Oregon Superintendent Gustavo Balderas to be Named AASA President-elect

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
James Minichello
703-774-6953
jminichello@aasa.org

Alexandria, Va. – March 15, 2023 – Gustavo Balderas, superintendent of the Beaverton School District, has been elected as the 2023-24 president-elect of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, the nation’s premier organization representing more than 13,000 public school superintendents nationwide.

Balderas has served as superintendent in Beaverton, Ore., since 2022, after serving as school district leader in Edmonds, Wash., Eugene, Ore. and two California districts. He first joined AASA in 2011.

“I congratulate Gustavo Balderas as the next president-elect of our organization,” said David R. Schuler, executive director, AASA. “The integrity and passion that he has demonstrated, not only as the head of a school district but as an ambassador for every child who walks through the door of a school building, is immeasurable. I am proud to call Gustavo my friend and I look forward to working with him in his new role.”   

“Our public schools have a moral imperative to serve every student and must have strong, skilled leadership to meet that mission,” said Balderas. “My top priority as president-elect of this great organization will be leadership sustainability in the superintendent ranks. As a school superintendent, I have always been driven to mentor aspiring leaders and support my superintendent peers to best serve all students. I am honored and humbled to be AASA’s next president-elect.”

Balderas is a current member of the AASA Executive Committee and is the president of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents. He was named AASA National Superintendent of the Year® and Oregon Superintendent of the Year in 2020.

His post-secondary degrees include D.Ed., University of Oregon, Eugene, Ore.; M.S., Portland State University, Portland, Ore.; B.A., Western Oregon State College, Monmouth, Ore.

Balderas and other newly elected AASA governance members will begin their terms on July 1. Gladys Cruz, district superintendent of Questar BOCES in Castleton, N.Y., and Balderas will be sworn in as president and president-elect, respectively, at the summer meeting of the AASA Governing Board in July.

Related article: 'Responsibility Just Oozes Out' / School Administrator, April 1, 2020

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About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.