Kelly Frels Award

Kaye has served as Assistant Superintendent and General Counsel at the Aldine Independent School District since April 2013 after being Special Counsel in the Houston office of the law firm, Littler  Mendelson. Her clients included public school systems, higher education institutions and charter schools.

She began her legal career in 1984 as Assistant University Counsel at Howard University. Upon returning to Houston in 1986, she became a Trial Attorney for the Houston District Office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She later became an Assistant District Attorney for Harris County for 5 years until 1992 when she was appointed Assistant School Attorney for the Houston Independent School District. Soon after, Ms. DeWalt was promoted to the position of General Counsel supervising four attorneys and a support staff of five including 2 paralegals and 3 secretaries. After 12 years with Houston ISD, she  continued her legal career in private practice in the area of Labor and Employment Law with a specialty in Education Law and Training from 2004 to 2013. She has over 30 years of experience in the legal arena, and is a frequent speaker and presenter on numerous topics in Education and Employment Law.

Kaye received her Bachelor’s of Science degree cum laude from Texas Southern University in 1980 and her Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law in Washington, DC in 1984. She is licensed to practice law in the state and federal courts in Texas and Pennsylvania.

Christopher L. Tritico, a native of Houston, Texas, received his Bachelors Degree at Sam Houston State University and his Doctor of Jurisprudence at South Texas College of Law.

Mr. Tritico began his career as an associate of famed attorney Richard “Racehorse” Haynes.  After leaving Mr. Haynes’ office in 1994, Mr. Tritico started his present firm Tritico Rainey in 2011.  A regular speaker, Mr. Tritico has presented workshops in areas such as administrative rights for teachers and on criminal law. In 1988, Mr. Tritico authored an article entitled “Investigative Techniques Every Lawyer Should Know.”  In 1997 he authored “Teacher Contracts and the Hearing Process: The Road to Victory” The Houston Lawyer, March/April 1997, Vol. 34, No.5 and in 2008 he authored “Collision Course: When Criminal Law and School Law Meet” Voice for the Defense, October 2008, Vol 37, No. 8.

Mr. Tritico has appeared on Megyn Kelly Today, Good Morning America, World News Tonight, Night Line, CBS Evening News, Meet the Press, Dateline NBC, 20/20, CNN, Fox News Channel, Court TV and others, both nationally and internationally.  In 2018 The Oxygen Channel premiered “In Defense Of.” Mr. Tritico was Assistant Producer of the series and featured in the premier episode. Mr. Tritico is the host of Fox26Law on Fox 26 KRIV and the legal analyst for Fox 26 and New Radio 740 KTRH in Houston.