Governing Board Members

CCEE Governing Board Chair

Matthew Navo

Appointed by the President of the State Board of Education

As the Center for Prevention and Early Intervention’s Director of System Transformation services for WestEd, Matt Navo helps districts and schools develop strategies, structures, policies, and practices that assist in closing the achievement gap for all students.

Navo specializes in aligning systems for building capacity and continuous improvement; and in building collaborative cultures and establishing coherent and efficient systems for closing the achievement gap.

Navo also works with the National Center on Systemic Improvement (NCSI), working with state education departments, and local district leaders on building improvement methodologies and continuous improvement frameworks.

Navo has experience as a special education elementary and secondary teacher, counselor, resource teacher, junior high learning director, high school assistant principal, elementary principal, alternative education principal, director of special education, area administrator, and superintendent.

He was the Governor’s appointee for the Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) from 2014-2016, and the Governor’s appointee to the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, 2015-2017.

He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education and a Master’s Degree in Special Education from California State University, Fresno. He holds a Professional Administrative Credential, Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, and a Supplemental Credential with an autism emphasis.

CCEE Governing Board Vice-Chair

Tim Sbranti

Appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly

Tim Sbranti has devoted his life to public service both as an educator and elected official.

After earning his BA in Government and his teaching credential from Sacramento State in 1998, Sbranti returned to teach and coach at his alma mater Dublin High School. During the course of his career in the classroom, Sbranti has broad experience teaching both College Prep and CTE courses including Civics, Economics, World History, U.S. History, Construction Trades, Journalism, and Speech and Debate. In addition, Sbranti has been a leader in alternative education through his work teaching Independent Study, delivering online instruction, and working with students of all ages, backgrounds, and needs in Adult Education. For the past 16 years Sbranti has been the Dublin High School Leadership Advisor and Director of Student Activities, and he also currently serves as the Energy Specialist for the Dublin Unified School District with an emphasis on cost avoidance and promoting best practices for conservation and sustainability. As a head coach, Sbranti helped guide the Boys Varsity Tennis team to its best year in school history, while helping to lead the Girls Varsity Basketball and Tennis teams to the playoffs. All of his teams earned All-Scholastic team honors as well. He currently serves on the Boys Varsity Basketball coaching staff, a program that nearly won a state title in 2013.

Outside of his work in the Dublin Unified School District, Sbranti has also emerged as a statewide leader in education. After nearly a decade serving on the California Teachers Association State Council promoting public education and working on major policy initiatives, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson selected Sbranti to be President of his Transition Committee immediately following his election in 2010. Torlakson also asked Sbranti to lead his statewide non-profit foundation Californians Dedicated to Education, where he served as Chief Executive Officer until August of 2013. Sbranti is currently the Vice President of the K to College Foundation, which is an organization focused on delivering free school supplies, dental kits, and meeting the basic material needs of all homeless and low income students throughout California. In addition, Sbranti serves on the Board of Directors for the Sacramento State Alumni Association and has previous experience serving on his local community college’s foundation board at Las Positas.

Sbranti’s service as an elected official began in 2002 when he was first elected to the Dublin City Council. In 2008 Sbranti was elected as Mayor of Dublin and was unopposed for re-elected in both 2010 and 2012 before being termed out in December of 2014. Tim helped to guide the City through some of its most transformative years, stepping into the Mayor’s office during the worst economic downturn to ever face the City of Dublin since its incorporation, managing to balance the budget without major cuts to programs or services. He initiated several new economic policies and incentive programs, successfully stimulating new business activity. As Mayor, Sbranti was also passionate about improving the City’s environmental, health, and wellness programs, upgrading communication and technology, maintaining public safety, expanding the City’s infrastructure, enhancing Dublin’s Parks and Recreational programs and facilities, creating better City/school partnerships, and building the City’s image and sense of community.

Sbranti is married to Stephanie, a Livermore native who currently teaches at Valley Continuation High School in Dublin. Tim and Stephanie have an 11-month old daughter named Sophia. In his spare time, Sbranti is a sports broadcaster on Tri Valley Community Television (TV30).

CCEE Governing Board Member

L. Karen Monroe

Appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules

L. Karen Monroe is Alameda County’s Superintendent of Schools, elected by the voters to lead the educational programs, services and initiatives at the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE).

Since taking office in January 2015, Superintendent Monroe has worked to position the ACOE as a model of social justice in action. She is leading the ACOE through a time of tremendous change in public education, including broad shifts in funding, standards, testing and accountability. Karen’s vision for the agency includes a commitment to equip the most vulnerable students and those who serve them with the tools to successfully make their way through our public schools from enrollment to graduation.

Her extensive experience as an educator and leader includes serving as: a legislative intern to the Honorable Shirley Chisholm; the Bay Area liaison for A Better Chance; a founder of the nonprofit Educational Technology Training Institute; a teacher, School Improvement Grant Coordinator, and award-winning principal in Oakland schools; Director of Academics for Seneca Center; and Associate Superintendent of Education for Alameda County before taking office as Superintendent of Schools.

Superintendent Monroe holds a degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, a teaching credential from Holy Names University and an administrative credential and degree in Urban Education from the national New Leaders educational leadership program. She resides in Oakland and has two adult children.

CCEE Governing Board Member

Sandra Lyon, Ed.D.

Appointed by the Governor

Sandra Lyon, Ed.D. became Palm Springs Unified School District’s Superintendent of Schools on July 1, 2016. PSUSD is a Pre-K through 12 District with approximately 23,000 students served at 25 schools and early childhood education sites.

Now in her 30th year in education, Sandra previously served as superintendent of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, chief leadership officer for the Palmdale School District and superintendent / principal at Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes School District in the Antelope Valley.

In her 30 years in education, Dr. Lyon has been in a variety of roles: English teacher, Title 1 coordinator/ at-risk teacher, assistant principal, principal at both the elementary and middle school levels, and director of curriculum, instruction and assessment.  She also spent two years as a consultant for Thinking Maps, Inc., training teachers and administrators throughout the state of California.

Dr. Lyon earned her bachelor of arts in journalism from San Francisco State University and began her career in journalism and public affairs with a position with Time Magazine, then Mount Zion Medical Center. Her career aspirations then turned toward teaching and she earned her master’s degree in education – curriculum and instruction from Cal State Bakersfield, and her credential in English / language arts. She earned her Tier 1 and 2 education administration credential from Cal State Bakersfield. She recently earned her Doctorate from the University of Southern California Organizational Change and Leadership Doctoral program.

Dr. Lyon has been a member of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) since 1998 and was honored with the prestigious ACSA Region XIV Administrator of the Year award in 2014. She was recently chosen as president-elect for ACSA Region XIX.  She is also a member of the Southern California Superintendents Association, the Palm Springs Leadership Association, a board member of the OneFuture Coachella Valley and the Ophelia Project as well as other professional organizations.

Dr. Lyon is married to Paul, who is also an educator. She has two adult sons and enjoys reading, watching movies and spending time with family and friends in her spare time.

CCEE Governing Board Member

Tony Thurmond

State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Tony Thurmond was sworn in as the 28th California State Superintendent of Public Instruction on January 7, 2019.

Superintendent Thurmond is an educator, social worker, and public school parent, who has served the people of California for more than ten years in elected office. Previously, Superintendent Thurmond served on the Richmond City Council, West Contra Costa Unified School Board, and in the California State Assembly, representing District 15.

Like many of California’s public school students, Superintendent Thurmond came from humble beginnings. His mother was an immigrant from Panama who came to San Jose, California, to be a teacher. His father was a soldier who didn’t return to his family after the Vietnam War. Superintendent Thurmond met him for the first time when he was an adult. After Superintendent Thurmond’s mother died when he was 6, he and his brother were raised by a cousin who they had never met.

Superintendent Thurmond’s family relied on public assistance programs and great public schools to get out of poverty. Superintendent Thurmond’s public school education allowed him to attend Temple University, where he became study body president. He went on to earn dual master’s degrees in Law and Social Policy and Social Work (MSW) from Bryn Mawr College and began a career dedicated to service.

Much of Superintendent Thurmond’s social service work has focused on improving the services provided to foster youth and directing programs that provide job training to at-risk youth. He also led programs to provide help for individuals with developmental disabilities. Tony has 12 years of direct experience in education, teaching life skills classes, after-school programs, and career training.

Superintendent Thurmond served on the Richmond City Council from 2005-2008. While on the council he served as Liaison to Richmond’s Youth Commission and Workforce Investment Board and the Council Liaison to the West Contra Costa Unified School District. He was chair of Richmond’s 2005 Summer Youth Program which employed 200 local teens.

Superintendent Thurmond served from 2008-2012 on the West Contra Costa School Board, where he coordinated a plan to keep schools open during the 2008 recession.

Superintendent Thurmond helped restore fiscal solvency and local control to the School Board, while supporting campaigns to put millions of dollars toward preserving counseling, after-school, music, and athletic programs. Under Superintendent Thurmond’s leadership, the School Board rebuilt dozens of schools to provide state-of-the-art student learning facilities.

Superintendent Thurmond funded programs to help students learn about and apply to top universities. He also led efforts to expand drug and alcohol treatment services for youth, and to bring nutrition and wellness programs to schools. Additionally, Superintendent Thurmond spearheaded a campaign that reduced school suspensions by 27%.

In the State Assembly, Superintendent Thurmond served on the Assembly Education, Health, and Human Services Committees. He chaired the Assembly Labor Committee and the Assembly Select Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education.

Education is at the core of Superintendent Thurmond’s legislative record. He authored legislation that successfully expanded the free lunch program, bilingual education, and the Chafee Grant college scholarship program for foster youth. Additionally, Superintendent Thurmond’s legislation guaranteed preferential voting rights for student school board members, improved access to families for early education and childcare, and shifted millions of dollars directly from prisons to schools. Superintendent Thurmond introduced legislation to expand STEM education, improve school conditions for LGBTQ youth, and tax private prisons to fund early education and afterschool programs.

In recognition of his social service leadership, Superintendent Thurmond has been a Fellow in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Children and Family Fellowship program.

Superintendent Thurmond lives in Richmond with his two daughters who attend local public schools. They are his inspiration and a constant reminder about the promise of our neighborhood schools and the strong future that every child deserves.

Executive Director

Tom Armelino

Tom Armelino is deeply passionate when it comes to serving the needs of children and honoring the unique and diverse backgrounds, points of view, values, and inclusive sense of community that is necessary to prepare them for success. He understands firsthand how education can be the difference-maker for children, providing opportunity, and in many ways changing the trajectory of young people, society, and the world. Growing up in poverty and the sixth of nine children from a hard-working family where achieving a high school diploma was the exception and not the norm, Tom was the first to change this trajectory and graduate from college.

Passionate to give back to children the love, determination, and importance of working hard and believing in oneself that he learned from some incredible teachers and coaches, he dedicated his life to serving the needs of children and became a teacher. After eight years in the classroom and consistently being asked to serve in various teacher leadership roles as a mentor, coach, teacher-in-charge, model demonstration classroom teacher, and at-risk youth leader, he achieved a higher education degree. Tom went on to serve as a school site administrator, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, district superintendent in multiple school districts, and adjunct professor. In 2006, Tom was elected and served three unopposed four-year terms as the Shasta County Superintendent of Schools.

Currently, in his 3rd year as Executive Director of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, Tom works with a small team of accomplished and experienced educators, researchers, and facilitators to focus on systemic changes that ensure all students in California receive the quality education they deserve. Tom is spearheading major strategic shifts for the organization, focusing on providing local education agencies (LEAs) with research and development, professional development, and technical assistance. These initiatives will help to expand California’s System of Support to strengthen local control and continuous improvement through an equity-focused approach.

Tom understands the importance of working collaboratively with all stakeholders within the school system through his experiences as a school, district and county office leader, trained in Edward Deming’s Total Quality Management (TQM) principles. His schools, teachers, and staff were multiple recipients of the California Distinguished School and Title I High Achieving School awards during his tenure. Tom has also served in various state-level leadership positions as a member of California Governor Jerry Brown’s “Kitchen Cabinet,” Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) State President (2015-16), and chair of the state-appointed Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) committee. During his superintendency, Tom served as a Region II chair and state board member for the California County Superintendent Educational Services Association (CCSEA). Before joining CCEE, Tom served as Executive Director of the National Association of School Superintendents.

Recognized for his collaborative style of leadership, Tom has received numerous awards, including the CCSESA Champions Award, Shasta County Excellence in Public Health Award, Shasta County Community Builder Award, Shasta County Asset Champion, California Teachers Association (CTA) Local Chapter Administrator of the Year Award, Robert Woods Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Community Coalition Leader Award, ACSA Shasta Charter Award for Central Office Administrator of the Year, ACSA Shasta Charter Superintendent of the Year Award, ACSA Region 1 Central Office Administrator of the Year Award, and ACSA Region 1 Superintendent of the Year Award.

Executive Assistant to Tom Armelino

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

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