ACSA Region 7 recently announced winners of its Administrators of the Year awards. These recipients will be honored at the annual Spring Conference on May 2 at the Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe.

Board of Trustees: Stanislaus Union School Board — Gricelda Garcia, Board President; John Casselberry Jr., Board Clerk; Michele Wolf, Trustee; Michael Tognotti, Trustee; Susan Elliott, Trustee.

Elementary Co-Administrator: Maggie Hartung, Ceres USD. Elementary Principal: Sarah Hayes, Stanislaus Union SD. Middle Grades Principal: Matthew Hutsell, Ceres USD. Secondary Co-Administrator: Patrick Rodden, Modesto City Schools. Secondary Principal: Mary La Rosa, Hughson USD. Classified Leader: Michael Maaske, Sylvan Union SD. Confidential Employee: Antoinette Chambers, Modesto City Schools. Technology: Donna Williamson, San Joaquin COE. Career Tech: Nicole Gravette, Amador County USD. Adult Education: Jessica Dorris, Calaveras COE. Special Education: Mandy Carranza, Turlock USD. Student Services Administrator: Sharon Carter, Ceres USD. Personnel/Human Resources: Melissa Truelock, Calaveras COE. Curriculum & Instruction: Tiffany Davenport, Empire Union SD. Central Office Administrator: Mark Herbst, Modesto City Schools. Valuing Diversity: Dr. Dwight Rogers, Stockton USD. Partners In Educational Excellence: Letters to Santa Charity, Turlock USD. Retired Administrator: Barbara Magpusao, ACSA Charter (RAC) Region 7. Superintendent/Principal: Beverly (Bev) Boone, Oak View Elementary SD. Superintendent: Dr. Troy Brown, San Joaquin COE. Bob Price Distinguished Service Award: Jennifer Backman, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Stanislaus Union SD. Bill Ullom Award: Dr. Sara Noguchi, Superintendent, Modesto City Schools.

Region 16 celebrated its 10th annual Women in Leadership Summit on March 1. The theme of this year’s summit, “Balancing Life While Lifting Others to Lead,” embodied the core belief of empowering women to thrive both personally and professionally. Over the past decade, the WIL Summit has become a cornerstone event for Region 16, inspiring and uniting leaders in education. The event was organized by Dr. Sandra Quintanilla, Women in Leadership chair of Region 16, and her committee, whose leadership and commitment were key to its success.

The morning kicked off with performances from student groups Mariachi Los Alanos, Mariachi Las Mariposas and Ballet Folklórico from Garfield High School, led by Principal Regina Marquez-Martinez. Quintanilla formally opened the summit, followed by a warm welcome from Region 16 President Dr. Piedad Sanchez. A video presentation from Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho was shared, accompanied by remarks from Board of Education President Scott Schmerelson, Board Member Sherlett Hendy Newbill (District 1), Deputy Superintendent Pedro Salcido (Business Services & Operations), and Margarita Cuizon-Armelino, deputy executive director of ACSA.

Region 16 was honored to have Dr. Patricia Brent-Sanco, director of Equity, Access, and Instructional Services for Lynwood Unified School District, deliver the keynote address. Her powerful message emphasized the importance of women breaking through systemic barriers while fostering collaborative, supportive communities.

A dynamic panel discussion titled “She Inspires: Empowering Women to Lead and Lift Each Other” featured prominent women from Region 16, who shared personal stories and strategies for balancing life and leadership. The panel included Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Dr. Karla Estrada; Chief Academic Officer Dr. Frances Baez; Region West Superintendent Denise Collier; and Chief of Transitional Programs Pia Sadaqatmal.

Dr. Tracie Noriega, senior director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Professional Learning at ACSA, led an engaging workshop titled “Interrogating Identity in Leadership,” which explored the intersection of leadership and personal identity.

The summit concluded with an empowering presentation by Dr. Donya Ball, bestselling author and educator, leaving attendees inspired and equipped with practical tools to continue empowering themselves and others.