We proudly celebrate 167 Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) employees who have reached milestone years of service — 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 45, and even 50 years! These individuals have surpassed the national median tenure at an organization and exemplify dedication, perseverance, and a deep commitment to our students, families, and communities across Marina, Monterey, Seaside, Del Rey Oaks, and Sand City.
Each June, MPUSD honors employees reaching a milestone year with a certificate of recognition and a commemorative years of service pin — small tokens of our immense appreciation for their lasting contributions to their schools, departments, and the district as a whole.
American author James Clear once wrote, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” MPUSD employees have cast thousands of votes through their daily work — nurturing young minds, strengthening communities, and creating lasting impact — one student, one family, and one day at a time.
Research shows that the typical American worker stays with an employer for about 4.1 years (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022). Achieving five or more years in a single organization is a significant accomplishment — and we are proud that so many of our team members have not just reached but exceeded this mark, some for decades.
The MPUSD Years of Service Recognition Program began six years ago to celebrate these milestones and honor the loyalty and dedication that power our district’s mission. Employees’ years of service are calculated from their official start date through June 30 of each year.
It is a true privilege to commemorate these work anniversaries and recognize the collective commitment that fuels our district’s excellence.
Please join us in celebrating the following individuals for their unwavering service to the students and families of MPUSD. (NOTE: We’re often asked why an employee who has reached a milestone year (such as 10 years) isn’t recognized right away. The reason is that MPUSD uses a June 30 cutoff date each calendar year for service milestones. If an employee's start date is July 1 or later, their milestone will be recognized the following year.)
40 Years of Service
Robert Uncangco
35 Years of Service
Gary Childs II
30 Years of Service
Nancy Derr
25 Years of Service
Holly McKrill
Christine Reyes
Barbara Rios
Lisa Toler
Ronald Woods
20 Years of Service
Cynthia Apuada
Shelly Barr
Janice Bouhaja
Christa Burgess
Jennifer Franklin
Norberta Garcia
Elda Huizar
Lindsay Larson
Teri Laxier
Jennifer Lyon
Darrell McDowell
Selene Ogden
Valerie Rivera
Nittaya Robinson
Katherine Ross
Angelica Sparks
David Sperry
Ferdinand Villanueva
15 Years of Service
Ines Aniceto
Sofia Argueta
Barbara Barberie
Jesus Beteran
Elsa Blanca
Robin Connery
Kevin Cullen
Chris Fowler
Mayra Gamboa
Thomas Gregory
Sarah Hudson
Jessica Lopez
Alicia Obeso
Alice Oh
Jose Reyes
Tressa Santiago
Margaret Mary Wahl
Chelsea Warner
Diana Youngs
10 Years of Service
Yvonne Aguillon
Katherine Aiello
Isaac Argueta
Meghan Armfield
Monica Avilez
Jody Axton
Rhonda Berring
Claudi Cabrera Ochoa
Isaac Capetillo
Jillian Chopyk
Juan Cisneros
David Collyer III
Keri Cooper
Carmen Corpus
Gregory Daniels Jr.
Elizabeth Desimone
PK (Daniel) Diffenbaugh
Tianna Esparza
Grant Garbowitz
Jose Garcia
Ezequiel Garnica
Eric Green
Hanaa Hanna
Taylor Hiyama
Henry Hume
Eiriz Ilagan-Kerol
Meggan Irish
Joaquin Jara-Ramos
Kimberly Kellam
Piroj Mayekar
Marcella McFadden
Lucia Mendez
Theresa Nickells
Angelika Osornio
Gerardo Oviedo Bernal
Kai Porzig
Rayleen Prakash
Sandra Rodriguez
Nalini Rose
Elizabeth Ross
Rikee Ross
Julio Salmeron-Soto
Heather Sims
Bonnie Sorsby
Anne Sours
Noelia Tamayo
Deisi Teran
Maurice Thomas
Darci Tronick
Jennifer Wood
Five Years of Service
Jason Ahmadi
Eileen Aoga
Nataly Arrazola
Cristian Ayala
Brad Bauer
Amanda Bradley
Victor Bueno
Lisa Cahn
Debra Cason
Olivia Castro
Caitlyn Cowardin
Shirleen Dela Cruz
Evelyn Diaz
Umeeta Dosange
Keoni Encinias
Charles Fleming
Cynthia France
Deanna Frybarger
Claire Fuerst
Lorraine Gallardo
Sheryl Galosmo
Maria Garcia
Isees Girgis
Jennifer Gruenewald
Alexis Isaeff
John Jenkins
Olivia Keilman
Candice Valene Keim
Robert Kerchner
Rawah Khudhur
Minna Kolehmainen Zalmanovitch
Rhea Layosa
Heidi Lizarbe
Nicola Long
Jamee Lynch-Moore
Veronica Manzur
Stephanie McGuinness
Narges Mehr Mohammadi
Reyna Merlin
Eleanor Mitchell
Erna Montoya
Pablo Moreno
Robert Morrisson
Erika Perez-Reyes
Michelle Pierce
Allison Preece
Matthew Quiroz
Tina Renzullo
Maria Reyes
Torin Rieman
Catherine Rose
Kimberly Sanchez
Dalia Saucedo
Ara Samira Sawal
Mandee Scorpiniti
Charles Scorpiniti
Donna Silvestre
Shashi Singh
Lyndsay Small
Nicole Smith
Jennifer Smith
Jasmine Tello-Barrera
Whitney Thompson-Tozier
Andrea Trotter
Cybelle Tuazon
Brenda Valle
Valeria Velasquez
La Vonna Williams
Graciela Witt
Ryan Wright
Donyae Young