Lewisville ISD announces appointment of Dr. Leslie Garakani as new Chief Technology Officer

LISD announced July 29 the appointment of Dr. Leslie Garakani as the district’s new Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Garakani takes over the role from Klein ISD, where he has served as the Executive Director and leader of the Klein Technology department since 2022. He will succeed Bryon Kolbeck who served the LISD community as LISD’s CTO for the last 10 years.

“Dr. Garakani brings a wealth of experience and a proven commitment to using technology to enhance student learning,”said LISD Superintendent Dr. Lori Rapp. “We are excited to welcome him to Lewisville ISD and look forward to the leadership and vision he will bring to our technology services team.”

Prior to his role with Klein, Dr. Garakani served Midlothian ISD as the Chief Technology and Operations Officer from 2017-2022. Dr. Garakani has 26 years of experience in K-12 education.

As a seasoned leader in educational operations, Dr. Garakani has a proven record of guiding service departments with a focus on improving outcomes for students. Through strategic budgeting and the reallocation of resources, he has successfully saved millions in operational costs while enhancing services and support for schools.

“I’m honored to join Lewisville ISD and collaborate with such a dedicated team of educators and leaders,” said Dr. Garakani. “My goal is to ensure that technology continues to empower teachers and staff, support students, and create efficiencies that allow us to focus on engaging and inspiring learners and leaders.”

Dr. Garakani received his Bachelor of Science in Technology Management from DeVry University, his Masters of Business Administration from the Keller Graduate School of Management, and his Doctor of Educational Leadership from Lamar University. 

His professional affiliations include the Texas Education Technology Leaders and Texas Association of School Administrators.