Amarillo College Regents on Monday, June 15 unanimously approved the appointment of Jay L. Barrett, a longtime principal within the Amarillo Independent School District (AISD), to serve the remainder of an unexpired two-year term on the Board of Regents.

The vacancy was created with the resignation Carroll M. Forrester, who served multiple terms on the Board.

Barrett’s appointment to the Board of Regents is through April of 2017 and brings AC’s nine-member governing board to full capacity. It also set the stage for the election of a new slate of Board officers: Michele Fortunato will serve as the new chair, Dr. Paul Proffer will remain vice chair, and Dan Henke is the new secretary.

An administrator within AISD since 1991, Barrett presently is principal at both Amarillo Area Center for Advanced Learning (AACAL) and Amarillo Online School (AOS)—positions he has held since 2008.

He previously served as principal at Travis Middle School and Forest Hill Elementary School, and he has worked administratively at both Palo Duro and Tascosa high schools.

Barrett is no stranger to public service. He presently is serving his second year as president of the Harrington Regional Medical Center Board of Directors, and he is a campaign cabinet member for United Way of Amarillo and Canyon. He also serves on the Board for Boy Scouts of America’s Golden Eagle Council.

Formerly head tennis coach at Pampa High School (1985-1991), Barrett remains a member of the United States Tennis Association.

June 16, 2014