Transitions
December 8, 2025
Elk Grove Unified School District Superintendent Christopher Hoffman has announced that he will retire at the end of the calendar year.
Hoffman was named superintendent of the Elk Grove Unified School District in 2014. He holds the distinction of being the first superintendent in district history to have received elementary and secondary education in EGUSD schools, according to the district.
Hoffman has spent his professional career in public education, working with diverse student populations in wide-ranging communities across Northern California, including Elk Grove, Lodi and the Sierra foothills. He is highly committed to improving the teaching and learning of socioeconomically disadvantaged students.
As a principal and superintendent, he has a solid record of improved academic performance for socioeconomic disadvantaged students as measured on the Academic Performance Index with a 43 point gain in El Dorado Union High School District, 62 point gain at Mira Loma High School and 102 point gain at Tokay High School during his tenure.
He has been a visionary and innovative leader, training educators to recognize the importance of a student’s culture in the relevance of their education. He has served as a trainer for cultural competence — focused on the needs of schools and how to creatively move them forward.
Hoffman began his career in 1992 in education as a social science teacher at Valley High School, and went on to help open Laguna Creek High School — where he became a vice principal — before serving as principal at Tokay High School in Lodi and Mira Loma High School in Sacramento. Prior to serving four years as superintendent of El Dorado Union High School District, he served as associate superintendent of the district.
The Elk Grove USD Board of Trustees has approved the contract for Hoffman’s successor. David Reilly will begin serving as superintendent of Elk Grove Unified School District on Jan. 1, 2026.
Reilly brings over 25 years of experience in public education, starting as an English teacher, vice principal, principal and then assistant superintendent of Human Resources and Student Services in the Sequoia Union High School District. Following his tenure in the Bay Area, Reilly has been an associate superintendent in Elk Grove Unified for the past 10 years, where he has been instrumental in advancing educational programs both in regular and special education, fostering collaboration, and promoting equity and innovation throughout the district. His deep knowledge of EGUSD, combined with his leadership experience and commitment to student success, positions him well to lead the district into its next chapter.
A resident of Elk Grove, Reilly holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with departmental honors from the University of California, Los Angeles, a single-subject credential in English from San Francisco State University, and a Master’s in Education, Administration, and Leadership from Notre Dame de Namur University.
Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Deneen Guss has announced she will not seek re-election in 2026, as she plans to retire at the conclusion of her term in January 2027. By then, she will have served nearly 40 years in the education community. Elected as county superintendent in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, Guss has championed transformative initiatives that have elevated educational opportunities and outcomes for children and families across Monterey County.
Guss has prioritized building resilient school communities by providing leadership, support, and service to the county’s 24 public school districts and eight charter schools. Some of Guss’s significant achievements include guiding schools through the COVID-19 crisis, spearheading several safety initiatives including the Monterey County Safe and Healthy Schools and Communities Coalition, launching the All In For Equity Conference in 2018, and spearheading efforts to secure over $30 million in state, federal, and local grants since 2018, with funding going to programs including future-ready learning in the areas of STEM education and multilingual literacy, mental health services, community schools, and educator preparedness pathways, in addition to building the new Salinas Community School.
In 2021, Guss received the Ruth Vreeland Memorial Public Official of the Year Award and the ACSA Region 10 Superintendent of the Year award. In 2024 she was awarded the Dr. William D. Barr Award for Excellence in Educational Leadership and the Blue Zones Right Outlook Award. In 2025, MCOE was honored with the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce’s Business Excellence Award, a testament to her dedicated staff. During her tenure, MCOE also earned multiple California School Boards Association Golden Bell Awards for innovative programs in alternative education and equity-focused initiatives.
Guss credits the success of the Monterey County Office of Education to her passionate and dedicated team members who share her vision of student success and work tirelessly to fulfill the promise of leadership, support, and service to communities in Monterey County. She also credits her county board of education for their outstanding leadership and commitment to students and families.
The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Board of Education has named Dr. Kym LeBlanc-Esparza as the district’s new superintendent.
LeBlanc-Esparza brings over three decades of experience in education, having served as a teacher, principal, director, and superintendent. Most recently, she was deputy superintendent of Jeffco Public Schools, Colorado’s second-largest district, where she oversaw 74,000 students across more than 145 schools, 14,000 employees, and a $1.2 billion budget. She is credited with advancing districtwide strategic planning, school redesign initiatives, and equity-focused programs to improve outcomes for all students.
Before arriving in Jeffco, she served as superintendent of Archuleta School District in Colorado, leading a district of around 2,000 students, and as Rocky Mountain States Director for AVID Center, where she supported district expansion and promoted college- and career-readiness programs in the region.
She also served as superintendent of the Newberg School District in Oregon, where she improved graduation rates, cut dropout rates in half, expanded mental health services, and administered a $28 million bond to upgrade facilities and expand STEM and alternative education opportunities.
Along the way, LeBlanc-Esparza held leadership positions in Adams 12 Five Star School District, Pueblo School District 60, and Boulder Valley School District. She has also contributed as adjunct faculty at the University of Denver, Western Colorado University, and George Fox University.
In a unanimous 5–0 vote, the Temecula Valley Unified School District Board of Education has appointed Dr. Kimberly Velez as superintendent of schools, solidifying her role after serving as interim superintendent and decades as a trusted leader in the district.
This appointment follows the retirement of Dr. Gary Woods, who has served the district in various leadership roles. “Dr. Woods dedicated his career to the success of our students, and his service leaves a lasting impact on TVUSD,” said Board President Dr. Melinda Anderson. “We thank him for his commitment and wish him the very best in his well-earned retirement.”
An award-winning administrator, Velez was recognized as the Riverside County Certificated Administrator of the Year by the Riverside County Office of Education and as Certificated Administrator of the Year by TVUSD. She brings 30 years of experience in education — including 24 years of devoted service to Temecula Valley schools — where she has consistently advanced student achievement, innovative practices, and built partnerships with families and the community.
Velez has dedicated her career to serving TVUSD students, first as a principal, then as a district executive, and most recently as assistant superintendent of Educational Support Services. She has championed stronger instructional systems, expanded supports for multilingual learners and students with disabilities, and guided initiatives that keep student well-being and data-driven practices at the heart of every decision.
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