May 20, 2019
Verdugo to step down
as head of CALSA
The executive director of the
California Association of Latino School
Administrators has announced he will step
down at the end of the summer.
David Verdugo sent a letter to members
earlier this month sharing that he wants
to focus on retirement and spending time
with his wife, grand-
children and family. He
stated that he would stay
on through the 2019
Summer Institute and to
support the next executive
director during a transi-
tion phase.
“While I may be step-
ping down as Executive
Verdugo
Director, I am not leaving
the CALSA familia,” he
said. “I will be a contin-
ued resource and mentor to many of you,
informally or as part of our mentoring pro-
gram and as veterano in the familia.”
Verdugo took the helm of the member-
ship organization six years ago after retir-
ing from a 43-year career in education.
During his tenure, CALSA celebrated
many accomplishments, including confirm-
ing federal and state nonprofit status and
shaping workable and now longstanding
governing bylaws.
The organization also expanded mento-
ring programs and the Latina Leadership
Network, maintained a number of cor-
porate partners and advisers, and built
strong relationships with organizations
like ACSA, CAAASA, CLSBA, CABE,
ALAS, the California Department of
Education, and the State Superintendents
of Public Instruction.
“We attained the high level of profes-
sional recognition we aspired to as the
go-to resource for Latino/a educational
issues in the state,” Verdugo said.
Verdugo acknowledged those who
established the Hispanic Superintendents
Association, which became CALSA:
Fernando Elizondo, Robert Aguilar,
Elisa Sanchez, Roberto Flores and Ken
Magdaleno. He also recognized his pre-
decessors, Fernando Elizondo, Salvador
Villaseñor, Richard Malfatti and David
Gomez, who “laid the ground work and
helped direct CALSA to where it is today.”
Verdugo served under the guidance of six
“outstanding” CALSA Presidents: Jose
Gonzalez, Yvette Irving, Alejandro Hogan,
Cesar Morales, Martha Martinez and
Jacqueline Perez.
He also thanked Senior Executive
Assistants April Wyatt and Melissa
Rodriguez and expressed gratitude for the
support of ACSA’s staff, including Tracy
Olmedo and Justin Concepcion.
“I cannot emphasize it enough — there
is still work to be done. There are still so
many Latino/a students throughout the
state who are not enrolled in schools or
districts where the teaching and adminis-
trative teams reflect the rich and diverse
student population,” he said. “We must
defend and not offend the often misunder-
stood, unrepresented or ignored needs of
our students and their families.”
Registration open for New Superintendents
Seminar Series yearlong program
Registration is now open for ACSA’s
New Superintendents Seminar Series. The
program provides first- and second-year
superintendents with a cohort of new
superintendent colleagues in a yearlong
program of five, two-day workshops.
NSSS allows new superintendents to
tackle current issues in a confidential and
supportive setting with the guidance of
experienced, successful superintendents.
Practical topics specific to the role of
superintendent are covered in a seminar
format, including board/superintendent
relations, negotiations, goal setting, evalua-
tions, culture building and leadership.
Registration is $1,900 for ACSA
members and $2,900 for non-members,
with discounts available for second-year
participants and those who register
before Sept. 1. Visit www.acsa.org/
NewSuperintendentsSeminarSeries for
more information and to register.
june
10-11 2+1 iLead Lab Series. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sacramento
23-29 Principals’ Summer Institute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UCLA
24-28 Institute for New & Aspiring Principals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UCLA
september
15-17
19-20
24
25-27
NASS/ACSA Federal Advocacy Conference. . . . . . . . . . Washington, D.C.
Excellence through Equity Conference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Napa
Educational Excellence: Pathways to Equity Summit . . . . . . . . Alhambra
Women in School Leadership Forum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Huntington Beach
october
2-4
Personnel Institute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long Beach
november
5
7-9
2+1 iLead Lab Series. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sacramento
ACSA Leadership Summit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Francisco
january
22-24 ACSA Negotiators’ Symposium. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Diego
29-31 ACSA Superintendents’ Symposium. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Indian Wells
www.acsa.org
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