elementary School in Pampa, Texas. For three years, she worked with students, parents, and staff to increase student achievement and developed a unique student-centered enrichment opportunity known as “Power Hour”. During her leadership, Wilson Elementary implemented successful Professional Learning Communities and left the position of schools in improvement and became a campus to watch in the region.

In 2008, Larkin was named Principal at Pampa High School. While serving at PHS, Larkin was accepted to the Harvard University Graduate School, Principals Center in Massachusetts, where she worked alongside other educational leaders from all over the world to focus on research in educational and instructional best practice. Larkin also developed a partnership with the Schlechty Center for Engagement where she trained Principals from all over the state of Texas on effective education systems and leadership skills. During her time at PHS, Larkin worked closely with Clarendon College Pampa Center and developed the Associate's Degree pathway for high school students. In 2010, Pampa High School had the first graduates to have their Associates Degree before they walked the stage for their high school diploma. Under her leadership, Pampa High School successfully navigated through a transition from TAKS to STAAR that resulted in student performances above the state average not only on EOC assessments but also in ACT/SAT results and graduation rates—all the while amidst a multi-million-dollar reconstruction effort.

In 2013, Larkin was asked to serve Pampa ISD as the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, where she secured a partnership with WTAMU Department of Education to bring high-quality learning opportunities for the teachers in Pampa ISD schools. This partnership has been instrumental in bringing about effective early literacy instruction in the K-2 classrooms in Pampa. Larkin then became the Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction where she continued to work with staff, students, and community members to develop the HB5 Community Engagement system along with building systems to guide the district’s transition into the 21st Century with a massive launch of technology devices K-12.

Larkin was named the Pampa Superintendent of Schools in November 2015. She has worked with teachers, administrators, students, board members, and the community to set a course for success for the Pampa ISD. Named Region 16 Superintendent of the Year in 2019, Larkin led the district through difficult financial constraints and facilitated various community and district improvements including increases in student achievement in all grade levels and subjects. Larkin completed her doctoral studies at Lamar University in Beaumont in the spring of 2020, where her research on strategic marketing of public schools began.

Larkin was named Executive Director of the Region in 2021.

Larkin has served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of Rural Schools (TARS) and as Chair of the Professional Learning Community for the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA). Larkin has also served on the Board for the Texas ASCD, and TASA Executive Committee, as well as the Region 16 Legislative Committee and P-16 Council.

Tanya and her husband, Dustin, have lived in Pampa for more than 20 years. Dr. Larkin is a member of the local chapter of Lions Club and currently serves on the Pampa Economic Development Corporation. Their children, Brody and Sydney, attended Pampa schools and WTAMU. The family attends Central Baptist Church in Pampa.

Dr. Nathan Maxwell 

Dr. Nathan Maxwell serves as Deputy Executive Director for the Region 16 Service Center. Previously, he served as Superintendent of Schools for Ralls ISD from 2020 to 2022. Dr. Maxwell has ten years of administrative experience, including Regional Associate and Deputy Executive Director, Superintendent, Associate and Deputy Superintendent, Executive Director, Principal, and Assistant Principal.

Dr. Maxwell started his career in education in 2010 after graduating from West Texas A&M University. He began his career in Pampa, Texas, where he taught and coached at the elementary and junior high levels. Students later acknowledged him as a distinguished educator for the impact he made on them during his time in the classroom. During this time, he also completed a Masters in Educational Leadership from WTAMU. In 2013, Maxwell became the Assistant Principal at Lamar Elementary School in Pampa, Texas. For two years, he worked with students, parents, and staff to increase parental involvement, engage in a culture of data-driven instruction, and promote a campus-wide environment conducive to student learning.

In 2015, Maxwell was named Principal at Lamar Elementary. Maxwell worked to develop student leadership clubs, redesigned campus academic interventions and implemented a targeted improvement process designed to increase student performance. Under his leadership, Lamar Elementary earned statewide academic performance distinctions in math, closing achievement gaps, and student growth. While serving as Principal, Maxwell completed the Superintendent Certification Program at Lamar University. Maxwell was named Executive Director of Human Resources and Administrative Services in June 2016. He led the implementation of multiple human talent systems to analyze staffing patterns, trends, and projections, leading to an overhaul of district philosophy in acquiring and retaining high-quality employees.

Maxwell was named Associate Superintendent in June 2018. He worked with teachers, administrators, students, and the community to help lead Pampa ISD. Maxwell assisted in multiple capacities across the district. Maxwell helped mentor, support, and evaluate campus principals through the Texas Principal Evaluation and Support System. He led Bilingual/ESL programs, Gifted/Talented Programs, Student Services, Elementary Curriculum, and Family/Community Engagement. Maxwell completed his doctoral studies at Lamar University in Beaumont in the spring of 2018. His dissertation and research focused on teacher perceptions of past and current evaluation and support systems.

In 2020, Maxwell was named Superintendent of Schools for Ralls ISD. Maxwell served as Region 17 Secretary for the Texas Association of Community Schools (TACS). He served as a regional advisor for TEKS Resource System and a member of the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA).

In 2022, Maxwell was named Deputy Executive of Region 16 ESD in Amarillo, Texas. Nathan and his wife, Kayla, currently reside in Amarillo. Their children, Carder and Paityn, attend schools in Amarillo. They are involved in youth sports, and church, and love riding dirt bikes. Dr. Maxwell is a member of multiple volunteer clubs and organizations throughout the region.