Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools

Dr. César Morales was appointed as Ventura County Superintendent of Schools by the Ventura County Board of Education in 2021, becoming the first Latino and first person of color to hold the office since it was created in 1873. In June of 2022, he was elected by voters to a full four-year term.

As County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Morales leads the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE), an agency that employs more than 700 people and provides teacher training and administrative support services to all of Ventura County’s 19 school districts and 12 charter schools. VCOE also operates schools for students with special needs and at-promise students and provides career education for students countywide.

Local and Statewide Leadership

Dr. Morales has gained recognition locally and statewide for his leadership on critical issues related to public education, including the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of increased immigration enforcement on schools and families. During the pandemic, he played an instrumental role in helping school districts respond and in securing timely vaccinations for educators. He is a tireless advocate for expanding educational opportunity and launched VCOE’s annual Equity Conference in 2021.

Over the past several years, Dr. Morales has been working closely with the Center for Systems Awareness to bring the principles of Compassionate Systems to Ventura County schools. The Center’s co-founders, Peter Senge and Mette Boell, have made numerous trips to Ventura County to lead workshops and assist with the implementation of this groundbreaking work. 

Education, Experience and Community Service

Dr. Morales received his Doctor of Education degree from UCLA and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Loyola Marymount University. Prior to his appointment as County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Morales served as the Deputy Superintendent for VCOE. He first joined the organization in 2019 as Associate Superintendent of Student Services. Before that, he served for nearly six years as the Superintendent of the Oxnard School District. He has held leadership roles in the Lawndale and Lennox School Districts in Los Angeles County. He also has experience in the classroom as a middle and high school teacher.

Dr. Morales is currently serving as the Chair of the Governing Board of the statewide Fiscal Crisis Management Team and as the Chair of the Legislative Committee for the California County Superintendents. He serves on a number of local nonprofit boards, including the First 5 Ventura County Commission and the Ventura County Community Foundation. In 2025, he was elected to the Board of Regents of California Lutheran University. He is also a past President of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators. 

Honors and Awards

In 2025, Dr. Morales was honored with the M.A.S. (Mentorship, Advocacy, and Sponsorship) Award by the Women’s Leadership Network of the California Association of Latino Superintendents & Administrators (CALSA). In May of 2024, Dr. Morales, known for his dedication to fostering strong connections between educators and the community, was honored as the 'Educator of the Year' by the Pacific Coast Business Times. In 2022, he was selected as the recipient of the 2022 Marcus Foster Memorial Award for Administrator Excellence by Region 13 of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). He is also a recent recipient of the El Concilio Latino Leadership Award and was named a “Leader to Learn From” by Education Week magazine in 2017. 

Dr. Morales resides in Camarillo and is the proud father of a daughter who attends Ventura County public schools.