Award: Business Services Administrator of the Year Name: Donna Caperton Title: Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, Vista Unified School District Region: 18 ACSA highlights: Member since 2001. Donna Caperton is known as a steadfast advocate for all students who leverages her deep knowledge of the LCAP and strategic planning to address the needs of all students. Her commitment to transparency and community engagement in the budget development process has helped to develop a level of trust and community commitment to student success that is unparalleled. Her open-door policy and predisposition to listen to all stakeholders and the greater school community have helped to create a cohesive and positive district culture. Her focus on student safety and building trust with all stakeholders makes her an indispensable part of the Vista Unified community. She was the driving force behind two successful bond measures and is known for her successful advocacy on behalf of students.  “I have had the opportunity to work with and mentor many Chief Business Officials and I have found Ms. Caperton to be a diligent, focused, committed, and dedicated administrator,” said Eric Hall, president of Eric Hall & Associates. “Donna promotes divergent ideas and consistently considers what is best for students.” What’s your favorite book on leadership?   “Great By Choice” by Jim Collins. What are some of your favorite apps? Google Drive, Boomerang, Quick Note.       What are the top five life hacks you would recommend for a new administrator? 1. Set alarms for everything.  2. If someone wants to schedule a call, send a Google calendar invite. 3. Chunk your activities together — don’t bounce between different tasks. 4. Don’t start your day by answering emails. Block your email for a set period each day. 5. Save more than you spend. What made you want to become a school administrator?   I thought I could make a difference for students. Making sure that the business side of school administration did not slow down the services that students needed to succeed.  What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome to get where you are?   Overcoming perceptions that someone from the purchasing side of the house could come in and manage school business activities. What is your proudest accomplishment?   I am most proud that my children have successful lives and that I completed my BA and master’s degrees while working full-time. Who is someone who inspires you?   Eric Hall. He was my supervisor in San Dieguito High School District. He made the job always look easy. He has high integrity but manages to have a wonderful work/life balance. He is an inspiration. What’s your pre-game ritual to get ready for a big meeting or presentation?   In order to get ready for a big meeting or presentation, I review all my notes, charts and PowerPoint presentations to make sure I can easily discuss without looking at notes. I try to put on the hat of the audience and what questions would they ask and prepare appropriate responses.  What was the best ACSA event you’ve attended?  “Honoring Your Own” in San Diego. This event is so inspiring and great for recognizing significant achievements. How has ACSA supported you in your career/current position?   ACSA news releases have kept me in the loop on the issues facing education. The ACSA Legislative Policy Committee provided us a voice to support initiatives that will benefit students.  What bucket list item do you hope to accomplish this year?   I am going to retire at the end of a 36-year career. That is one bucket list item that I will accomplish. I will also travel to all the states on the West Coast before expanding to all states in future years. What projects are you working on which have equity as their focus?   The project that I am currently working on is developing equity allocations based on school site demographics to support unduplicated count students with additional services and interventions. This will make sure that supplemental and concentration dollars are being used for the neediest sites.