Robert McLain, Executive Coach

About Me

My personal mission statement is, “Helping (it takes a village) grow (it is a process) souls (everyone) to shine (in their own way) through service (how can I help?), investment (belief), and example (practice what you preach).” This encapsulates my profound commitment to the growth and empowerment of individuals. With a career in public education spanning 40 years, I have served in various pivotal roles, including teacher, coach, principal, and superintendent.

My professional journey has taken me through districts shaped by oil and gas (property wealthy), farming (property poor), and ranching, each presenting distinct challenges and opportunities. In every community, I have been an architect of positive culture, both within and beyond the school buildings. My leadership extends to forging partnerships with diverse groups and entities, recognizing the integral relationship between small communities and their schools.

Having been the superintendent of Plains ISD since 2019, I am currently serving as superintendent emeritus through June 30, 2025. As superintendent, I served on the commissioner of education’s Rural School Task Force, developed and led the West Texas Leadership Academy to help develop leadership capacity in small schools, and participated in the Thompson Executive Leadership Institute.

I am dedicated to the ongoing development of leadership within administrators and teachers. I served in the first cohort of executive coaches in TASA’s Executive Coaching Network and have mentored new superintendents in TASA’s Superintendent Mentoring Program. My commitment to growth is evidenced by my training in coaching from the Teaching and Learning Alliance, ongoing training from the International Coaching Federation, and years of executive coaching.

As a perpetual learner with a keen focus on leadership, I am passionate about aiding others in discovering their life purposes, a journey that mirrors my own fulfillment in fostering personal growth. I am proud that my impact reverberates through mentoring superintendents over the past 20-plus years and touching countless lives in roles ranging from leader and teacher to coach, mentor, Sunday School teacher, youth leader, and friend.

A West Texas native, I graduated from West Texas A&M University twice, with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in educational leadership. My wife, Connie, whom I met in public education, are the proud parents of two daughters and a son, and several grandchildren.