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Association of California School Administrators
Association of California School Administrators
Mayor of Waterford Jose Aldaco is also vice president of ACSA Region 7 and an assistant superintendent with Waterford USD.
ACSA region leader sworn in as mayor
February 15, 2021
Waterford Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Jose Aldaco recently added another leadership position to his resume: mayor.
In December, Aldaco was sworn in as Mayor of the city of Waterford in central California’s Stanislaus County.
Aldaco has served on the Waterford City Council since 2007, when he was appointed to an empty council seat. He ran and was elected to two more terms before deciding to run unopposed for the mayoral seat in 2020.
In addition to leading this city of 9,000 residents, Aldaco is also vice president of ACSA Region 7.
Aldaco said his leadership style focuses on three elements: visionary leadership, community building and emotional intelligence.
“As a visionary leader, I focus on being one who talks and walks the vision of the organization. As a community builder, it is important to know that it is not just about implementing action plans alone, but also listening and reaching out to the individuals who are part of the community,” he said. “The third quality I use as part of my leadership style is emotional intelligence, which is to understand and manage my own emotions while recognizing, understanding and managing the emotions of others.”
These skills have applied to all three organizations — district, ACSA and city — through the work of engaging stakeholders, planning, developing, implementing and monitoring.
Aldaco has been serving the residents of Waterford ever since he became a teacher there in 2000, and has continued to prioritize service to the community that he loves.
“Once I became a member of this diverse community, I chose to immerse myself with my fellow residents, and really get to know them. I have grown in my understanding of their personal needs and their desires for our town. Being mayor and a school district leader provides me the wonderful opportunity to better serve them, from the youngest to the oldest,” he said.
“After 20 years in education in this community, I am honored to see the future generations arriving — the children of former students, who I was entrusted to help shape into productive citizens, are now in school. Long ago I made the community of Waterford a priority, and I’m privileged to serve it in this dual capacity,” he added.