Mays Kakish Appointed As New Beaumont USD Superintendent

BEAUMONT, CA — A new superintendent has been selected to lead the Beaumont Unified School District, it was announced Thursday.

Mays Kakish was appointed with a unanimous vote during Tuesday's Beaumont USD Board of Trustees meeting. She will start on March 1.

Kakish brings more than 21 years of professional experience in the educational field, including five years at Beaumont USD as assistant superintendent of business services from 2006 to 2011, where she helped develop the financial, operational, and facilities planning of the district.

“The Board of Trustees is delighted to be bringing Mrs. Kakish back to Beaumont to lead our district,” said Susie Lara, president of the Beaumont USD Board of Trustees. “She brings many years of all-around leadership experience, including the expertise in creating safe, secure, and quality school facilities for outstanding teaching and learning for our students.

"Beaumont continues to be one of the fastest-growing areas in California, and Mrs.Kakish will help guide our district’s growth through the improvement of our facilities and construction of new schools. We have full confidence that she will be the leader Beaumont needs to continue serving all of the needs of our students, families, staff and community," Lara said.

Kakish follows former BUSD Superintendent Terrence Davis who was placed on paid administrative leave by the district on Aug. 11. Less than a week later, he officially resigned "for personal reasons." In early September it was announced he had been tapped to serve as assistant superintendent of human resources in the Banning Unified School District.

Kakish currently serves as chief business officer and governmental relations for the Riverside Unified School District. Previously, she held the position of chief business officer for Moreno Valley Unified School District from 2011 to 2015. Prior to working in the Beaumont USD, Kakish was the director of business services for the Riverside County Office of Education and the director of fiscal services for Perris Elementary School District. She started her career in the corporate sector in 1996 serving as a senior auditor for a firm that specialized in independent audits of school districts.

“I am honored and humbled to be given this opportunity to serve a district that I know to be fantastic,” Kakish stated after the board appointed her as the new superintendent. “Thank you for placing your confidence in me to continue building on the strong foundation that already exists. I am committed to earning your trust as we continue to navigate through a very unique time in the history of education and our country. I look forward to working together with the board, staff, and families to serve our students with what they need to thrive today and be prepared for future success. I am eager to get to work and make a difference here in Beaumont!”

In addition to her work at Riverside USD, Kakish currently serves as director of the School Business Administration offered by the Association of California School Administrators, and she serves as a mentor in the Fiscal Crisis Management Assistant Team for future chief business officers.

Kakish also serves on several boards including School Business Executives, Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center, Joint Education Transit Board, and the President of Alliance of Schools for Cooperative Insurance Programs.

Kakish holds a degree from California State University San Bernardino in business administration.