Dr. Dan Troxell to Serve as Legislative Council Chair
By Kate Y. Hector, Media Coordinator | Tuesday, December 10, 2013 9:58 AM
Dr. Dan Troxell presents the Academic Committee proposals to the full Legislative Council at the annual meeting in October.
Photo by Jeanne Acton
Dr. Dan Troxell, superintendent of Kerrville Independent School District, was elected the University Interscholastic League Legislative Council chair for the 2013-14 school year.
The UIL has been a part of Dr. Troxell’s life since high school. As a student-athlete at Round Rock High School, he competed in football and basketball.
“The most important thing I learned is the importance of team work and teammates,” Troxell said.
Troxell has been superintendent of Kerrville Independent School District for 11 years and has served as the chair for the standing committee on Academics for the last several years. His experience as the Academics committee chair will help him as the chair of the UIL Legislative Council, he said.
“I think serving as chair of the Academics Committee gives me a perspective that is maybe a little deeper about what is happening, and the processes in place by the UIL on how the rules get amended and implemented,” Troxell said. “Working through the Academic Committee has taught me the process.”
Prior to his arrival in the Kerrville Independent School District, Troxell served as an assistant superintendent in the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in suburban Houston. He has been a middle school teacher, middle and high school assistant principal, and high school principal and has seen the positive impact UIL activities have on students.
Troxell earned a Bachelor of Arts with honors degree, and subsequently a Ph.D., from the University of Texas at Austin. He also holds a Masters of Education degree from Texas State University in San Marcos.
“As an administrator in particular, I think one of the things that I love about UIL extracurricular activities is to watch students grow,” Troxell said. “To watch them grow academically, socially, emotionally and physically. I really think that what children learn through academic and athletic competition is being a part of something bigger than themselves. They learn about the joy of achievement, all of that is accomplished through UIL activities.”
UIL Executive Director Dr. Charles Breithaupt said Troxell’s leadership skills and intelligence will help him as Legislative Council chair.
“Dan Troxell is one of the most intelligent people that I know," Breithaupt said. "He represents himself with class and integrity. He is a great leader and has the welfare of students in Texas in the forefront of his mind. Dr. Troxell is a very calculated yet, progressive thinker and will be a great asset to the UIL Legislative Council as the chair."
Troxell said what he has learned most from his time on the Legislative Council is that the organization listens.
“It really is important for people to understand the UIL listens to the people in the field,” he said. “Whether it is the drama teachers, or the football coaches, we listen to the people in the field and take their input before we look at changing or modifying rules and regulations.”
Troxell’s favorite UIL memory occurred just two years ago, at the 2011 UIL One-Act Play State Meet.
Troxell participated in the Conference 3A medal ceremony and said, “We were able to award individual students who accomplished great things in the state drama competition as well as the teams that won in One-Act play. It was incredible to see great drama performances, but we got to see people from all over the United States come and learn what Texas was doing with UIL activities.”
Troxell said he is most looking forward to being a part of every school having its needs heard, “from the smallest 1A to the largest multiple-high school 5A district. I want to be sure that we as a body are listening to what public, coaches and sponsors are asking of us.”
Serving on the Legislative Council for several years has prepared him for his role as chair, and Dr. Troxell said he is looking forward to the opportunity to help preserve fairness, equity and quality in all UIL competitions.
“To me it is an incredible honor to serve on such a highly respected state organization,” he said. “I think UIL is the model that we want to rely on in the state of Texas on how to organize governmental bodies. We have an organization comprised of individual schools that make our rules and regulations to create fair and highly entertaining competitions.”