My most significant achievements are those that have involved student success when they believed otherwise.  I have worked in education since 1994 and have taught and coached at both middle and high school grade levels. I currently serve as the Superintendent and am grateful for the opportunity to learn from others every day. My goal for PUSD is for all students, faculty and staff to genuinely feel that they belong to a community that makes decisions with an open mindset and believes in the power of relational capacity.  

Lisa grew up in Iowa but has lived in Payson for over 25 years.  Her husband has been a teacher in the district for many years and has two sons that have graduated from Payson High School.  She is a graduate of Arizona State University.  Lisa enjoys the challenges that her position offers, and knows that what she does helps the staff help the students of the district.

Kathie Manning accepted the Director of Business Services position with Payson Unified School District July 1, 2011.  Upon acceptance, Kathie and Richard Manning located to Payson from the Valley.  They quickly acclimated to the small-town lifestyle of Payson and are happy to call Payson “home”.

Kathie’s experience in Arizona school finance includes serving school districts of varying sizes since 1988.  She has been a member of various groups, such as Arizona Association of School Business Officials, Association of School Business Officials International, Government Finance Officials Association, Education Finance Reform Group, which assist her in remaining up to date on education finance issues and the effects related to PUSD.  Since Kathie’s employment with PUSD in 2011, PUSD has applied for and been successful in receiving consecutive annual awards for Excellence in Financial Reporting.

Involvement in the community is an important part of Kathie’s lifestyle.  She is a member of Rim Country Rotary.  Kathie’s personal passions include riding her horse and competing in local gymkhanas hosted by Brownsville Western Heritage.  One of her favorite benefits of local competition is meeting the students of PUSD, who also compete.  Small-town living affords the opportunity of getting to know others on a personal level.

Katrina Sacco is an educator who is focused on promoting student success. She came to the district in July of 2020, before that she served as a teacher, coordinator, principal, and director. She works collaboratively with other district leaders to ensure pathways to success through rigorous curriculum and high expectations for all PUSD students.

After a thirty year successful career as a CPA and CIA, September 2019 marked the time for Don to put away his pencil and ten-key and begin retirement in Payson with his wife.  A career of jet-setting millions of miles around the globe had come to an end. Within two weeks this C-suite executive found Payson School District and was aching to become an active contributor in the lives of Payson's youth.
As a bus driver, Don's passion to 'make a difference' was fueled each day by the young enthusiastic students of Payson.  The hope of staying behind the scenes was short lived as the 2021/22 academic year will see Don assuming the role of director of facilities & maintenance.
Don's passions are reading and everything outdoors.  You may frequently see Don on foot to/from his destinations in Payson.  His weekends are filled with riding; sport/touring or off road motorcycling. 

Chuck and his wife moved to Payson in 2017.  He joined PUSD in 2018 as the Human Resources Specialist.  Chuck previously enjoyed a 32 year career working for a major corporation and has 14+ years of experience in a Human Resources/Managerial role.  He enjoys playing with his two dogs, hiking, and off-roading. 

Dr. Jennifer Murphy is the Director of Special Services for the Payson Unified District. Dr. Murphy has an extensive background with over 20 years of service in education in the K-12 public school setting. Dr. Murphy comes from a family of educators; her mother was a special education teacher and her father was a social studies teacher and administrator. She grew up just down the road and attended Mesa Public Schools. After graduating high school she attended Northern Arizona University and completed a dual major in Special Education and Elementary Education (2000). Shortly after beginning her career she completed her masters degree in School Administration from the University of Phoenix (2004). In June 2014 Dr. Murphy began her doctoral journey at Northern Arizona University and completed her degree in 2018 in Educational Leadership and Superintendency. She has spent the majority of her career working in some capacity with regards to special education.

Dr. Murphy is an active member of Arizona Schools Administrators and has served as the Middle Level Division President for ASA. She recently was selected to participate in the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) advocacy conference in Washington D.C. Dr. Murphy has a true passion for K12 public education. 

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, exercising, reading, and Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP). If you cannot find her she is most likely somewhere on the water seeking another adventure in the sunshine.

Vicky is the Director of Technology & Innovation for Payson USD. She is also an Academic Associate for Arizona State University and the owner and EdTech Specialist at Techucation, LLC. A former technology director in Chicago Public Schools, she has been a leader in facilitating innovative uses of technology in education. As a digital learning advisor, she has helped schools throughout the country build and execute strategic plans to enhance learning through educational technology integration. She is a Google Workspace for Education Certified Trainer, Coach, and Administrator and a Microsoft Innovative Educator Master Trainer. Vicky holds a B.S. in Psychology, a M.Ed. in Educational Technology and has presented at conferences throughout the country.

I have lived in Payson for over 30 years and have driven bus for 6 years until I became the Transportation Supervisor in 2007. I held that position for 7 years. I left the PUSD District for about 5 years but returning as Transportation Director in July of 2019. I have been in the School Transportation business for over 15 years and have enjoyed all that it brings, the good along with the not so good.