SAN BERNARDINO — San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools was proud to honor and recognize nine recipients who were named the 2023 San Bernardino County Classified School Employees of the Year (CSEY). This year’s honorees were recognized during a June 1 event at the Dorothy Inghram Learning Center in San Bernardino.
“It is such an honor to recognize our hard working classified employees,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “Each and every honoree is a true leader, mentor and champion within their school communities. Their work truly helps to transform lives through education.”
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond selected John Cantrell, Lead Campus Safety Officer with the Ontario-Montclair School District, as one of nine 2023 California Classified School Employees of the Year. This year’s recipients were chosen from more than 150 nominations statewide.
This year’s honorees each received a $250 check from the event’s corporate sponsor SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union.
The San Bernardino County honorees selected for 2023 by category are:
- Health/Student Services?— Lisa George, a health services assistant at Chaffey High School with the Chaffey Joint Union High School District, has served in her position for over 20 years. Throughout her career Lisa has supported students and staff with their medical needs and has been crucial during crisis situations.
- Food/Nutrition Services?– Manuela Casas?has worked in the food services industry for over 35 years and has worked for 27 years at the Ontario-Montclair School District. She produces 14,000 meals from scratch per day. Manuela is always looking for ways to not only offer students healthy and balanced meals but also those that are appealing.
- Custodial/Maintenance Services?– Erick Squares?has been part of the Colton Joint Unified School District Custodial and Maintenance Services team for seven years. He regularly provides constructive feedback, and shares trade secrets to assist with daily work functions. He also takes on a mentor approach for new custodians ensuring that they have the necessary support to succeed.
- Clerical/Administrative Services?– Estela Lira?has been part of the Child and Welfare Records Department with the Ontario-Montclair School District for six years. Her exceptional work performance, unwavering dedication, attention to detail and excellent organizational skills – are all characteristics that have been instrumental in ensuring smooth operations within the district.
- Technical Services?– Adam Cole?is a shining example of commitment, as he consistently takes the time to ensure that the technical issues that are presented by employees have been resolved to their satisfaction. Adam has provided exceptional support to parents as their students navigate the Online Academy School, which is 100% virtual.
- Paraprofessional Services?– Illena Maes?currently serves in a special education classroom where she works with students who have acute needs and challenging behaviors. She also serves as an afterschool intervention tutor, event volunteer, crossing guard and noon supervisor.
- Skilled Trades Services?– Matthew Laing?has been part of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District since 2016. He works alongside three different fire agencies within his district to build trusting relationships which are critical during moments of crisis. Matthew oversees annual fire inspections, emergency calls and training.
- Transportation Services?– Stacy Thomas?has served transportation services for nearly 40 years, 33 of them being with Ontario-Montclair School District. Stacy has developed a caring and compassionate routine as she transports special needs students who use special equipment to and from school.
- Security Services?– John Cantrell?has been part of the Security Services team for Ontario-Montclair School District for the past five years. He is always proactive, looking for ways to improve the safety and security of the school community and his contributions have resulted in significant enhancements to the district’s security protocols.
The nine 2023 San Bernardino County Classified School Employees pose together with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, Ted Alejandre. This year’s honorees were presented with their awards during a June 1 event.
