New Principal Named At American Canyon High School

News from the Napa Valley Unified School District:

Damon Wright, principal at Benicia High School and a 10-year American Canyon resident, has been named principal of American Canyon High School starting July 15.

He will take over from Mark Brewer, who is stepping down to take a position at another district. Wright’s appointment was approved at Thursday’s meeting of the NVUSD Board of Education.

“Damon Wright is a seasoned professional who was recently named High School Principal of the Year for our region,” said Superintendent Patrick Sweeney. “He has deep roots in, and an affinity for, the American Canyon community.”

Wright has been principal at 1,660-student Benicia High for three years, and spent the previous nine years in San Ramon Valley Unified School District, as a school psychologist and an assistant principal.

“I really love American Canyon, with all its potential, and I’m looking forward to leveraging the strong systems and practices that are already in place to help inspire staff and the community to lead us to the next level,” Wright said. “My educational values are aligned with the district’s, in terms of college and career readiness. We have to prepare students for the challenges that await them after graduation; they have to have the skills to compete.”

American Canyon High School serves 1,520 students in grades 9-12.

Wright has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and his school administration certificate from CSU Sacramento and a master’s degree in school counseling from National University.

He and his wife, Blanca, live in American Canyon with their daughters Mya and Vanessa, both of whom will be at American Canyon Middle School in the fall.