The Morgan Hill Unified School District (MHUSD) has hired two new assistant superintendents: Kolvira Chheng, who will oversee Business Services, and Diana Tavares, who will oversee Human Resources. Both will start work on Sept. 1.
MHUSD Superintendent Dr. Carmen García commented, “I am exceedingly pleased to welcome such talented, experienced administrators to our district team. Each will bring a focus on excellence to MHUSD in their respective areas of expertise. Each will hit the ground running ensuring we accomplish our goals seamlessly.”
Chheng initially arrived in San Jose in the early 1980s as a child when his family fled the Cambodian Civil War. A graduate of San Jose State University with a bachelor of science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting, Chheng began his career at the Santa Clara County Office of Education, says a press release from MHUSD.
After serving there for 16 years in various roles, he moved to the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District in 2015 and was appointed as the assistant superintendent of Business Services in 2017.
“Coming from a family of educators—my grandfather was a teacher and my father was a teacher and principal—education has long been at the forefront of my family’s values. As someone who grew up in East San Jose, I am aware that access and equity are key to the success of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. I am excited to bring my skills, talents and lived experiences as a father to three daughters to MHUSD,” Chheng said in the release.
Tavares has a 30-year track record in education as a teacher, principal and human resources professional. She holds a bachelor of arts in Human Development and a master of science in Administrative Leadership from California State University, East Bay. She also holds a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and an Administrative Services Credential.
“I am passionate about serving the educational community with compassion, collaboration and commitment—all of which are important traits for a human resources leader,” Tavares said in the MHUSD release.
In 2014, Tavares first transitioned into human resources as the director of Certificated Personnel at the Stockton Unified School District.
There, she built collaborative relationships with union leaders, which resulted in positive labor relations and contract negotiations, according to MHUSD. She has also held administrator positions at the North Monterey County Unified School District and the San Mateo–Foster City School District, where she was most recently the assistant superintendent of Human Resources.
