Gabriela Mafi, Ed.D - Garden Grove Unified School District

Release Date: Immediate Contact: (PIO) Alan Trudell (714) 663-6503
Gabriela Mafi, Ed.D., Appointed New Superintendent Page 1 of 2 2-20-13
of Garden Grove Unified School District
Gabriela Mafi, Ed.D., assistant superintendent of secondary education, has been
named the new superintendent of the Garden Grove Unified School District. The
appointment was unanimously confirmed by the Board of Education following a closed
session at its regular meeting of Tuesday, Feb. 19.
Mafi will succeed Laura Schwalm, who announced last month her intention to
retire this summer after a 40-year career in the GGUSD, including the past 14 as
superintendent.
In her new position, Mafi assumes responsibility for the daily operation of
Garden Grove’s largest employer and the third largest school district in Orange County.
The 48,000-student district maintains 70 schools and serves most of Garden Grove and
portions of Anaheim, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, Stanton, and Westminster.
“Dr. Mafi possesses the depth of knowledge, experience, and passion necessary
to work with stakeholders to support the success of all students in the Garden Grove
Unified School District,” said Board of Education President Dr. George West. “The
Board carefully followed its prescribed succession plan and thoughtfully listened to a
variety of viewpoints in selecting the best leader to guide this district as it builds on the
strengths and accomplishments of the past and faces the challenges of the future.”
Mafi, a resident of Los Alamitos, came to the district in 2002 as principal of
Rosita Elementary School, and subsequently served as director of personnel and director
of 7-12 instructional services. She left the district for one year to assume the role of
executive director of the Ed.D. program at USC’s Rossier School of Education where she
continues to serve as adjunct professor, teaching courses in curriculum, instruction, and
accountability. She was named assistant superintendent of secondary education for the
GGUSD in 2009.
Before joining the GGUSD, she held teaching and administrative positions in the
ABC and Paramount unified school districts as an assistant principal, coordinator of
(more)

Garden Grove Unified School District Page 2 of 2
Gabriela Mafi 2-20-13
magnet schools, and teacher at various levels, as well as working as a curriculum
developer, teacher, and tutor.
A first-generation college graduate, Mafi grew up in urban Los Angeles. She
received her bachelor’s degree from Cal-State Long Beach and her master’s and
doctorate degrees in Urban Educational Leadership from USC. She and her husband
Eugene, a high school English teacher, are the parents of two children – a high school
senior and a college graduate.
PR #985 -30-