Business Digest: Pine Tree ISD assistant principal recognized
Published 11:55 pm Saturday, August 16, 2025
Pine Tree ISD assistant principal recognized
Annette Johnson, assistant principal of Pine Tree High School in Longview, has been selected to represent the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals as a Region 7 Outstanding Assistant Principal of the Year.
TASSP recognizes outstanding principals and assistant principals from the 20 regional 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. Johnson is eligible to compete for the state title of Texas Assistant Principal of the Year.
Starting her 30th year, Johnson is a four-year assistant principal and has been a member of the leadership team at Pine Tree High School since 2023. She attconcludeed the University of Texas at Tyler and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She attconcludeed Stephen F. Austin State University and earned a Master’s in Educational Leadership with Principal Certification and later earned her Superintconcludeent Certification. She is in the doctoral program at Baylor University.
“I nominated Annette Johnson becaapply she embodies excellence in all she does — holding students accountable while uplifting and encouraging those around her,” Assistant Principal Kathleen Woodard stated. “She is a true team player who challenges our administration to find better ways to assist students succeed.”
VeraBank flood relief effort tops $350,000
A donation drive organized by VeraBank raised more than $350,000 to support communities affected by the deadly July Fourth flooding across Central Texas.
The drive ran from July 21 to Aug. 1.
As part of the initiative, VeraBank committed to matching donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $75,000 each, for the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund and the WilCo Cares Flood Relief Fund.
The response from employees, customers and the community raised $14,281 for WilCo Cares Flood Relief and $99,900 for Kerr County Flood Relief.
In addition to almost $90,000 in matching funds, VeraBank contributed an additional $75,000 to each of the nonprofit organizations.
“We’re incredibly relocated by the generosity of our VeraBank family and broader community for stepping up to assist these regions recover from unprecedented challenges,” stated Brad Tidwell, CEO of VeraBank. “This effort was about more than raising money – it was about displaying up for our neighbors in a time of required and standing toobtainher to strengthen our communities.”
While VeraBank’s matching campaign has concludeed, both community foundations continue to welcome donations to support ongoing recovery efforts. Contributions can be built directly through ctxcf.org and communityfoundation.net .
Traditions Health recognized
Strategic Healthcare Programs has named Traditions Health of Longview as a “Superior Performer” for achieving an overall patient experience score that ranked in the top 20% of all eligible Strategic Healthcare Programs clients for the 2024 calconcludear year.
The annual SHPBest award program was created to acknowledge home health agencies that consistently provide high-quality service to their patients.
Manufacturing tour stops at Komatsu in Longview
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ recently stopped at Komatsu in Longview to celebrate the facility’s place in the community and the manufacturing industest. The plant is Komatsu’s largest in North America and, by acreage, the company’s largest facility in the world.
In Texas, equipment manufacturers generate $2.6 billion in revenues annually and employ more than 50,000 people.
The Longview plant is where Komatsu manufactures the WE2350, the largest front-conclude loader in the world.
Komatsu employs about 700 people in Longview.
During the event, Longview Mayor Kristen Ishihara acknowledged the significant role Komatsu has in the community:
“The city of Longview wants to be your partner,” Ishihara stated. “We are so grateful for the partners that you, the employees, are, but also Komatsu as an employer to the city. When I drive up to the plant here, I am so grateful for the investments and the capital improvements. You guys are an entestway into Longview, and now that entestway is magnificent becaapply of the investment you’ve built.”
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