KEENE, TEXAS – Kisha Norris, Ed.D., was elected vice president for Education for the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Burleson, Texas, on Sunday, April 26, 2026. During the 32nd Southwestern Union Conference Constituency Session, more than 250 delegates and delegates-at-large met at the Keene Seventh-day Adventist Church in Keene, Texas, to elect officers, vice presidents and directors for the upcoming quinquennium of the Southwestern Union Conference. Before the election, Norris served as the vice president for Education for the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Alvarado, Texas.
A native Texan, Norris began her teaching career in the Texas Conference at Burton Adventist Academy in 2003 as a Spanish, Ecology and Chemistry teacher. Two years later, she joined Southwestern Adventist University (SWAU) in Keene, Texas, as an assistant vice president for university advancement.
Norris worked in development at the Loma Linda University School of Allied Health in Loma Linda, Calif., in 2007 then later at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Ala., before returning to SWAU in 2017 as senior director of development. The next year, she began working as an adjunct professor in the university’s Department of Education and Psychology, a role she continues today.
In 2019, Norris was elected as vice president for Education in the Texas Conference and enjoyed frequent visits to Texas Conference classrooms. Her commitment to education will continue in her new role, where she advocates, supports and works to strengthen Adventist schools across the Southwestern Union Conference, which includes the Arkansas-Louisiana, Oklahoma, Southwest Region, Texico and Texas conferences.
“We greatly appreciate all that Dr. Norris has done for the Texas Conference these past seven years,” David Runnels, interim Texas Conference president, shared. “I remember her asking me to be a driver for the Determined Cycling tour fundraiser for Adventist Education. Freshmen Bible Camp, Junior High Music Fest, Outdoor School, Spelling Bee and Mind Games are among the innovative collaborations that have enriched classroom education within our Texas Conference schools. Curriculum enhancements and leadership training have made our educators and programs second to none,” Runnels adds. “We are thankful that Dr. Norris is still able to advocate for us in her new role, and we solicit your prayers for her in this transition.”
The search for a new Texas Conference vice president for Education will begin after the new Texas Conference president is elected by the Texas Conference Executive Committee, which is expected at the end of May 2026. You can read about the presidential search process at TexasAdventist.org/presidential-update-2026.
–Texas Conference Public Relations
