Mr. Brent Kuszyk is Named as La Canada Unified School District’s 2025 Golden Apple Recipient

The La Cañada Unified School District is deeply indebted to Brent Kuszyk for his generous volunteerism and tireless dedication to its schools, community, teachers and staff – and, most importantly, its children. For over 16 years, Brent has been a leader within the District – including a 5-year term on the LCUSD Governing Board – and without his commitment to LCUSD, our progress on a multitude of initiatives and our efforts to create a learning community which serves the needs of all students would not have been realized with as much success.

Brent served on the LCUSD Governing Board from 2015-2020. During his term he served as Clerk, Vice President, and President. He brought notable events to the District while serving on the Board, including the LCHS Challenge Success Building Your Path career day which showcased over 35 career professionals to the 500 attending students and community members in order to highlight that the path to success is unique to each individual. Another featured event which Brent brought to fruition alongside district and site administrators was the “Realtors Roundtable” – an gathering that invited all LCF realtors to La Canada High School to tour the facility, learn about the high school’s unique courses and programs, share a breakfast prepared by the Culinary Arts students, and enjoy a choir performance. The event was designed to build a community partnership to support LCUSD’s enrollment and give our realtors an
in-depth understanding of LCUSD’s secondary educational program.

Also during Brent’s term on the Governing Board he helped secure the dual enrollment agreement with Pasadena City College; negotiated with the YMCA of the Foothills free memberships for LCUSD employees to ensure health and wellness; and supported district staff in achieving a AA+ credit rating with Moody’s Financial Services.

Brent is originally from Pennsylvania. His parents were both public school teachers, giving him a deep appreciation and respect for the value of a high quality public education. He holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in music from Temple University in Pennsylvania and an MBA from Pepperdine University in California. Brent and his wife, Marion, have been married for nearly 30 years. Marion is the oboist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. They have two children, Juno and Nolan, both of whom attended La Cañada schools K-12. Juno is currently a senior at Arizona State and Nolan is a freshman at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where he attends on a D1 golf scholarship. Brent is a classical musician who has performed, recorded, and toured with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has also performed with John Williams, Gustova Dudamel, Andrea Bocelli, and Yo-Yo Ma. Currently Brent works in the Patty Disney Center for Life and Work as a career advisor at the California Institute of the Arts overseeing the Bridge to Industry Program, which is sponsored by the Walt Disney Company for diversity in animation. Over the course of his career he has served as a Biola University and Ventura College professor, and worked with numerous marketing and communication firms as a consultant.

Brent’s volunteer work has extended beyond his service on the LCUSD Governing Board. He was on the La Canada Flintridge Educational Foundation’s Board of Directors for nearly 5 years where he launched the LCHS Alumni Association for outreach and fundraising. He served on both the successful Measure LC Parcel Tax Campaigns and Measure LCF Bond Campaign. Following the success of the Measure LCF Bond Campaign, Brent participated as a member of the Bond’s Citizens Oversight Committee from 2020-2023. He was a member of the La Canada Kiwanis Club from 2014-2021; coached AYSO, softball, and basketball teams; and led the YMCA YTribes groups for second graders. Brent created the iRead Summer Reading Program and oversaw six summers of incentivized reading by LCUSD elementary schoolstudents – with over 60% of students participating in the program. And this list only touches upon his many volunteer roles within LCUSD and the local community.

Always an advocate for students, Brent has built a legacy of service and we are pleased and proud to have him as the 2025 Golden Apple recipient for LCUSD. Representatives from the ten school districts that comprise Region XV of the Association of California School Administrators will meet at a special breakfast ceremony on April 16, 2025, to present the awards.

La Cañada Unified School District (LCUSD), 4490 Cornishon Ave., La Canada, (818) 952-8300 or visit www.lcusd.net.