Interim Superintendent Dr. Donald Evans

Dr. Donald Evans is a well-known educational leader in California with a career spanning over three decades. Dr. Evans earned his Doctorate of Education from the University of California, Berkeley and served as the Superintendent of Berkeley Unified School District for six years before retiring in 2019. During his tenure in Berkeley, he was selected as Superintendent of the Year by the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators. He came out of retirement in 2022–23 to serve as Interim Superintendent for Piedmont Unified School District. Dr. Evans was also a personal and professional mentor to Dr. Wells throughout his tenure at Albany Unified. Here is his personal statement:

Dear Albany Community,
On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, I was appointed as Interim Superintendent of Schools for the Albany Unified School District.

I’m honored to be able to step into Dr. Wells' position as Interim Superintendent. Dr. Wells loved Albany. His goal and mission was to make Albany Unified a district that everyone was talking about in the State. He was proud of the community, parents, staff, and especially Albany’s students. He would say, “My students are the best,” and genuinely loved the students. I have only been in the District two days and already understand why this community gave him so much joy.

I have had the privilege of working with Dr. Wells since he first started in Albany. For many of you that don’t know this, I was his professional coach. Since retiring from Berkeley Unified in 2019, I have been coaching superintendents in the Bay Area. Every month, we would meet and talk about how to achieve his goals in the district.

When I heard of his passing, it was important for me to ensure his vision for the year was accomplished. I thank you for giving me this opportunity to carry out his dreams. I know the District is healing and so am I. We all are healing together.

An Interim Superintendent position is temporary, which is ideal for me as a retired educator. I look forward to keeping AUSD moving forward while the search for a permanent Superintendent progresses. As I visit all the schools and attend events and programs, I hope to meet many of you. Please don’t hesitate to introduce yourself! I will be honored to get to know you, just as Dr. Wells did.