Kevin Chaka

Advocate for Coppell ISD

"I Choose Coppell ISD"

A Little Bit About Me

I have moved around a lot in my life, but I have had the good fortune of spending more years in Coppell than anywhere else. Growing up, I attended Lee Elementary (original building), Lakeside Elementary, Coppell Middle School East, and Coppell High School. I care deeply about Coppell ISD and public education in general, and I am proud supporter of the community that I am deeply rooted in.

I know how valuable a quality education and passionate teachers can be. I can pinpoint with near perfect precision the moment that a teacher in Coppell ISD at Lakeside Elementary took me from a bit of a struggling student that just moved back to the district (and could have easily floundered) to being on the right track that ultimately allowed me to excel in math, study engineering at Texas A&M and then eventually get my MBA at Harvard. 

I met my wife, Holly (Stokes), here in Coppell during high school, and we have chosen Coppell as our home to raise our three young children, Jensen (10), Linken (5), and Taylen (10 months). I believe it is critical to have parent and community involvement to ensure Coppell ISD continues to be a great public school district for the long-term.

Educational Background

I received a BS in Industrial Engineering and a minor in Mathematics from Texas A&M University. In addition to my academic pursuits, I was heavily involved in a variety of student organizations that helped me develop my leadership abilities. Some of these organizations include Freshmen Leaders in Progress (FLiP), Change, Fish Camp, and Freshmen Aggies Spreading Traditions (FAST).

I received an MBA from Harvard Business School. During my time at Harvard, I focused my courses on a variety of topics including finance, negotiation, private equity, supply chain management, and public education reform. I had the opportunity to spend my first full year with other students from over 30 different countries, which really broadened my perspective on the world. 

I believe my diverse set of educational experiences help me bring unique perspectives to further enrich discussions and decisions that are made in the various ways that I serve to support Coppell ISD.

Interest in Public Education

I have been passionate about public education for longer than I can remember, and I continually seek out opportunities to learn more about public education. While at Harvard Business School in 2012, I completed a course called Entrepreneurship in Education Reform. We had several very interesting guest speakers attend that spoke about the challenges in public education and how we could play a part in improving educational outcomes for students.

In 2015 I made it to the final round interviews for the Broad Residency, which plugs business executives into high level roles in education. I ultimately opted out when it became apparent that most of the opportunities were in charter schools, and I wanted to be in a public school district.

In 2019, I became a Leadership ISD Fellow focused on learning more about the inner workings of public school districts, including the challenges, and developing a network of like-minded individuals. I then was a participant in Leadership ISD’s first ever Ready To Lead Governance Academy in 2020, focused on developing the skills and understanding needed to be a better Board member.

I am continually seeking out opportunities to learn more so that I can have a positive impact on public education. I continue to seek opportunities to have a positive impact on Coppell ISD.

Serving in Coppell ISD

2007-2010 | Husband of a Mockingbird Teacher

2020-Current | Lakeside Parent – Current 4th Grader, Future Kindergartener (next year)

2021-2024 | District Educational Improvement Committee (DEIC) – Co-Chair in 2022-2023

  • Coppell ISD utilizes a collaborative planning process including community and staff input to develop the district’s education plan. The planning team is known as the District Educational Improvement Committee (DEIC) and the plan, aligned with the district’s five-year Strategic Plan, is known as the District Improvement Plan (DIP).

2022 | iLead I Graduate

  • Leadership training series for interested parents and community members looking to become informed leaders and advocates for CISD students. Participants gain insight into the operations of CISD, curriculum framework and community engagement opportunities

2022-Current | CBAS Advisory Council

  • Coppell ISD has a Community-Based Accountability System (CBAS) Advisory Council that works with the district to provide feedback regarding accountability in Coppell ISD.

2023-Current | Bond Oversight Committee

  • Serves in an advisory capacity to the CISD School Board and Administration to ensure project work remains faithful to the priorities and planning of the Bond Steering Committee.

2023-Current | Husband of Lakeside PTO Exec Board Member – President in 2024-2025

2024 | 7.1.1 Facility Evaluation Rubric Development Committee

  • Developed an evaluation process that promotes more efficient facility and property management, cost savings, improved learning environments, transparency, data-driven decision-making, and long-term sustainability in property management.

Professional Experience

I have a broad array of professional experiences including in operations, finance, data analytics, entrepreneurial ventures, and real estate development. I am currently the Co-President and CFO of Gold Medal Pools. GMP is a private equity backed pool company located in Lewisville, TX that builds, cleans, and repairs pools. Similar to Coppell ISD, in this role I have had to tackle several difficult challenges including reducing operating expenses through all means possible.

Prior to Gold Medal Pools, I led finance and data analytics efforts at two different real estate development firms, Sweetwater Companies, which focused on multi-family apartments, and Build To Stay, which focused on communities of luxury short-term rentals.

Prior to my time in real estate, I spent several years in finance roles, both in investment banking at Credit Suisse focused on Oil & Gas, and in corporate finance at Rexel USA

I started my career as an operations intern at a General Electric company, which was sold off to a private equity firm. That company became Gexpro Services, which I eventually became the Head of Global Operations.

 I believe that each of my roles has taught me a broad array of valuable skills that allow me to bring a very unique perspective to the various roles I serve in to support Coppell ISD.

 

Sign Up to Get Connected

I always enjoy getting to know other passionate parents and community members in Coppell ISD. If you are interested in getting connected and being added to my informal mailing list, please fill out the below form or email me at Kevin@Chaka4CISD.com.