Dr. Diann Kitamura is a seasoned educational leader with over four decades of experience in California's public school system, currently serving as the Executive Director of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAAPLE). A fourth-generation Japanese American, she was inspired to enter education by her family's history—including her mother’s experience in an internment camp—and she eventually earned a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Brandman University. She is best known for her tenure as the Superintendent of Santa Rosa City Schools from 2016 to 2021, where she notably led the district through a series of major crises, including several devastating wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. Since retiring from that role, Dr. Kitamura has continued to influence the field as a Program Lecturer at the UC Berkeley School of Education’s Leaders for Equity and Democracy doctoral program and as a consultant focusing on equity, diversity, and executive mentoring for school leaders.
