About Jim

Dr. Jim Cain was elected to the Lone Star College System Board of Trustees, District 9, on November 3, 2020.

After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1969, Jim started his career as a teacher and coach in a small farming community in Illinois. From there he moved to Texas and was a teacher and administrator in the Clear Creek ISD until beginning his work in the Klein ISD in 1978. During this time, he received his Masters and Doctorate degrees in School Administration from the University of Houston. Jim served as an assistant principal and principal on five campuses in Klein, then as an instructional officer and director of school administration. He became an area superintendent in Fort Bend ISD, and returned to the Klein ISD as an associate superintendent for administration in 1999. He became the Superintendent in Klein in 2004 and served in that role until his retirement in 2016.

In 2011, Jim was named the Texas Computer Education Association Superintendent of the Year and also garnered the Tech-Savvy Superintendent Award from eSchool News. In 2012, the Houston Intercontinental Chamber of Commerce recognized him with the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2013, he was named a finalist as the Region 4 Superintendent of the Year. He has served as president of the University of Houston College of Education Alumni Association, and was named the association’s Volunteer of the Year in 1995. The Ron Hickman Scouting Ideals in Action Award was presented to Jim in 2013 from the Phoenix District of the Boy Scouts in America, and in 2015, the Friends of Texas Public Schools named Jim its Ambassador of the Year. In 2016, Jim received four honors, the Walter Kase Award from the Houston Anti-Defamation League, the John Kelley Distinguished Service Award from the Greater Houston Football Coaches Association, and the John Pickelman Leadership North Houston Fellow Award. In August, 2016, the Klein ISD Board of Trustees named the school district’s fifth high school as Klein Cain High School.

Over the years, Dr. Cain served on the boards of the Cypress Creek YMCA, the Texas Council on Economic Education, Northwest Assistance Ministries, Texas Academic Decathlon, The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts, WINGS Prison Ministries, the Academic Lifelong Learning program at Lone Star College University Park, and the Harris County Municipal Utility District 383 Board. He also is a child advocate for Children’s Protective Services in Montgomery County, Tx., and mentors students in the Klein ISD. Since 2021, Jim has been a member of Voice for Public Schools (VPS), a grassroots organization that supports and promotes public education.

Jim and his wife, Susan, have lived in the Klein community for over 40 years. Their two children, Ashley and Ross, attended Klein ISD schools.

To learn more about Dr. Cain, read the recent publication from Lone Star College as noted below.

June 8, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Media Contact:

Roycelyn Bastian

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Danica Lloyd

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Danica.Lloyd@LoneStar.edu

Lifelong educator supports student success on Lone Star College System board

HOUSTON (June 8, 2026) – A few years after retiring from a 47-year career in public education, Jim Cain, Ed.D., decided his time serving local students and educators was not over. He was elected to serve District 9 on the Lone Star College System Board of Trustees in 2020.

“My priority is to keep all the great things that are happening moving forward, whether that’s having a sound budget, offering high-quality instruction or implementing the strategic plan,” Cain said. “We’ve got such a good thing going that you want to just continue to improve and keep moving in a positive direction.”

Cain’s career began as a fifth-grade teacher and junior high basketball coach in a small farming community in Illinois after graduating from the University of Illinois in 1969. In 1971, he moved to Texas to take on a teaching role in Clear Creek ISD and earn master’s and doctoral degrees in school administration from the University of Houston.

He would later go on to serve in Fort Bend ISD and Klein ISD, where he ultimately spent 12 years as the superintendent. Shortly after he retired in 2016, the Klein ISD Board of Trustees soon named the district’s fifth high school, Klein Cain High School, in his honor.

“I always enjoyed school. From the time I was in kindergarten, I just really enjoyed being at school and learning,” Cain said. “I had great admiration for the teachers who taught me and the administrations who ran the school. It was natural for me, when I went to the University of Illinois, to pursue a bachelor’s degree in education.” 

Other notable accolades on Cain’s resume include Texas Computer Education Association Superintendent of the Year, the Walter Kase Award from the Houston Anti-Defamation League, the John Kelley Distinguished Service Award from the Greater Houston Football Coaches Association, the John Pickelman Leadership North Houston Fellow Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Houston Intercontinental Chamber of Commerce, and being named a Region 4 Superintendent of the Year finalist, the University of Houston College of Education Alumni Association’s Volunteer of the Year, and the Friends of Texas Public Schools Ambassador of the Year.

But for Cain, it’s always been about preparing students for and celebrating their success.

Although Cain understood the trustee role from his time on the administrative side of education, he has learned a lot about the college system since being elected. Soon after joining the board, he visited every LSCS facility to meet campus leadership and get a firsthand look at program offerings. He also enjoys observing instruction at the classroom level and attends functions throughout the year to support LSCS students and employees.

“A highlight has been the support that the Board of Trustees has always given to the administration, whether it's the chancellor, the college president, the vice chancellors, the deans, as well as the faculty and staff,” Cain said. “I can tell you that the members of the board have great respect for the folks who are serving Lone Star College System, regardless of what their position is.”

Cain is also a loyal member of the Academy for Lifelong Learning at LSC-University Park. The program is designed to enrich the lives of senior adults through classes, social activities, skills development and personal growth opportunities.

“I’m very impressed with everything that Lone Star College System does,” Cain said. “The variety of coursework that’s offered is amazing. Whether you’re getting an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree or a certificate—whatever your goal is, this is a great place to be.”

Cain has also held seats on the boards of the Cypress Creek YMCA, the Texas Council on Economic Education, Northwest Assistance Ministries, Texas Academic Decathlon, The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts, WINGS Prison Ministries and Harris County Municipal Utility District 383. He is a child advocate for Children’s Protective Services in Montgomery County and mentors students in Klein ISD.

Learn more about the LSCS Board of Trustees at LoneStar.edu/Trustees.

Lone Star College System enrolls over 90,000 students each semester providing high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education. LSCS is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Mario K. Castillo, J.D., serves as Chancellor of LSCS, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and has been named a 2025 Great Colleges to Work For® institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education. LSCS consists of eight colleges, six centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence and Lone Star Corporate College. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.

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