Half a dozen San Benito County administrators were honored at
the Association of California School Administrators Annual Spring
Fling Recognition Dinner on May 3, at the Seascape Golf Course in
Aptos.
The event is a gathering of administrators from San Benito,
Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, which forms region 10 of the
ACSA. It serves as an opportunity to induct board offices and other
representatives for the district, as well as a chance to honor some
of the administrators each year.
Half a dozen San Benito County administrators were honored at the Association of California School Administrators Annual Spring Fling Recognition Dinner on May 3, at the Seascape Golf Course in Aptos.
The event is a gathering of administrators from San Benito, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, which forms region 10 of the ACSA. It serves as an opportunity to induct board offices and other representatives for the district, as well as a chance to honor some of the administrators each year.
Bob Wells, the executive director of ACSA, attended the banquet and served as the keynote speaker. He talked about his years of service, trends in education and the upcoming election for state superintendent of schools. After his speech, the board offices proceeded with recognizing administrators who will be retiring at the end of the year.
More than two dozen San Benito administrators attended the dinner, from the Hollister School District and the San Benito County Office of Education.
“It speaks to the level of service that we provide in San Benito County,” said Mike Sanchez, the County Office of Education superintendent of schools. “There is more that occurs here that a lot of people don’t hear about.”
Ron Crates, the Hollister School district superintendent, though he was not in attendance, was recognized for his years of service as he retires at the end of the school year.
Susan Villa, the deputy superintendent of educational and personnel services at the County Office of Education, was also recognized for her years with the district as she retires this year. Villa also was also recognized with the central office administrator award at the banquet.
“I believe what makes her stand out is her commitment to helping other people develop,” said Sanchez, of Villa. “That really separates people. She helps someone with a question they have or something they are trying to do. She is the resource person, and if she doesn’t have the answer right there and then, she is going to get it for you.”
Most recently, Villa has been working in human services. But Sanchez said she has held a variety of positions in her time with the district. She worked in education services and also served as the Special Education Local Plan Area.
Sanchez also stressed that each of the people honored at the banquet influences teachers, students or other staff members.
“They have a whole team of people they work with and it speaks highly to the team they work with,” he said.
At the dinner Laurie Forrest, of Calaveras Elementary School, and Gabriela Vallejo, who worked at Sunnyslope and now works at R.O. Hardin, were both awarded the elementary co-administrator award for their work as assistant principals.
Sergio Martinez received the secondary co-administrator award for his work at Marguerite Maze Middle School. He works half time as an assistant principal and devotes half his time as the migrant education coordinator at the school.
Jenni Bernosky, the principal of Spring Grove School, received the award for elementary school principal for a K-8 school. The school was recently recognized as a distinguished school, the only one in the county to receive that distinction.
At the banquet, each honoree was invited up to receive a plaque and ACSA board officers took turns reading out short biographies of their accomplishments.
“The thing I like about the dinner is you hear doom and gloom and yet at the dinner, you saw nothing but a whole bunch of people who are still serving kids,” Sanchez said. “It is about service to others. Amidst everything that is going on in a year like now – 2010 – with everything we hear related to education (cuts), everything was upbeat.
“It was about service and keeping true to our mission and that is to serve families.”
