New school year, new faces at district office
In addition to a new Superintendent, Socorro Shiels, the Sonoma Valley Unified School District has more new faces in the administrative office. The Sun’s Sarah Ford asked them about joining the district team, the challenges that lie ahead and what they like so far about the job.
Lori Stark, Coordinator of Special Education
I love working with children, educators, and families to develop programs that support learning and success for all. It’s been a challenge to get to know everyone! I’m working on becoming familiar with all of our schools, and getting to know special education students and families. Everyone has been kind and welcoming. Sonoma has a great team of educators dedicated to children, and it’s such a supportive community to work with. It’s a great place to be!
Bruce Abbott, Associate Superintendent, Business Services
What I most enjoy about my work is the strong connection between the district and the community. They are so interwoven. Of course the schools educate the children so it would make sense that the town would be involved, but here, maybe because it is such a self-contained community, the connection seems stronger. The biggest challenge has been how to restructure the district’s financials so we can deliver the best opportunity for our students while being able to offer a competitive compensation package to attract the best talent possible to our schools.
Working with the community, both the school community and the Sonoma Valley community, has been one of my favorite aspects of SVUSD and Sonoma. It is a very rich in diversity.
I am very pleased that after many months of high tension, that seems to have been put aside very quickly, and everyone wants to move forward. I see that as a sign that everyone in SVUSD wants the best for our students.
Vanessa Riggs, Director, Student Services
I really enjoy the fabulous people in the school district. They are so welcoming and open.
Finding enough time is a challenge. I wish the days had more hours. Sonoma is like a family; there’s much interconnection, love, and hometown pride. It’s really fun becoming a part of all of that. Listening to the needs of the community and learning about the current programs are my top priorities this year.
Jonathan Ferrer, Director, Human Resources
What I have enjoyed most about my job so far has definitely been getting to meet all of the district staff, and hearing about what they love most about SVUSD. That keeps me motivated to support them! I don’t really see any challenges. I perceive things to be opportunities to improve outcomes for scholars and to support all of our staff. I’m honored to do this work alongside amazing support staff and educators. My favorite aspects of SVUSD are the staff and scholars for sure… they inspire me and drive me every day.
Dr. Elizabeth Kaufman, Associate Superintendent, Instructional Services
I joined the district in mid-July.
I really like to serve children and their education. I enjoy working on curriculum and instruction directly with our amazing school and district teams. Getting into classrooms and seeing learning in action is the best part of my job.
As I am still very new, my biggest challenge is learning the breadth and depth of our offerings. We have so many great programs and resources within and beyond our classroom walls. I’m still a bit in awe.
I love that we are a small town with broad community resources and a single high school. We each get to play a part in developing and supporting our students over time. When seniors receive their diplomas, we get to celebrate our combined work as a community in support of learners. As we say, “It takes a valley.” I’m proud to be part of a community that is united behind its children’s futures.
