PUSD Names Administrators for 2024-25 School Year

Helen Chan Hill Ed. D. (l) and Saman Bravo-Karimi (r) Credit: PUSD

The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) announces new administrators in preparation for the new school year. “The new administrators have decades of educational experience that will be key to continue advancing progress and academic excellence for all of our students,” said Elizabeth Blanco, Ed.D., Superintendent. “We look forward to their leadership and fresh thinking that they will bring to their new positions.”

Superintendent’s Leadership Team

Chief Academic Officer: Helen Chan Hill, Ed.D., has been appointed Chief Academic Officer of PUSD, having served in the interim capacity since July 2023. As a key member of the Superintendent’s Leadership Team, Dr. Hill will lead the district’s Academics Division. An educator with 25 years of experience, Dr. Chan Hill previously served PUSD as Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services; Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development; Coordinator of Professional Development, and district math coach. She began her career as a substitute teacher before joining PUSD as a teacher at Octavia E. Butler Middle School, then known as Washington Middle School.

“I am thrilled to announce the well-earned promotion of Dr. Helen Chan Hill to Chief Academic Officer,” said Dr. Blanco. “With her deep roots in our school district, her proven track record of leading through change, and her innovative and collaborative approach to leadership, Dr. Hill is the ideal person to guide our academic programs to new heights. Her dedication to our students and her vision for the future will strengthen our community and inspire excellence throughout our district.”

Under her leadership, Dr. Chan Hill and her team have established systemwide structures for curricular consistency, job-embedded coaching for teachers, and individualized approaches to student learning, codifying such priorities for teaching and learning in PUSD’s 2023-28 Educational Master Plan and the forthcoming Local Control Accountability Plan.

A strong proponent of student agency and educational justice, Dr. Chan Hill helped establish the PUSD Student Think Tank and the inaugural Student Assembly of student members on the Board of Education. Her post-doctoral research and authorship examines humanizing education and cultural sustainment for teachers and students of diverse backgrounds. Dr. Chan Hill received an Ed.D. from Pepperdine University, a Master’s degree from Loyola Marymount University, and a Bachelor’s from the University of California, Berkeley.

“I’m honored to continue serving this remarkable community of students, families, and colleagues that I care deeply about,” said Dr. Chan Hill. “I look forward to working alongside our dedicated staff, teachers, and leaders to uplift and push forward the excellence inherent in our students.”

Chief Business Officer: Saman Bravo-Karimi has been named the district’s Chief Business Officer, pending approval by the Board of Education. Mr. Bravo-Karimi joins PUSD from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), where he is currently Senior Executive Director of Finance Policy and oversees the Budget Services and Financial Planning Division.

“I am delighted to welcome Mr. Bravo-Karimi to the PUSD team,” said Superintendent Blanco. Mr. Bravo-Karimi’s appointment is a significant step towards realizing our district’s strategic plan and ensuring our long-term fiscal health. His extensive experience and expertise in financial planning and budget management, coupled with his leadership in school system operations and effective communication skills with educational partners, will have a powerful impact on our district.”

As a key member of the Superintendent’s Leadership Team, Mr. Bravo-Karimi will lead the district’s Business Services and Budget, Innovative Technology, and Facilities departments. His responsibilities will include overseeing budget preparation and managing fiscal operations. His role will be crucial in ensuring the efficient and effective use of the district’s resources.

“Serving the students, families, and staff of PUSD is a great privilege, and I will work hard to ensure that the District’s business services support student learning and equity, and provide for a safe and loving school environment,” he said. “I will also work hard to ensure that the District’s finances can sustain important investments in our students, staff, and schools. I know that together we can continue the great work already happening at PUSD.”

Mr. Bravo-Karimi brings 18 years of experience in financial management, long-term financial sustainability, and successfully aligning educational goals and initiatives with budgets. His experience includes managing organizations’ finances, facilities bonds, and overseeing the development of Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAP). In his current role at LAUSD, he oversees budgeting, financial planning and analysis, and school fiscal services. He also participates in labor negotiations, supports school student body function, and delivers presentations to the Board of Education, community organizations, and parent committees. He previously served as LAUSD’s Director of Capital Fund Compliance for the District’s $20 billion bond program and its Certificates of Participation (COPs), ensuring legal and tax compliance and working with the Bond Oversight Committee.

He has an MBA and two Bachelor’s degrees from UCLA, and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from the Broad Residency in Urban Education.

Mr. Bravo-Karimi’s contract is scheduled for action by the Board of Education at its June 27, 2024 meeting.

Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD), 351 S. Hudson Avenue, Pasadena, (626) 396-3600 or visit www.pusd.us.