The Lompoc Unified School District Board of Trustees has announced that Clara A. Finneran has been selected as the new superintendent of schools, pending board approval.
The board will officially decide at the Dec. 20 boarding meeting. But Finneran is scheduled to begin her position on Jan. 17, 2023. The current interim superintendent Debbie Blow will assist Finneran’s transition into her new role. Blow’s last scheduled day with the district is Jan. 20, 2023
District officials say input for the new superintendent included sessions with administrators, staff, parents, and district stakeholders. Multiple community open forums were held, and an online survey was available for anyone to complete. Using this information, Leadership Associates, a top search firm for district leaders, conducted an extensive search.
Finneran is a dynamic, experienced educator with nearly 25 years in education according to district officials in a press release. Since 2016, she has served as the assistant superintendent of education for Las Virgenes Unified School District.
Finneran along with the LVUSD leadership team led the district in numerous efforts including enhancing staff capacity through thoughtful professional development, incorporating social-emotional and cultural proficiency into teaching and learning, and building family and community partnerships.
Before her work as an assistant superintendent, she was a Spanish, English, and English Language Development teacher, and a transformative site administrator at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
Finneran is fluent in Spanish and American Sign Language and holds a Doctorate in educational leadership from USC, a Master of Arts in educational leadership from the University of San Francisco, a Master of Arts in teaching from the University of Portland, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, Spanish, and theology from the University of Notre Dame.
