Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools

Dr. César Morales was appointed as Ventura County Superintendent of Schools by the Ventura County Board of Education in 2021, becoming the first Latino and first person of color to hold the office since it was created in 1873. In June of 2022, he was elected by voters to a full four-year term.

As County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Morales leads the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE), an agency that employs more than 700 people and provides teacher training and administrative support services to all of Ventura County’s 20 school districts. VCOE also operates schools for students with special needs and at-risk students and provides career education for students countywide.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Morales played an instrumental role in helping school districts respond and in securing timely vaccinations for educators. He is now focused on meeting the needs of Ventura County’s students, school employees and school districts in the post-pandemic era. He is also committed to addressing diversity, equity and inclusion issues in local schools.

Prior to his appointment as County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Morales served as the Deputy Superintendent for VCOE. He first joined VCOE in 2019 as Associate Superintendent, Student Services. Before that, he served for nearly six years as the Superintendent of the Oxnard School District. He has held leadership roles in the Lawndale and Lennox School Districts in Los Angeles County. He also has experience in the classroom as a middle and high school teacher.

Dr. Morales received his Doctor of Education degree from UCLA and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Loyola Marymount University. Dr. Morales serves on a number of local nonprofit boards, including the First 5 Ventura County Commission and Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin’s Education Advisory Committee. He is also a past President of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators.

In 2022, Dr. Morales was selected as the recipient of the 2022 Marcus Foster Memorial Award for Administrator Excellence by Region 13 of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). He is also a recent recipient of the El Concilio Latino Leadership Award and was named a “Leader to Learn From” by Education Week magazine in 2017.

In May of 2024, Dr. Morales, known for his dedication to fostering strong connections between educators and the community, was honored as the 'Educator of the Year' by the Pacific Coast Business Times.