This year’s leadership conference featured five panels addressing key aspects of K–12 and higher education leadership. Two dozen USC Rossier alumni, all highly placed school or organizational leaders, led the discussions.
Greg Franklin ’83, EdD ’97, superintendent of Tustin Unified School District and DSAG chair, welcomed approximately 250 attendees and urged them to take advantage of the robust Trojan Network. He noted his own career path, which included a number of positions in districts led by USC Rossier alumni, and mentorships that helped grow his career.
Education needs strong leaders today more than ever, Franklin said, and quoted Heifetz and Linsky, who have written that, “To lead is to live dangerously because when leadership counts, when you lead people through difficult change, you challenge what people hold dear … with nothing more to offer perhaps than a possibility.”
Oliver Sicat ’01, principal of USC Hybrid High School and CEO of Emagine Charter Management Organization, shared his own struggle to access high-quality public education in Santa Ana, and his journey as a first-generation college student at USC.
Participants then engaged in breakout sessions, where panelists discussed issues in leadership, answered questions and offered advice to the many emerging education leaders in attendance. Panel subjects included leadership in community colleges, CMOs, individual schools and districts, and universities.
Panel participants were Patrick Auerbach EdD ’08, senior vice president for alumni relations at USC; Bill Bonaudi EdD ’93, president emeritus of Big Bend Community College; Chris McDonald EdD ’12, dean of science, math and engineering at Saddleback College; Mark Rocha PhD ’88, superintendent/ president of Pasadena City College; Kaneesha Tarrant EdD ’06, dean of counseling and student support services for Long Beach City College; Pedro Garcia EdD ’83, professor of clinical education at USC Rossier; Katherine Bihr EdD ’05, vice president and executive director of Tiger Woods Learning Center; Danny Kim EdD ’11, principal of Corona High School; Brandon Martin ’96, ME ’02, EdD ’05, athletic director for Cal State Northridge; David Verdugo EdD ’05, superintendent of Paramount Unified School District; Celia Ayala PhD ’93, CEO of LA Universal Preschool (LAUP); Derrick Chau PhD ’02, instructional director for the Intensive Support and Innovation Center at LAUSD; Mike Escalante EdD ’02, executive in residence at USC Rossier; Rudy Castruita EdD ’81, Irving R. Virginia Archer Melbo Chair in Education Administration at USC Rossier; James Elsasser EdD ’11, superintendent of Claremont Unified School District; Gabriela Mafi MS ’00, EdD ’02, superintendent of Garden Grove Unified School District; Myrna Morales EdD ’05, assistant superintendent of Paramount Unified School District; Nisha Bhakta Dugal EdD ’11, principal of Muir Middle School; Hazel Giusto EdD ’11, assistant principal of Gertz-Ressler High School; Randy Gray EdD ’05, director of educational services K-12 curriculum, instruction and projects in Paramount Unified School District; and David Haglund EdD ’09, assistant superintendent of instructional support for Riverside Unified School District.
“We are successful educators when we learn from one another,” said Giusto. “Events like this allow a forum for deep conversations about how to keep challenging ourselves to be, do, and expect better from our education system.”
