Westwood High School Assistant Principal Heath Walz has been selected as the Region 13 Assistant Principal of the Year by the Texas Association of Secondary Principals (TASSP).

TASSP recognizes outstanding principals and assistant principals from the 20 region Education Service Centers in the state. School administrators are nominated and chosen by their peers within their regions. Nominations are based upon exemplary performance and outstanding leadership. As a Region 13 winner, Walz is eligible to compete for the state title of Texas Assistant Principal of the Year.

Walz, a five-year assistant principal, has been a member of the leadership team at Westwood High School since 2012. He attended Texas State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. He attended Lamar University earning a Master’s of Education in Administration. Walz sees himself as a risk-taker, a visionary and leader of learners. He is credited with numerous achievements including Teacher of the Year and Credit Recovery Department chair at Stony Point High School. He also served on various District committees such as Teacher Access Center, American Productivity & Quality Center and Process, Review, Reliability, Improvement, Development, Efficiency projects.

“I am truly honored to represent my colleagues and our District with this achievement,” Walz said. “ I owe this recognition to the exceptional leaders that continue to inspire and encourage me to seek out leadership opportunities to continue to grow. Our schools and district provide students and teachers many opportunities for leadership development, and I look forward to continuing to assist them by modeling and mentoring as they build their leadership skills in a World Class District.”

Mario Acosta, principal of Westwood High School said that Mr. Walz is very well-liked by all of the staff because he is always supportive of teachers and staff.

“Mr. Walz is an invaluable asset to the Westwood High School community. He is student-centered in all of his decision-making,” Acosta said. “He goes above and beyond his job duties to serve the students, staff and parents of Westwood High School. There is no more deserving employee for such a prestigious recognition. We are very proud of Mr. Walz and we are grateful to him for all that he does for our school and our community.”

Each of the region winners is recognized during the Josten’s Night of the Stars Awards Dinner on June 12, 2018, at the Hilton Austin Downtown Hotel. Each will be presented with an award and recognized in a commemorative book entitled “Texas Principals, Texas Heroes.” The TASSP Summer Workshop will be held June 13-15, 2018, at the Austin Convention Center.