Walnut Valley USD Trustees appointed two leadership team members during the August meeting. Rosa Northcott was approved as principal at Westhoff Elementary School. Northcott has spent the last five years as an elementary principal in the Alhambra USD. She has also held administrative positions at the elementary, middle and high school levels. In addition, she served as a teacher in the Los Angeles USD and secondary science specialist in the Santa Ana USD. Northcott holds a doctoral degree in education from University of Southern California, with Master of Education and Bachelor of Science degrees from University of California, Los Angeles. She succeeds Sandra Lee who Walnut Valley USD wishes well in her next steps as a successful leader in education. Collaborative education leader Nicolle Flores brings 18 years of experience to her new position as Diamond Bar High School instructional dean. She most recently served as EL coordinator and ELD/English teacher at the school. Prior to that, Flores served as program coordinator of the Claremont Graduate University preliminary teaching credential program. She also served as a teacher in Claremont USD and Hacienda-La Puente USD. Flores is a doctoral in education degree candidate at the University of La Verne and holds a Master of Arts in education degree from Claremont Graduate University and Bachelor of Science degree from University of Phoenix. She succeeds Julie Galindo who was appointed as elementary principal in the Glendora USD

Susan Denton began her new role as Superintendent-Principal at Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union Elementary School District in Lake Hughes on Nov. 1, 2022, joining ACSA Region 15. An educator for 25 years, Denton has served in administration in Bakersfield for the past 15 years. After earning her MA in Educational Administration with Fresno Pacific University, she began her administrative career as Principal at Centennial Elementary in the Rosedale Union School District for five years. She then joined Standard School District as Principal at Standard Elementary School for five years, and as Principal at Standard Middle School for three years. She led change for student supports in her schools and won awards for PBIS. In addition, Standard Middle School was designated as the only new National School to Watch in California for 2021. Most recently, she served in district administration for the last two years in Standard School District as the Academic Improvement Specialist, overseeing Title 1, academic interventions and acceleration, state and federal compliance, AVID, independent study, and social media/marketing, as well as serving as an ACSA Director for Region 11 and West Kern ACSA. Denton is also active as an Executive Board Member for KernCUE.

After more than 36 years in public education, including 16 1/2 years as the Redondo Beach USD Superintendent of Schools, Steven Keller will retire on Jan. 1, 2023. Keller began his teaching career in Rancho Cucamonga in 1986. He went on to work school district jobs in Fullerton, Baldwin Park and Laguna Beach before arriving at Redondo Beach USD in 2006.

“This district and this job have meant the world to me, professionally and personally,” Keller said in a letter to RBUSD parents. “I attended Walteria Elementary, Newton/Richardson Middle School, and South High in Torrance USD as a child. This community has always been home to me and it still is today.”

Nicole Wesley, currently the Assistant Superintendent of HR in RBUSD, has been appointed as Keller’s successor.