Source: Coronado Unified School District
Coronado Unified School District (CUSD) District Nurse Joellen Semo, BSN, MPH has been selected as the San Diego County School Boards Association (SDCSBA) 2022 Staff Member of the Year. The award is given annually to exceptional education leaders in the county.
“I am truly honored and grateful to receive this unexpected recognition,” said Semo, who has been at CUSD since 2007. “I started as a substitute teacher in 2007 and have been full time in my current role since 2011.”
“I cannot imagine navigating this pandemic without Joellen, her value to Coronado Unified cannot be overstated!” said CUSD Superintendent Karl Mueller.
Due in large part to Semo’s leadership, CUSD was among the first unified public school districts in the state to open for in-person learning during the pandemic. “Joellen is a creative and thoughtful health practitioner who opened doors for our district to become the first pilot district in the state to offer free testing for staff and students,” said Deputy Superintendent Donnie Salamanca.
Semo assembled a Covid Response Team to help administrators navigate the pandemic, and in the 2021-22 school year she and her team opened a Covid Command Center to serve the entire district. “She built a Covid response team of driven, creative, and proud professionals who understand her standards of excellence and strive to meet them. We are very fortunate that Joellen and her team have been there to monitor the constantly changing health guidelines and complex systems required for us to keep schools open. It’s daunting. Her work allowed our educators to focus on teaching, learning, and our students,” said Mueller.
“A true leader, throughout the pandemic Joellen’s willingness to ‘roll up her sleeves’ was an inspiration to all of us at CUSD,” emphasized Mueller.
Semo will be honored along with other regional award winners on May 7, 2022 at the 20th Annual “Honoring Our Own” Awards Dinner, the premier event of the year for both the Association of California School Administrators Region 18 and SDCSBA.
Source: Coronado Unified School District
