We are excited to announce that José Banda has joined the Derivi Castellanos Architects (DCA) team as our Director of Client Relations. José has worked in the education sector for over 40 years, starting as a teacher, high school counselor and principal, and then serving as a superintendent for school districts in California and Washington for the last 20 years. He brings a passion and commitment for working closely with staff, students and parents in order to provide students of all ages with the best opportunities for success. José has experienced firsthand, and truly believes, “If you build high-quality learning environments for kids, they will perform to the best of their ability.” We look forward to the knowledge and experience he can bring when working with DCA clients.
José’s role as superintendent of Anaheim City School District from 2008 to 2012 included involvement in several major new school construction and modernization projects, as well as planning and conducting a bond campaign to secure funding for additional projects. It was at this district that he learned the ins and outs of school construction, and he admired the assistant superintendent’s practice to hold the general contractor and the architect accountable in a fair but firm manner, always representing the needs of the district and the community. He brought this experience with school construction and bond campaigns to his position with Seattle Public Schools, where he helped lead a successful campaign that passed a $1.2 billion school levy.
Most recently, José served as superintendent of Sacramento City Unified School District (2014 to 2017). This led to living in Midtown Sacramento, where he is enjoying the community and regularly cycling along the American River. He also loves to play the guitar and spend time with his son and daughter.
Welcome to the team, José!
