ABout the Directors

Sherry Paetznick

903-988-3901 x2124

spaetznick@kisd.org

Sherry Paetznick has been teaching since 1999 and grew up in Kilgore. She is a 1994 graduate of Kilgore High School and started playing viola in the 6th grade in the Kilgore ISD orchestra program. Being in the orchestra program sparked a lifelong love of all kinds of music.

Ms. Paetznick graduated in 1999 from Stephen F. Austin State University with a BSIS degree. She has certifications to teach Music, Early Childhood, ESL, Elementary, and Reading.

Ms. Paetznick has been teaching since 1999 and has been an orchestra director with Kilgore ISD since 2014. She plays viola professionally in Longview Symphony, Marshall Symphony, Longview String Quartet, and Evergreen Strings and various churches.

Ms. Paetznick lives in Kilgore, got married to Matthew Wilkins in January 2021 (name change coming soon!), has two bonus (step) children, an absolutely adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Juliet, and a super cute Maine Coon kitten named Chester.

Richard Leppert

903-988-3902 x2236

rleppert@kisd.org

Richard Leppert is a 1997 graduate of KHS and is thrilled to be teaching orchestra in the same program that sparked his love of music.

Mr. Leppert has several years of middle school and high school orchestra teaching experience from Ft Bend ISD in the Houston area. He is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin University and directs their youth orchestra.

He is also an accomplished violist. You can see him on stage playing with the Longview and Marshall Symphonies.

Mr. Leppert lives in Kilgore and is married to Melissa Leppert, who teaches music at Kilgore Primary school, and they have one daughter.