Temecula Valley USD Administrator Receives High Honor

TEMECULA, CA — While sitting in a meeting with her supervisor, Donna Lione had no idea that dozens of well-wishing Temecula Valley Unified School District employees, her husband, and Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez, were poised to barge in with news that she had been named the 2022 Riverside County Certificated Administrator of the Year.

“I am honored to be honored with this award. It is a shared award because collaboration on our team comes from the very top as we do our very best to support students,” Lione said immediately following the surprise announcement. “If I’m shining, it’s because my team has allowed me the opportunity to shine.”

Lione has served the TVUSD community as director of student welfare and success for the last seven years. She described her decision to become an educator at the age of 40 as the start of a third career that has included multiple roles in the TVUSD such as elementary teacher, middle school math/science teacher, district math/science/technology coach, and assistant principal.

From coordinating many aspects of the district’s COVID-19 response to providing services for homeless and foster youth students, Lione is described by colleagues as a fearless leader and a fierce advocate for students.

“Mrs. Lione has led her team in the creation of a comprehensive initiative aimed at supporting ‘the whole child’ with an emphasis on behavior and social-emotional support,” Gomez explained. “She has worked hard to create systems so that our vulnerable students have a positive
first experience and undeniable access to the right resources.”

Lione will be among the other 2022 Riverside County Educators of the Year who will be honored at the Celebrating Educators Luncheon set for Tuesday, May 3, at the Riverside Convention Center.

The Riverside County Educators of the Year are selected from more than 36,000 educational employees in the county. The application process starts with nominations by teachers, classified employees, and school district administrators throughout the county.

Applications are then submitted to the Riverside County Office of Education, where an outside selection committee selects the honorees.

The full list of categories and honorees for the 2022 Riverside County Educators of the Year:

— Riverside County Classified Employee of the Year
Elia Sanchez, Clerk/Community Liaison
Corona-Norco Unified School District
— Riverside County Principal of the Year
Jannette Price, Principal
Riverside County High School (Alternative Education)
Riverside County Office of Education
— Riverside County Classified Administrator of the Year
Daniel Cappello, Director of Nutrition Services
Desert Sands Unified School District
— Riverside County Site Support Employee of the Year
Ioana Pirvu Robles, Secondary Math Teacher on Special Assignment
Palm Springs Unified School District
— Riverside County School Counselor of the Year
Damon Bonelli, Counselor
Bella Vista Elementary School
Palm Springs Unified School District
— Riverside County Certificated Administrator of the Year
Donna Lione, Director of Student Welfare and Success
Temecula Valley Unified School District
— Riverside County Confidential Employee of the Year – TBD week of March 22

The 2022 Teachers of the Year were named in mid-2021 to align with the 2022 California State Teacher of the Year competition that wrapped up in October. Science teacher Nichi Aviña from Cielo Vista Charter School in the Palm Springs Unified School District was named the California Teacher of the Year. The Riverside County runners-up were:

—Karrie Carlson, Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher, Riverside County Office of Education assigned to Murrieta Valley High School

—Kathleen Magaña, 3rd Grade Teacher, Garretson Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD

—Kristan Morales, Mathematics Teacher, Chaparral High School, Temecula Valley USD