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Windham School District Board of Trustees

The Windham School District Board of Trustees is composed of nine Governor- appointed experts in various fields selected to fulfill the year-round job of governing schools within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

While serving as the Windham Board of Trustees, they are also known as the Texas Board of Criminal Justice.  Their actions and decisions affect the present and future success of men and women in incarceration who will one day return to society. Windham’s trustees generously donate their time and expertise, shouldering critical responsibilities and often making difficult choices. They provide vision and leadership in their roles as advocates, and they will continue to stand up for correctional education. 

Our trustees are seen throughout the year visiting Windham schools, speaking at graduation ceremonies, discussing correctional education topics at professional and legislative meetings, and making decisions that support the far-reaching effects of schools within Texas correctional facilities. They are always pleased to meet Windham teachers and proud to learn of students’ success. Windham is grateful for their service; they have made it possible for thousands of men and women to make better choices and prepare for new chapters of their lives.

Board Members

Eric J.R. Nichols, Chairman

(term expires 2/2027), was appointed to the TBCJ in January 2020. Mr. Nichols is a partner with Butler Snow LLP. He previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas and as Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice for the Office of Texas Attorney General. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the Texas Bar Foundation and the Austin Bar Foundation, and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the State Bar of Texas. He is past president of the American Inns of Court – Barbara Jordan Inn. He has served as chair of the Texas Supreme Court’s Grievance Oversight Committee and is a trustee with the University of Texas Law School Foundation. Nichols received a Bachelor of Arts in English and History from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor degree from The University of Texas at Austin School of Law.

Faith Johnson, Vice-Chairman

(term expires 2/2025), was appointed to the TBCJ in November 2019. Ms. Johnson is a partner at Stanton LLP. She previously served as judge of the 363rd Judicial District Court and as Dallas County Criminal District Attorney. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Dallas Bar Association and former member of the American Judges Association, Texas Public Safety Commission, Texas Department of Family & Protective Services Board, Violent Gang Task Force, Dallas County Juvenile Board, and the State of Texas Committee on Judicial Ethics. Johnson received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Education in Community Counseling from Georgia State University and a Juris Doctor degree from Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law.

Rodney Burrow, M.D., SECRETARY

(term expires 2/2027), was appointed to the TBCJ in May 2020. Rodney Burrow, M.D., is the Director of Medical Affairs and Associate Director of Primary Care for Titus Regional Medical Center of Mount Pleasant. He is also a practicing Board Certified Family Physician at the Family Care Center in Mount Pleasant and a registered pharmacist. Previously, Governor Abbott appointed him as Chair of the Correctional Managed Healthcare Committee. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Board of Family Medicine, Association of American Indian Physicians, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Christian Medical Association, and the Texas Medical Association. He volunteers for the Pittsburg Independent School District in various roles and is the team doctor for the Pittsburg Pirates. Ordained through In His IMAGE, he is a veteran of multiple international medical mission trips. He received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe, Louisiana and a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Molly Francis, Member

(term expires 2/2025), was appointed to the TBCJ in November 2019. Ms. Francis is a retired senior judge with 28 years of judicial service, most recently on the Fifth Court of Appeals. She is member of the State Bar of Texas and served as chair of the Judicial Selection Committee, former board member and current member of the Dallas Bar Association, and former chair of the Texas Center for the Judiciary. She is board certified in Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Francis received a Bachelor of Arts in History from Baylor University and a Juris Doctor degree from Baylor Law School.

Ambassador Sichan Siv, Member

(term expires 2/2025), was appointed to the TBCJ in November 2019. Mr. Siv is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and is an author. He also served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of State. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Civil Air Patrol and a volunteer with the San Antonio Police Department. Siv received a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University.

Nate Sprinkle, Member

(term expires 2/2029), was appointed to the TBCJ in August 2023. Mr. Sprinkle of Richmond is senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Rosenberg. He is a board member of Rosenberg-Richmond Helping Hands, Nevertheless Missions, Scripture Memory Fellowship International, and Paisano Baptist Encampment. Additionally, he is a member and moderator of San Felipe Baptist Association Administrative Team and board president of Fort Bend Chargers Homeschool 6-man football program. He volunteered in pre-release rehabilitation programs in North and South Texas and currently assists and counsels individuals in the Fort Bend County area after release. Sprinkle received a Bachelor of Science in Math and Computer Science from Sul Ross State University and a Master of Mission Science from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Bill Welch, Member

(term expires 2/2029), was appointed to the TBCJ in August 2023. Mr. Welch of Austin is a retired United States Air Force Brigadier General and Austin-area businessman. He has held a variety of senior leadership positions in the security and law enforcement fields and had a long Air Force flying career. He is a founder and past chief executive officer of Apptronik, Inc., an Austin-based advanced robotics company. Additionally, he has held leadership positions in numerous business and civic organizations and has served as an elected member of the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District and as the board vice president. He received a degree in Criminal Justice from Community College of the Air Force, a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Boston University, and a Master of Science in Technology Commercialization from The University of Texas at Austin.

Sydney Zuiker, Member

(term expires 2/2029), was appointed to the TBCJ in August 2023. Ms. Zuiker of Houston is director of the Safe Community Institute for Crime Stoppers of Houston. She is a board member of Demand Disruption, an advisory board member for University of Houston Bauer College of Business Managing HR Program, and a committee member for Advocates for the Children of Texas, Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition, and 2026 FIFA World Cup Human Rights Stakeholders Bid Committee. Additionally, she was recognized in 2021 as one of Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 honorees for her public safety work in the community. Zuiker received a Bachelor of Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Legal Forensic Psychology from the University of California, Irvine.