Craig McKinney is the Director of Professional Learning for the Plano Independent School District, part of the employee services team that supports over 7,000 district staff members. He also is an Advancement Via Individual Determination staff developer and curriculum writer, having co-authored a book entitled AVID Writing for Disciplinary Literacy: A Schoolwide Approach. Mr. McKinney began his teaching career at Shepton High School in Plano where he taught English, humanities, and the AVID elective. In 1997 he was named PISD Secondary Teacher of the Year and was a finalist for Texas Teacher of the Year. He received the Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award from Humanities Texas in 2008 and, in 2010, was one of ten teachers who received a Texas Exes Award for Outstanding Teaching.

A Southwestern alum, Mr. McKinney has been involved in a number of Southwestern alumni activities, including service on the Alumni Council and as Class Giving Chair since 2016, as an Alumni Network Mentor since 2017, as a member of Southwestern’s LGBTA alumni connection group since 2008, as a class agent since 1999, and as an officer and past president of the Dallas Chapter of the Alumni Association. Currently, Mr. McKinney also is a director of the Plano Youth Leadership; formerly, he was a board member of the Plano Repertory Theater.

Craig graduated in 1991, magna cum laude, with a degree in English and sociology from Southwestern, where he was elected to Alpha Chi and also was a member of Student Foundation and the choir. He was honored with the SU Young Alumnus Achievement Award in 1996. In 1997 he earned a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of North Texas in 1997. Craig currently is the President-Elect of the Association of Southwestern University Alumni.

Location: Plano