Interim L.A. County Schools Chief Appointed by Supervisors

DOWNEY, Calif., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Deputy Superintendent Jon R. Gundry has been appointed Los Angeles County Interim Superintendent of Schools by the County Board of Supervisors.

The Supervisors on Aug. 31 voted unanimously to appoint Gundry as the interim superintendent, a post in which he will also serve as the interim chief executive officer of the Downey-based Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE).  

The appointment of Gundry follows the Aug. 30 retirement of Darline P. Robles, who had served as the county superintendent since her 2002 appointment to the high-profile post by the Supervisors.

"I am honored to have been entrusted with the transitional leadership of this great organization," Gundry said about his appointment. "I look forward to working with the Board of Supervisors, the County Board of Education and all our staff at LACOE in continuing to fulfill our mission to serve the education communities in the county. Together, we will ensure a smooth transition in implementing all our programs serving 80 school districts and two million preschool and school-age children in the county."

LACOE, the largest educational agency of its kind in the nation, has a staff of nearly 4,000 and an annual budget close to $1 billion.

Since joining LACOE as the deputy superintendent in February 2008, Gundry had been a key member of Dr. Robles' Executive Cabinet, developing policy and overseeing strategic projects and initiatives, both at LACOE's Downey campus and at the agency's various school sites.

Prior to joining LACOE, Gundry served with distinction in the Houston (Texas) Independent School District. His tenure there included 12 years as an administrator. Gundry, a fluent Spanish speaker, also taught English, Spanish and ESL for middle and high schools in the district and in other locales.

A Fulbright Scholar, Gundry earned a bachelor's degree from Northern Arizona University and a master's degree in school administration from Houston Baptist University.

SOURCE Los Angeles County Office of Education