Riverside County Office of Education Honors Top School Employees at Celebrating Educators Luncheon
RIVERSIDE – A former probation officer from Menifee, a database analyst from Jurupa Valley, and a dual-language immersion teacher from Mecca were among the 204 educators honored at the Riverside County Office of Education Celebrating Educators Luncheon on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at the Riverside Convention Center.
The annual event honors the top educators from every school district in multiple categories, ranging from classified staff, site support, counselors, principals, administrators, and teachers. Additionally, the top honoree in each of the 11 categories was named a Riverside County Educator of the Year (announced in January 2026) and a 2026 Riverside County Teacher of the Year (announced in May 2025).
Videos profiles that debuted at the event featuring the top 11 educators are now available on the Celebrating Educators web page and on RCOE’s YouTube channel. Each video was produced by RCOE’s in-house Digital Production Services unit and combines in-depth interviews exploring the dedication and commitment of each honoree with key insights from colleagues, students, and parents.
“It is an honor to celebrate these educators who have dedicated their professional lives to ensuring the success of the next generation,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez. “Watching the inspirational stories from each of our Riverside County Educators of the Year provides powerful examples of how a career in education is an outstanding choice for anyone who truly wants to change the world.”
The Riverside County Educators of the Year are selected from the more than 40,000 educational employees in the county. The rigorous application process starts with nominations by teachers, classified employees, and school district administrators throughout the county. Applications are then submitted to the Riverside County Office of Education, where an outside selection committee selects the honorees before the county superintendent's announcement.
The 2027 Riverside County Teachers of the Year will be named in surprise visits later this month, and the remaining 2027 Riverside County Educators of the Year will be named in early 2027.
The full list of honorees from the 2026 Riverside County Celebrating Educators Luncheon includes:
(click on names to learn more about each honoree and see their video):
2026 Riverside County Site Support Employee of the Year
Casey Rogers
Instructional Coach of Athletics – Expanded Learning
Alvord Unified School District
2026 Riverside County Classified Employee of the Year
Daniel Whitman
Database Analyst
Jurupa Unified School District
2026 Riverside County Principal of the Year
Melissa Galataud
Principal
Nellie Coffman Middle School
Palm Springs Unified School District
2026 Riverside County Classified Administrator of the Year
Karen Owen
Chief Business Official
Romoland School District
2026 Riverside County School Counselor of the Year
Alejandra Guzman
Middle School Counselor
Pinacate Middle School
Perris Union High School District
2026 Riverside County Certificated Administrator of the Year
Melinda Conde
Director of Student Success Services
Menifee Union School District
2026 Riverside County Confidential Employee of the Year
Araceli Zavala
Executive Assistant II
Riverside Unified School District
2026 Riverside County Teacher of the Year
Anthony Segura
Preschool Inclusion Teacher
Rose Salgado Elementary School
San Jacinto Unified School District
2026 Riverside County Teacher of the Year
Ziba Mayar
Advanced Placement (AP) Biology and Forensics Teacher
Temecula Valley High School
Temecula Valley Unified School District
2026 Riverside County Teacher of the Year
Marisa Gaytan
4th Grade Dual Language Immersion Teacher
Mecca Elementary School
Coachella Valley Unified School District
2026 Riverside County Teacher of the Year
Lisa Moe
6th Grade Teacher
Philistine Rondo School of Discovery
Corona-Norco Unified School District
About the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) RCOE is a service agency supporting the county’s 23 school districts and 500+ schools that serve nearly 430,000 students—more than the student population of 17 states. RCOE services include administrative support to districts and charter schools, programs for preschool, special education, pregnant minor, correctional, migrant, and vocational students. In addition, the organization provides professional training, support, and resources for more than 18,000 teachers, administrators, and staff, throughout the 7,000 square miles of Riverside County. Learn more about the programs and services of RCOE at www.rcoe.us.