Sonoma Valley Unified School District’s head of business services to leave this month

Joshua Braff, the associate superintendent of business services for Sonoma Valley Unified School District, will step down from his position at the end of June to become the chief financial officer for Novato Unified School District.

“It is a great opportunity for growth in my career,” said Braff, who will start in his new position on July 1. “Novato is a larger school district with a larger business and operations team. I am also very excited to work with incoming Superintendent Dr. Tracy Smith.”

Despite the attractiveness of the job, Braff said the decision was “incredibly difficult” for him to make.

“I have made a lot of relationships in this district, and that is what made the decision so difficult,” Braff said. “I will miss the amazing people I get to work with.”

Braff’s departure follows that of Andrew Ryan, who is leaving his director of human resources position in the district this month to become principal of Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School in the St. Helena Unified School District. Also, Kyra Sherman will be moving on from her job as the executive assistant to the superintendent in July to become a special education teacher at Prestwood Elementary School.

That means newly selected Superintendent Jeanette Rodriguez Chien will be working with three new employees in high-profile positions during her first year as the district’s superintendent.

“Sonoma Valley Unified School District is really in a good place, even though there will still be some tough decisions that will be made regarding campus consolidation,” Braff said. “They have a wonderful staff of management, classified and certificated folks, a balanced budget and a community that deeply cares. I only wish this district and Dr. Chien more success in the future.”

Braff was born and raised in Orange County. He graduated from Katella High School in Anaheim and went on to receive an associate of science degree in business from Santa Ana College, a bachelor’s degree in business finance from California State University, Los Angeles and a Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University.

He worked as a tax analyst and project manager for Emptech in Torrance, California, for nearly three years and as finance manager and district representative for Alberta Cooperative Grocery in Portland, Oregon, for almost five years.

Braff was hired as the chief business officer for Sonoma Valley Unified School District in August 2020 and was promoted to associate superintendent of business services in September 2022.

He said his two main accomplishments with the school district were working with its negotiations team and union partners to add a 24.5% increase to employee salaries while operating a balanced budget throughout his time with the district, and laying the groundwork for future consolidation of its campuses.

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