Executive Team

Executive Director

Matt J. Navo

Matt J. Navo serves as the Executive Director for the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE).

Prior to his current role, Navo served as the Director of Systems Transformation with the Special Education Policy and Practice Division (SEPPD) at WestEd. He has experience working with districts and schools to guide systems transformation by developing strategies, structures, policies, and practices, aligned with the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) at the state, county, and local levels, to close the achievement gap for all students. Navo’s expertise lies in aligning systems, building capacity for continuous improvement, fostering collaborative cultures and collective efficacy among teams, and establishing coherent and efficient models for districts and schools.

Navo’s knowledge and expertise in systems improvement comes from over 25 years of experience as a K-12 educator and leader. Navo served as the Superintendent of Sanger Unified School District from 2013 to 2018. Before assuming the role of Superintendent, he was a special education teacher, secondary instructor, counselor, resource teacher, junior high learning director, high school assistant principal, elementary and alternative education principal, director of special education, and area administrator.

Navo has sat on various state-level committees, boards, and work groups. Navo has been a Governor appointee to the California State Board of Education (SBE) since 2019 and has served on the CCEE Governing Board, first as the Governor appointee from 2015 to 2017, and later as the Governing Board Chair from 2019 to 2021, appointed by the president of the State Board of Education. He also served on the California Practitioners Advisory Group (CPAG) and the Advisory Commission for Special Education, in which he served as committee chair for the California Special Education Task Force (Evidence-Based Practices).

Navo has been a keynote speaker and trainer for systems improvement across the state, and has presented at over twenty different conferences on special education and school reform. He is the author of Collective Efficacy in a PLC at Work (2021) and has contributed to various articles on school reform, systems improvement, Response to Intervention (RTI), Professional Learning Communities (PLC), and Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI), including ONE SYSTEM: Reforming Education to Serve All Students, Report of California’s Statewide Task Force on Special Education (2015).

Navo’s work has been highlighted for various accomplishments. Most recently, his work in Sanger Unified School District was featured in the publication of Process and Protest, California: How are Districts Engaging Stakeholders in LCAP Development, in which the district was recognized for its efforts in making decision-making processes transparent to prioritize the needs, participation, and leadership of communities that have been historically marginalized and underserved. Sanger Unified School District was also recognized as a California District of Distinction by the Fresno County Office of Education in 2018, during the time Navo served as Superintendent.

Navo received his bachelor’s degree in education and his master’s degree in special education from California State University, Fresno. He holds an array of credentials, including a Professional Administrative Credential, Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, a Professional Specialists Credential in Special Education, and a Supplemental Credential with an Autism emphasis.

Executive Assistant to Matt J. Navo

Leighann Nguyen
Email: lnguyen@ccee-ca.org
Phone: (916) 619-7488

If you would like CCEE Executive Director Matt J. Navo to speak at an upcoming event, please submit this Speaker Request Form.

Deputy Executive Director

Sujie Shin

Sujie Shin serves as the Deputy Executive Director for the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE). In this role, Shin works closely with Executive Director Matt Navo, oversees agency operations, spearheads specific statewide initiatives, and helps to lead Direct Technical Assistance efforts. She oversees research and evaluation initiatives within the agency, centered around the implementation of systemic practices within districts and schools aimed at equitable access, opportunity, and outcomes for students.

Prior to joining the CCEE, Shin served as the Co-Director of Research for the Standards, Assessment, and Accountability Services program at WestEd, where she managed the National Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation. In this role, she provided technical assistance and research support to states and districts in the implementation and evaluation of their new standards, assessments, and accountability systems, focusing on the alignment of standards to assessments and instructional practice.

Shin also previously worked as the Deputy Chief of Assessment and Accountability for the District of Columbia Public Schools, where she oversaw the development and administration of assessments and accountability metrics for the district. She has held educational assessment and research positions in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York. Her career in education began as a teacher at Norwood Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Deputy Executive Director of Teaching, Learning, & Leading

Stephanie Gregson

Dr. Stephanie Gregson serves as the Deputy Executive Director for the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE). In this role, Dr. Gregson works closely with Executive Director Matt Navo, overseeing the Direct Technical Assistance efforts focusing on school turnaround centering on improving teaching and learning within districts and schools aimed at equitable access, opportunity, and outcomes for students. Stephanie has more than 24 years of experience in public education and started her career as an elementary school teacher in the Sacramento City Unified School District. As a teacher, principal, and district leader in curriculum and instruction, she anchored her decision making upon the belief that every student deserves the opportunity to thrive in an ideal learning environment.

A lifelong learner, Dr. Gregson earned a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from California State University, Sacramento. In 2016 Stephanie earned a doctorate in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, helping to expand her understanding of the research and scholarship of educational theory to apply that knowledge as a practitioner in a school and district.

Prior to joining CCEE, Dr. Gregson was appointed Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction at the California Department of Education (CDE) from March 2020 – September 2021. She was responsible for the overall operations and administration of eight branches where she served as lead learner, convener, and facilitator, ensuring all students in California are well supported and well prepared for the future. She also was the lead writer for the Stronger Together guidance helping schools work to be inclusive and collaborative designing programs that center on caring for and educating each student. Prior to being appointed Chief Deputy Superintendent, Stephanie held multiple key roles at CDE, including serving as the Deputy Superintendent of the Instruction and Measurement Branch and Director of the Curriculum Frameworks & Instructional Resources Division. She was responsible for the development of state standards, curriculum frameworks, managing statewide assessments, school and district supports, and the collection and reporting of educational data. Her past positions have enabled her to amplify the importance of the interdependency of high-quality curriculum, instruction, assessment, and the mental health and well being of students.

Deputy Executive Director

Chris Hartley, Ed.D.

Dr. Chris Hartley serves as a Deputy Executive Director at the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE). While supporting CCEE Executive Director, Matt Navo, his primary role is leading and supporting the CCEE Center of Transformative Systems for Equitable Educational Outcomes and efforts to build capacity and improve accessibility within the CA Statewide System of Support.

Transitioning to CCEE from the role of serving as Humboldt County Superintendent of Schools, his background and service is focused on meeting the needs of children and youth throughout the K-12 system. Through efforts focused on networking and collaboration, he has developed and built relationships and partnerships with multiple regional and statewide agencies and organizations. He strives to improve student outcomes by supporting innovative strategies that maximize resources, align initiatives, build and foster partnerships and cohesion, while utilizing improvement science practices..

With 30 years in education, Chris originally began as a teacher in high school level alternative education programs, and ultimately transitioned to high school principal, founder and principal of a charter school, and Superintendent for the Northern Humboldt Union High School District. Every student must have accessibility to a rich and meaningful learning experience. Serving and advocating for the needs of students in rural communities with a focus on building relationships among diverse community members and educators has proven instrumental in successful program design and implementation during his career.

Investing in and fostering the professional growth of individuals and teams leads to organizational improvement and growth. Dr. Hartley has practical experience leading organizational improvement efforts that align with student improvement outcomes. Serving as a District and County Office Superintendent has grounded Dr. Hartey in the importance of relationship building and focus on empowering individuals to lead and serve.

As a practitioner, Chris is excited to be part of the team at CCEE and looks forward to serving students in the state by serving as a partner in transformational planning and innovation. His knowledge and experience serving students and communities experiencing high levels of trauma is founded on sound understanding of MTSS practices and sense based approach to designing effective intervention and support efforts.