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ESD 112: Two long-time ESD 112 Associate Superintendents to retire

Two long-time ESD 112 executive leaders are set to retire the end of June. Dennis Mathews is the Associate Superintendent for Specialized Student Services, Birth-21, who has been with the ESD since 1980. Jada Rupley is the Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning. She has served ESD 112 for the past 33 years.

Both Rupley and Mathews have made noteworthy contributions to the ESD through the years. Rupley began her career as school psychologist for the Castle Rock School District. Since that time, she’s served in a number of leadership positions in special education, early childhood and youth and family programs that span birth through adulthood. Among her numerous accomplishments, awards and accolades at the state and national levels, Jada led the development of the Southwest Washington Child Care Consortium (SWCCC), the Northwest Service Academy and a variety of school programs for at-risk youth. Thanks to her passion, experience and leadership in early childhood education, Governor Gregoire appointed her to the statewide Early Learning Council. She also serves on “WA KIDS,” a statewide committee developing the new kindergarten assessments program, funded by the state’s first Race to the Top grant. Most recently, Jada seamlessly led the merger of two major ESD departments — Children, Youth and Family Services and Instructional Services and Technology, now known as the Department of Teaching and Learning. Last year, Jada was appointed as a trustee for Clark College.

Dennis Mathews came to the ESD in 1980 as a special education supervisor and became an assistant superintendent in 1993. Dennis provided leadership in the region’s Consolidated Services Agreement (CSA) as the liaison to OSPI; provided oversight of the Special Education Cooperative, which has grown to 29 school districts since its inception in 1983; and was appointed by Governor Gregoire to the State Interagency Coordinating Council. He also had several leadership roles at the state and national levels, including Washington Association of School Administrators, Safety Net Committee and the Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative, a network of special education leaders.

Ms. Mary Mertz will succeed Dennis Mathews. Mary currently serves as the Executive Director of Student Services for the Reynolds School District, located in the Portland Metro area. Prior to joining Reynolds she was the Director of Special Education for Portland Public Schools and the Director of Education Strategy for Insight Schools Inc., a network of online secondary schools in eight states. Dr. Yuki Monteith will fill the position currently held by Jada Rupley. Yuki is the current Director of School Improvement for the Parkrose School District in the Portland Metro area. Prior to joining Parkrose, she was a middle school principal in the Reynolds School District and had a fixed term faculty appointment with Portland State University.


~Jodi Thomas, ESD 112
Public Information Coordinator