Nakaoka says goodbye to Hacienda La Puente Unified

IMG_9363_Nakaoka_Sepia

Integrity begins with I. It’s an individual choice that has served Barbara Nakaoka well over the past 43 years.

A beacon that she says has guided her during four decades of service at Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. She has climbed up the ladder from teacher to superintendent of one of the largest school districts in the San Gabriel Valley.

“That’s the thing I’m most proud of, managing the district with integrity,” Nakaoka said. “Of doing what was right and not compromising my integrity.”

The 65-year-old retired on June 30, leaving behind a long list of accomplishments.

She actually began working at age 16 as an usher at the Music Center in Los Angeles.

“I loved it, I got to see actresses like Carol Channing in ‘Hello Dolly,'” the petite administrator recalled.
Read more in Richard Irwin’s story RETIRE.