Gina Cuclis to lead California County Boards of Education

Gina Cuclis, a Boyes Hot Springs resident who represents Sonoma Valley on the Sonoma County Board of Education, was recently elected president of the California County Boards of Education, or CCBE.

During her one-year term, Cuclis will oversee the overall functions of the CCBE, appoint committees and their chairs, run the executive committee and board of directors meetings, and guide and oversee the implementation of strategic priorities. Since the organization is a division of the California School Boards Association, she also serves on its board of directors.

The California County Boards of Education is a statewide organization representing and serving the needs of California’s 58 boards of education at the federal and state levels. The CCBE impacts policies and legislation affecting all public schools.

“I got interested in the (president) position because after eight years on the Sonoma County board, I believed I had knowledge and experience I could share with others,” Cuclis said. “I felt compelled to step up to support other county board members. I’ve also enjoyed meeting and working with education leaders from throughout the state. It has broadened my perspective to hear from school board members outside of Sonoma County.”

Cuclis hopes to increase the CCBE’s member engagement through their increased participation on committees and attendance at events.

“I already did the recruitment, creating the most participation on committees in the history of the California County Boards of Education,” she said. “There is research that shows a correlation between effective school board governance and student achievement. By helping school boards be high-functioning, I’m working to improve student achievement.”

She is also working to improve communication between the organization’s leadership and individual members by launching a monthly “Message from the President” email to keep members informed of CCBE programs as well as the activities of its leadership and board.

Serving as president of the California County Boards of Education and as a member of the Sonoma County Board of Education requires substantial time and commitment. But Cuclis says she has sufficient time, since she retired as principal owner of Cuclis PR in 2013.

She says that serving both organizations does not cause any conflicts of interest.

“My county board actually benefits from my statewide leadership,” she said. “It raises our profile and I bring the Sonoma County perspective to statewide issues.”

Cuclis has a long history of public service.

“I’ve been active in issues and politics in a variety of ways since I was in college in the late 1970s,” she said. “I guess you can say it’s in my DNA. I believe if you want things in your community, state or nation to be better, get involved to make it happen.”

Cuclis says she has long been interested in the importance of quality public education.

“Serving children and families has always been one of my motivations for activism,” she said.

Cuclis and her husband, Roy Tennant, have lived in Sonoma Valley since 1986, first in Glen Ellen for four years and then in Boyes Hot Springs. They raised twin daughters in the Valley.

Reach the reporter, Dan Johnson, at daniel.johnson@sonomanews.com.