NEWS RELEASE
San Diego Unified School District Names 2023 Classified Employees of the Year
Health Technician and Construction Coordinator to be Honored
May 19, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Joan Schmidt, a health technician, and Alma Banuelos, a facilities and construction business outreach coordinator, have been named San Diego Unified School District’s Classified Employees of the Year for 2023.
Coinciding with Classified School Employee Week, May 21-27, San Diego Unified will honor the 2023 Classified Employee of the Year and Runner-Up at a celebration at UCSD’s Park & Market on Tuesday, May 23 at 5 p.m. Classified Employees of the Year from individual schools and departments will also be honored. The celebration will be hosted by UC San Diego’s Morgan Appel, Assistant Dean for Education and Community Outreach.
To help celebrate Classified School Employee Week, the district challenges San Diegans to thank a school employee who has impacted their life, either in-person or on social media platforms, using the hashtag #ThankASchoolEmployeeSD and #ClassifiedEmployeeAppreciationWeek.
“Vital, essential, and inspirational are three words that come to mind when thinking of San Diego Unified classified employees,” Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson said. The positive impact classified employees have on students and our district daily leaves me eternally grateful. Classified employees are the backbone of our organization; ensuring they feel appreciated year-round is as important as they are. Congratulations to the Classified Employees of the Year; San Diego Unified's success is a direct reflection of their tireless commitment, love, and dedication.”
The Board of Education honors classified employees each year with an event that celebrates their work in the district. This year’s event is co-hosted by North Island Credit Union.
“North Island Credit Union is honored to partner with San Diego Unified School District in this very important recognition of school employees,” said North Island Credit Union President/CEO Steve O’Connell. “We are proud to celebrate those who play a vital role in the day-to-day operations of our schools as part of our mission to serve and support the San Diego education community. We congratulate the award recipients and nominees for their outstanding work in making an essential difference in their school communities and in the achievements of their students.”
Additional sponsors of the event are California Coast Credit Union, California Schools VEBA, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit, Creation by Chelyz, M2 Video Productions, and the University of California, San Diego.
For more information on this year’s winners and on the San Diego Unified Classified Employee of the Year celebration, please visit: https://cutt.ly/2023CEOY
MEDIA CONTACT: Isabella McNeil, San Diego Unified School District, 619-341-2343
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