Smithville Independent School District Board of Trustees
Smithville ISD’s Board of Trustees is the policy-making body for the school district and is elected by popular vote and meant to represent the community in matters of public education. The board is governed by both state and federal law with rules and regulations established by the Texas State Board of Education, the Texas Education Agency and the will of the community.
The seven-member board, serving without pay, are elected for three-year terms. A majority of the board’s vote constitutes a quorum for business transactions and although the board is comprised of individuals, no member of the board acts unless authorized by the board. Board elections for rotating members are held on the second Saturday in May each year.
Smithville ISD School Board Trustees
Mr. Hinnant was elected to the SISD School Board in March of 2020, and was re-elected to the Board for a subsequent term. He is a Smithville ISD graduate and he and his wife, Rebekah, have three children who currently go to school in the district.
Mr. Hinnant was re-elected to the Board of Trustees in 2026.
Place 2 for election 2026
Grant Gutierrez was first elected to the Smithville ISD Board of Trustees on May 10, 2014. He has been re-elected multiple times since, and has served as President, Vice President and Secretary during different times.
He is a long-time resident of Bastrop County, graduating from Bastrop High School in 1999. Mr. Gutierrez’s education includes a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Master’s in Accounting from Texas A&M University. His wife, Krystel, is a certified Texas Public School Teacher and Librarian and their daughters, Arabella, Emeline, and Penelope attend and or have graduated from Smithville ISD schools.
Mr. Gutierrez is the Chief Financial Officer of Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative. He is an active member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus.
The Gutierrez family is passionate about the benefits of public education and the role it serves in our rural communities. His family taught him about the responsibility of giving back to your community through service for the greater good of all. Mr. Gutierrez is proud to serve Smithville ISD and looks forward to many great things ahead.
Bryan Jones was elected to the Smithville ISD Board of Trustees on May 4, 2024.
Mr. Jones worked in the physical security industry for 11 years, before switching to a role with a focus on helping K12 schools become more secure and compliant with TEA school safety standards. He and his wife, Courtney, have two children in Smithville ISD.
Chelsa Vinklarek was elected to the Smithville ISD Board of Trustees on May 4, 2024. Mrs. Vinklarek is a 2000 graduate of Smithville High School and attended St. Edward's University, majoring in Criminal Justice. As a graduate of SISD and involved community member, Mrs. Vinklarek is committed to the idea that the public school system is an invaluable part of a thriving community, and she remains focused on ensuring that SISD provides the proper tools to ensure each child is successful, both during their time with the school and after.
Mrs. Vinklarek works for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts as a Portfolio Project Manager, overseeing the Centralized Accounting and Payroll/Personnel System (CAPPS), the State of Texas Enterprise Resource Planning system. She holds a number of professional certifications, including ITIL Master and PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner. Mrs. Vinklarek believes that having an eye on technology, State of Texas government accounting, HR related rulings, and best practices for policies and procedures allow her a unique perspective on issues and opportunities for SISD. Mrs. Vinklarek is also an active member of the Smithville Livestock Show, was the founding President of the Smithville FFA Supporters, is a member of the Smithville Athletic Booster Club, and was the former Secretary of the Smithville Little League.
Mrs. Vinklarek and her husband Joey have one son, Josh, who attends Smithville ISD. Having a child who not only attends the district, but who is also active in athletics, FFA, and UIL (to name a few) allows her a wonderful opportunity to interact with a number of different parent groups and community leaders to ensure she's being a community voice in her role on the Board.
Candice Parsons was first elected to the Smithville ISD Board of Trustees on May 7, 2016.
Mrs. Parsons is a graduate of Smithville High School and a Texas A&M Alum. She and her husband, Todd, have three children who all attend/have graduated from Smithville ISD.
Josh Magden was first elected to the Smithville ISD Board of Trustees at the May 7, 2022 election. He and his family moved to Smithville in 2017 specifically because of their view of the school district’s strength and the opportunity to raise their kids in the country. All three of their children have attended/currently attend Smithville schools.
Mr. Magden attended Grinnell College (Grinnell, Iowa) where he was a double major in Economics & Spanish, and where, most providentially, he met his wife Elizabeth. He later earned a master's degree at Thunderbird School of Global Management (Glendale, Arizona) with a focus on International Development & Policy. Mr. Magden and his wife are strong advocates for education, from primary schools to vocational and terminal degrees.
Today Mr. Magden manages several small insurance companies, but for nearly a decade while his wife was in veterinary school and residency, he was a public finance banker in Colorado working with rural school districts and helping school boards develop community-vetted plans around significant capital projects and financial objectives.
Mr. Magden believes that public schools are the public commons, and that as a community we are responsible to ensure we cultivate this space to challenge and grow our kids into resilient, capable and civic-minded citizens.
Michael Hancock was elected to the Board of Trustees in May of 2022 and has continued to serve two consecutive terms.
He is a Smithville High School graduate and has four children who currently attend Smithville ISD schools.
Smithville ISD School Board Trustees take a tour of the Junior High School construction site hosted by PBK.
