Leadership Associates -- Partner Biographies -- Detailed

Frank J. Abbott (Jake)

Jake served as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California and is a former member of the staff of the University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Education.
Jake served as Superintendent for the Fresno Unified School District from 1990 until his retirement in 1992.
Jake also was Superintendent at Mt. Diablo Unified and Huntington Beach Union High School Districts. He has been an associate superintendent, assistant superintendent (instruction), principal, and teacher.
Jake received his B.A. and Master's Degrees from Fresno State College, and his Doctorate from the University of Southern California.
Jake was a mathematics teacher and coach, and a professional baseball player in the Dodgers organization.
In 1990, Jake received the Marcus Foster Memorial Award for Administrative Excellence from the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA).
Jake chaired the ACSA Superintendency Committee for three years, was a member of the University of California Advisory Commission, and a commissioner to the Governor's Commission on Educational Quality.
Jake is married and has three children.

Larry Aceves

Larry Aceves served as Superintendent of Schools of the Franklin-McKinley School District in San Jose for twelve years.
Larry previously served as Superintendent of the Alum Rock Union School District., Deputy Superintendent of a K-12 district, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education, Director of Instructional Services, Categorical Services, elementary school principal and teacher.
Larry received his Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees from San Diego State University.
He served as president of three leadership organizations: the California City Superintendents Association, the California Association of Latino Superintendents, and the Association of California School Administrators.
In 2005 Larry was awarded the Association of California School Administrators Marcus Foster Memorial Award. In 2001 he was named Santa Clara County Superintendent of the Year as well as Catholic Charities’ Top Community Partner.
Larry served on the Board of Directors of the Silicon Valley American Leadership Forum and the Boards of the Santa Clara County United Way, YMCA and Youth Foundation. He has been very involved in civic and community groups throughout this career.
Larry is married and has four children. He is bilingual and biliterate in Spanish.

James R. Brown

Jim is an education consultant for Springboard Schools.
He was a Superintendent for 26 years, serving in Glendale Unified, Palo Alto Unified, Lompoc Unified, and Cambria Union Elementary and Coast Union High School Districts.
Jim did graduate work in Education Administration at the University of California Riverside, received his Masters Degree from the University of Kansas, and his Bachelors of Foreign Science Degree from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Jim was named ACSA's California Superintendent of the Year 1999-2000. Other recognitions include: the ACSA Marcus Foster Award for Administrative Excellence, the Robert Alioto Award for Instructional Leadership, the California PTA Golden Oak Award, the Tall Tree Award for the Outstanding Professional by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, and was named Citizen of the Year by the Armenian National Committee.
He chaired and co-chaired committees such as the California High School Exit Exam, ACSA Superintendency, ACSA Urban Superintendents, and the California State Mathematics Task Force. He was President of Schools for Sound Finance, and was a member of the “It’s Elementary” Task Force and the Suburban School Superintendents.
Jim was a member of the Glendale Memorial Hospital Board of Directors, the American Leadership Forum Board of Directors, and Leadership Lompoc, and Leadership Palo Alto. He has served in leadership roles in numerous other community and civic groups.
With Leadership Associates partners Walt Buster and Rene Townsend, Jim co-authored A Practical Guide to Effective School Board Meetings .
Jim is married and has three sons.

Walter L. Buster

Walt is director of the Central Valley Educational Leadership Institute at California State University, Fresno and is the coordinator for the Central Valley partnership with Springboard Schools.
He volunteered as Superintendent of Fresno Unified School District in 2004.
Previously Walt served as Superintendent of the Clovis Unified School District, Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District, Tamalpais Union High School District and Fairfax School District.
Walt received his B.A. from Westmont College, his M.A. from Chapman College, and his Doctorate from the University of Montana.
Walt spent his career as a teacher at the elementary and secondary levels, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent.
He is a charter member of ACSA, and directs the ACSA Superintendents’ Academy in Fresno.
Walt received the Robert Alioto Award for Outstanding Instructional Leader in California and the Noted Alumni Friend of Education Award for CSU Fresno - Kremen School of Education and Human Development.
Walt chairs the board of the Anytime, Anywhere Learning Foundation.
With Leadership Associates partners Rene Townsend and Jim Brown, Walt co-authored a Practical Guide to Effective Board Meetings.
Walt and his wife, Susan, live in Fresno, where he enjoys running and reading.

Marty Butt

Marty works with the Leadership Institute at California State University, Fresno to raise achievement for all students and is an Adjunct Associate Professor with the University of La Verne.
She serves as Consultant for School Services of California in the selection of Chief Financial Officers for school districts.
Marty was Superintendent for the Standard School District in Bakersfield, California from 1991-1998. Previously Marty was an elementary teacher, reading specialist with junior high and high school students, adjunct faculty at community and state colleges and a doctoral-level associate professor at the University of La Verne.
She was a consultant with Executive Search Services of California School Boards Association, consultant for Springboard Schools and leader/facilitator for the California School Leadership Association.
Marty also served as interim chief officer for two private schools in Bakersfield, California.
She conducts workshops for school boards and non-profit leadership organizations and facilitates long-range planning and change process, engaging participants in relevant, priority topics through her consultancy, Expanding Expectations.
Marty served in several capacities with Rotary and other local groups.
Marty received her Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees from California State University Fullerton and her Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership from the University of La Verne.
She was a member of State Superintendents’ Committee, and was named regional superintendent of the year (ACSA) 1997 and Kappan (Phi Delta Kappa) of the year in 1989.
Married forty years before becoming widowed, Marty has two adult children and two grandchildren. “Never bored,” she jogs, travels, reads, and enjoys a variety of interests.

Michael W. Caston

Mike served as Superintendent of Schools for the Escondido Union School District in San Diego County until June of 2006.
He also served as Superintendent of the Santa Barbara High School District, Santa Barbara Elementary School District, Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District and the Charter Oak Unified School District. Mike served a total of 22 years as a California Superintendent.
Mike was the 2005 AASA California Superintendent of the Year.
Mike has held positions of Assistant Superintendent, Principal, Teacher and Coach. In addition, he is an adjunct faculty member at California State University, San Marcos.
Mike received his masters and doctorate degrees from the University of Southern California and his bachelor of science degree at Northern Arizona University.
Mike's 1980 doctoral dissertation, Communication Techniques Used by Superintendents with the Governing Board, has been replicated several times and serves as a guide for many current superintendents.
Mike has served as the Chamber of Commerce President in Santa Barbara, Palos Verdes and Covina California. He also served on the board of directors for Saint Francis Hospital in Santa Barbara. Mike was named as the Chief Executive Officer for the Gevirtz Research Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara and held that volunteer position for six years.
Mike is married and has three children and one grandchild. The Castons live in Escondido California.

Rich Thome

Rich Thome currently serves as an Executive Coach for Springboard Schools and a Professor of Practice at the University of San Diego. Prior to joining Leadership Associates Rich served as superintendent search consultant for the San Diego County Office of Education conducting searches for numerous school districts in the County.
Rich served as Superintendent of Schools for South Bay Union School District. He also served as Superintendent of the of the Cardiff Elementary School District. Previously he served students as teacher, principal, coordinator, director and assistant superintendent in the Capistrano Unified School District.
Rich served as Chairperson of the Superintendents Technology Advisory Committee, and currently serves on several community-based committees, including the University of San Diego School of Leadership and Education Sciences Advisory Board and the Classroom of the Future Foundation Board of Directors.
He received his BA from California State University, Los Angeles and his Master's from Pepperdine University. He is fluently bilingual in Spanish and received his Bilingual, Cross Cultural Specialist credential in California.
Rich was awarded the 2006 Willie Velasquez Community Service Award and, throughout the course of his career has received the Honorary Service Award from the California Congress of Parents, Teachers and Students, the Orange County Hispanic Educator of The Year Award and the Apple Distinguished Educator Award.
Rich gained distinction in San Diego County and the region leading the expansion of an award-winning cable television station and the technology efforts of school districts throughout the region.
Rich is married and has three children and one grandchild.

Rene S. Townsend

Rene is managing partner of Leadership Associates and Director, Education Outreach for Price Charities, focusing on urban education and philanthropic work with schools in Central America.
She is a consultant with Springboard Schools, presenting workshops for new and experienced superintendents, and board-superintendent teams.
Rene served as Superintendent of Schools for Coronado Unified School District from 1994 through 1998. She also served as Superintendent of the Vista Unified School District from 1988 to 1994.
She received her bachelor's from the University of Washington, her Master's from San Diego State University, and her Doctorate from Northern Arizona University.
Rene chaired the ACSA State Superintendency Committee, the annual California State Superintendents' Symposium, and the Superintendent's Committee for San Diego and Imperial Counties. She serves on the national boards of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and ESR (Educators for Social Responsibility.)
Rene received the Robert F. Alioto Award for California for Instructional Leadership, 74th Assembly District Woman of the Year, National Center for Conflict Resolution Center Peacemaker, California Interscholastic Federation Life Membership, and is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor Society.
With Leadership Associates partners Walt Buster and Jim Brown, Rene co-authored A Practical Guide to Effective School Board Meetings . With other colleague superintendents she co-authored Eight at the Top and Effective Superintendent-Board Practices.

Robert L. Trigg

Bob was President of the California State Board of Education.
He served as Superintendent of the Elk Grove Unified School District for twelve years until his retirement.
Previously, Bob was Superintendent of the Davis Unified School District.
Bob was Deputy Superintendent and Director of Secondary Education in the San Juan Unified School District and was a teacher, counselor, vice principal and high school principal.
For three years, Bob chaired the California State Superintendent Committee and was also Chair of the California City Superintendents.
Bob served as a member of California State Superintendents’ Advisory Committee for State Superintendents Wilson Riles and Bill Honig and was a member of the Superintendents’ Advisory Committee for California Secretary of Education, Maureen DiMarco.
He served as education advisor to Joe Serna, Mayor of Sacramento.
Among many other contributions, Bob chaired the Los Rios Community College District and School Bond Oversight Committee.
Bob received the Association of California School Administrators Ferd Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award, ACSA’s highest individual honor.