A 15-year United States Army and Reserves officer is joining the Manteca Unified School District administration office beginning July 1.
Clark Burke has been selected to succeed Donald Halseth as MUSD’s deputy superintendent. Halseth will be retiring in June.
Burke’s selection was one of two new staffing assignments announced during Tuesday’s board meeting. The other announcement pertained to Jeffrey Podesto taking up the administrative helm at George Komure Elementary School in Weston Ranch. He will replace Principal Jo Ella Allen, who is retiring at the end of this month. Podesto, who was Komure School’s vice principal from 2004 to 2009, is currently the vice principal at nearby Great Valley Elementary School, also located in Weston Ranch.
The hiring of Burke and Podesto was approved by the members of the Board of Education during their closed-session meeting Tuesday night.
Burke is currently the director of Human Resources at Eureka Union School District in Granite Bay. Prior to that, he worked in the Elk Grove and Antioch Unified School districts as an administrator. A graduate of the University of California at Davis, he received his master’s degree in education from National University, and later his doctorate of Educational Leadership from California State University, Sacramento.
As an Army reserve, he is currently the Battalion Operations Officer for the 483rd Transportation Battalion located at Mare Island in Vallejo.
George Komure School’s new principal starting Feb. 1 started his teaching career in the Manteca Unified School District in 1996 at August Knodt School, the first elementary school to open in Weston Ranch. He taught seventh and eighth grades until 2004. He was the administrative designee from 2001-04 and served as vice principal from 2004-05.
Podesto received his bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies at California State University, Stanislaus, in 1994. He received his administrative service credential from National University in Stockton in 2004. He also holds a Clear Professional Multiple Subject Credential from Chapman University in Orange.
Besides being a teacher, Podesto is actively involved in the community as coach, mentor, curriculum committee member, and school site council member.
