County Superintendent
The elected Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools is a constitutional officer who serves as an intermediary between local school districts and the state. The Superintendent provides leadership, support, and fiscal oversight to all school districts in the county and acts as the chief executive officer of the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE).
Steven D. Herrington, Ph.D.
Steven D. Herrington, Ph.D., was elected Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools in 2010 and took office on January 3, 2011. In this elected position, he provides countywide leadership for the K-12 public school system, which is comprised of 40 school districts with a combined student population of 71,000 students.
Dr. Herrington is a native Californian who began his career in education as a history teacher. During the last 25 years, he has served as superintendent for three Northern California school districts, gaining experience in rural, suburban, and urban settings and overseeing educational services for students from pre-kindergarten through high school. Prior to his election, he was superintendent of Windsor Unified School District.
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Throughout his career, Dr. Herrington instituted many innovative school programs that received regional, statewide, and national recognition. His schools and districts have earned awards for creating neighborhood family literacy centers, educating students to be environmental stewards, and making a difference in the lives of children and their families. Schools in his districts have received California Distinguished School recognition eight times and earned four Golden Bell Awards from the California School Boards Association. During his six-year tenure at Windsor Unified, Steve Herrington oversaw passage of a $50 million school construction bond and secured $22 million in state matching grants.
Dr. Herrington is a Vietnam Era veteran who served in the United States Army and National Guard. He earned his undergraduate degree from Whittier College, his master’s degree from California State University at Sacramento, and his doctorate from James Madison University. He and his wife, a former editor for Walt Disney Productions, have lived in Windsor since 2004. They have two grown children, both graduates of California public schools and its university system. Their daughter is a teacher in San Jose and their son is a recent college graduate with a degree in business administration.
Community Affiliations
Pacific Coast Air Museum
Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, Business Education Leadership Committee
Santa Rosa Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force
Sonoma County Community Corrections Partnership
Sonoma County Education Coalition
Sonoma County Health Action
Sonoma County Healthy Kids, Steering Committee
Sonoma County Innovation Council
Sonoma County Proposition 63 Mental Health Advisory Board
Sonoma County Redevelopment Agency Oversight Board
Sonoma County Upstream Investments
Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board and Youth Council
Sonoma Educational Leadership Institute (SONELI)
United Way of the Wine Country, Executive Committee
Contact
- Steven D. Herrington, PhD, Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools
(707) 524-2603, - Kathleen Kelly, Executive Secretary
(707) 524-2603,
