A school administrator in Texas with ties to Kansas will be the new principal at Sunflower next year.

Howard Diacon was named to the position Wednesday, pending board approval. Diacon has spent the past eight years as principal of Holbrook Elementary, a school of 1,000 pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade students with a bilingual education program.

In Kansas, Diacon has served as an elementary school principal at Shawnee Heights and Peabody for 17 years. He also taught elementary school in Stockton and Blue Valley for four years.

In a press release, Superintendent Rick Doll said that Diacon would bring a “wealth of knowledge and experience” and would be a “great fit” for the school. Sunflower kindergarten teacher Julia Schnur-Laughlin said that Diacon has been successful in diverse populations and is passionate about children and learning. Sunflower is a neighborhood site for students in the English as a Second Language program.

Diacon will replace Sue Hosey, who resigned last month to pursue other professional opportunities. Hosey had been at the school, which has close to 500 students, for three years. Her last day is June 30.