Beginning in the next school year, some of our Folsom Cordova schools will welcome new leaders who will help build on their strengths and grow their achievements.The Board of Education has approved the following selections:

Lari Miller-Powell, Principal, Riverview STEM Academy : Miller-Powell will fill the vacancy left by outgoing Principal Tony Peterson, who is retiring at the end of the school year. Miller-Powell is a familiar face to the students and families at Riverview STEM, as she was one of the first teachers hired to help open the magnet school in 2014. She has worked in Folsom Cordova schools for 23 years and served as the District's Lead STEM Elementary Teacher since 2015. In that role, she has not only helped expand access to rich STEM learning across our schools, but she also has helped lead the District's pilot for new science curriculum. Additionally, she has served as a vice principal and principal of summer school at White Rock Elementary, has frequently served as a principal's designee, and has been a department chair for three different principals.

Robin Smay, Principal, Blanche Sprentz Elementary School : Smay will fill the vacancy left by outgoing Principal Andy Smith, who is retiring at the end of the school year. Smay has 13 years of experience as an administrator at both the site and district level. She has held many positions in K-12 general and special education, most recently as Folsom Cordova's Inclusion Coordinator in Special Education, as well as in temporary roles including Interim Principal at Carl Sundahl Elementary. Before joining Folsom Cordova, Robin held a variety of leadership positions in the El Dorado County Office of Education, Rocklin Unified School District, and Jefferson County Public Schools. She began her career in education in 1999 as a special education teacher in Oakland Unified.

Carole Vargas, Principal, Theodore Judah Elementary School : Vargas has spent the last 21 years serving Folsom Cordova schools and was instrumental in starting the Academy for Advanced Learning at Theodore Judah. For the last six years she has led Navigator Elementary in Rancho Cordova as its principal. Vargas has held many roles in Folsom Cordova, from classroom teacher to coach, GATE Coordinator to Lead K-6 Math and Science Curriculum teacher.