New Superintendent Named at San Ramon Valley Unified School District

SAN RAMON, CA - The San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s (SRVUSD) Board of Education has appointed Rick Schmitt as the District’s new superintendent, effective July 1, 2016. He is currently the Superintendent of the San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD), which covers multiple cities in north-coastal San Diego County.

Current SRVUSD Superintendent Mary Shelton is retiring at the end of June.

“Rick Schmitt brings vision and focus, years of experience and a passion for creating an educational environment in which students and staff can achieve their greatest potential,” SRVUSD Board President Greg Marvel said. “Under Rick’s leadership, our students, staff, parents and community can look forward to the continued educational excellence and visionary leadership that has led to the San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s reputation as an outstanding destination district.”

“I am humbled, flattered and extremely grateful for this opportunity,” Mr. Schmitt said. “I would like to thank the Board of Education for trusting me to lead this incredible school district. I would also like to give congratulations to San Ramon Valley Unified students, staff and parents for having the Bay Area’s highest graduation rate, according to the latest release from the California Department of Education. July cannot come soon enough for me! I look forward to beginning my work in the San Ramon Valley community.”

Schmitt began his career teaching history, economics, government, AP Economics, AP Government and AP U.S. History in a variety of schools. Upon earning his master’s degree and administrative credential, he became a Vice Principal at Granada High School in Livermore, and then later was appointed Principal at East Avenue Middle School in Livermore.

He took a job in San Diego in 1999 to be closer to his aging parents. He and his wife Lyssa, who owns a home staging business, will relocate to the San Ramon Valley from San Diego. They have two children – a son 27, who is an engineer for Illumina in San Diego, and a daughter, 25 who is a Project Manager for Forefront in New York City.

--Image provided by SRVUSD