CCISD, community bid farewell to superintendent
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
On Friday afternoon, there were speeches, laughter, and a few tears during a reception held at the Copperas Cove Civic Center to honor Joe Burns, the department superintendent of the Copperas Cove Independent School District.
Presentations were made by the CCISD board of trustees, as well as a proclamation from Copperas Cove Mayor Dan Yancy, naming Dec. 20, 2024 “Joe Burns Day” in Copperas Cove.
Likewise, Chip Howell brought special recognition to Burns from the office of State Senator Pete Flores.
Trustee John Gallen shared a poem he wrote for the occasion.
“Today we say goodbye to Dr Joe. We really don't want to see him go.
He has plied his trade for 12 years in CCISD, making the district the best for all to see.
He is retiring after many years in education.
It's time for him to finally take a vacation,
A vacation to be with his growing family.
Grandkids can do that and give much glee.
A family is everything to Dr B, he's treated us that way, both you and me.
A Christian man with a giving heart, an attitude he's had from the very start.
The start at CCISD in June of 2012 year, he hit the ground running with things that were dear.
Dear to his heart with kids always in mind, doing what was best for CCISD, and always kind.
Kind and professional and willing to listen to all whether he agrees or not, he'll take the call.
Dr Burns will be truly missed. CCISD has been truly blessed.
We say farewell and adieu, enjoy your retirement, and we hope to see you.
See you in the future if you come back this way, just to say hi to friends on another day.”
Then, Board of trustees president Joan Manning asked each of the board members – including the two most recent board members, who are no longer board members at this time – to share about Dr. Burns.
Trustee Heather Copeland said she will always remember his sincerity, his love for people, and love the kids.
Former trustee Ann Davis-Willams was on the board for six years, and said that Burns gave the “best hugs.”
She also said he has a heart for kids, citing her own children and the caring example he was to them.
“He just has a heart for kids. They can see it. They can smell it. They know it when he's in the hallways.”
She also called him a great leader and a great sounding board.
Trustee Mike Wilburn said that Burns is a man of faith.
That's so important to me. In fact, the most important thing, I think, that you can have is to be a man of faith. He showed his faith. He was not afraid to demonstrate that. Another thing that I agree with, what Anne said was a man of compassion. My grandson never has attended Copperas Cove public schools, but every time that he would come to visit us when he was small and even now, he always asked about Dr. Burns, because Dr. Burns cared about him. He cared about him enough to ask about him each time. That means a lot.”
Former trustee Inez Faison said she characterized Dr. Burn as “rock steady.”
“He is the most understanding person I've met in a long time. And I think of him as a younger brother from another mother. We've had such great times together, and I can remember he brought a planter at my house for my middle daughter, they took up gardening together.”
Newly elected Trustee Tim Traegar said although he was new to the board, he was not new to the district.
“I've been with this district since 2017 and I'm proud and honored to say that I worked for that man. That man knew how to take care of his staff and put these children first.”
He added that Dr. Burns knows how to break the ice.
Trustee John Gallen called Burns the most caring and humble Christian made he has ever met.
Trustee Jeff Gorres said that he went with priorities, the biggest one outside faith being family. He said that when he was active duty, his wife had a medical emergency and the second person he heard from was Dr. Burns. He said next after that was relationships, and how Burns made it a point to develop and hold onto not only organizational relationships within the district and outside the district with community partners.
Manning echoed the remarks, that Burns is a man of faith, and that his belief in Jesus Christ is not quiet.
“He will tell a whole room full of graduates a Bible verse during graduation. In fact, the first alternative school graduation we had, he gave such a powerful speech that that one of the assistant superintendents came up to me afterwards and said, ‘Joan, this guy is not going to last here very long.’ And I said, ‘Oh yeah, I think he will. Did you see the faces of the parents when he was giving that speech, they were thrilled about it, because he said what needed to be said to all those students, and it was the truth.’”
The second, she said, was Burns’ sense of humor. She gave the example of the recent military affairs dinner held by the chamber of commerce the night before, that no one wanted to speak after Dr. Burns because he “brought the house down.”
Burns’ last day as superintendent of CCISD is December 31, 2024.