Rosio Sandoval

Rosio Sandoval has built a career in school facilities management grounded in service, collaboration, and a deep commitment to creating safe, functional, future-ready learning environments for students. With nearly two decades in education operations and facilities, she’s known for managing complex projects under pressure—always keeping safety and student success at the center of every decision.

One of Rosio’s memorable leadership moments came when her district faced a last-minute crisis: four portable classrooms needed to be fully operational before the first day of school. Delivery delays, fire alarm approvals, electrical tie-ins, fencing, and emergency regulatory filings all threatened to derail the start of the year.

Rosio pulled together a “all hands-on deck” coordination with contractors, vendors, architects, custodial staff, administrators, and district leaders. By assigning clear ownership of tasks and prioritizing work hour by hour, her team fast-tracked inspections, approvals, all while adhering to all safety measures and regulatory requirements. Against the odds, the classrooms were ready the afternoon before school started. Smiling students walked into safe, code-compliant classrooms on day one—a testament to Rosio’s calm leadership, problem-solving mindset, and her ability to rally a diverse team around a shared mission. 

Rosio began her career in 2006 as an Executive Assistant in the Business Services Department, supporting fiscal, facilities, nutrition, and technology divisions. That role gave her a strong foundation in how interconnected school operations are. Later, as a school secretary and then part of the technology department, she gained first-hand insight into the day-to-day needs of schools, sharpening her communication and customer-service skills.

Eager to grow, Rosio completed project management training at CSU Dominguez Hills and graduated from the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) Facilities Leadership Academy. These programs strengthened her technical expertise and leadership abilities, preparing her to manage large-scale projects, navigate regulations, and lead teams with confidence.

Today, she serves as a key member of her district’s facilities department, overseeing planning, compliance, budgeting, and capital projects. With rapid residential growth on the horizon, Rosio is deeply involved in planning and building new schools so facilities can meet both present and future needs.

Rosio describes facilities management as far more complex than most realize. It isn’t simply calling a contractor to pour cement—it’s coordinating regulations, compliance, inspections, customer expectations, and fiscal responsibility, all while ensuring learning environments remain safe and inspiring.

Her leadership style emphasizes clear communication, proactive planning, and collaboration. She’s adept at knowing what to communicate, when, and to whom—whether it’s updating principals, preparing monthly board presentations, or meeting contractors on site. For Rosio, strong communication is the glue that ties projects, people, and outcomes together.

Rosio credits several mentors who helped shape her career, including:

Liann Reyes, Deputy Superintendent of Business Services, Santa Cruz County Office of Education, who instilled the importance of sound fiscal management, ethics, and professionalism.

Rick Diaz, longtime Facilities and Bond Construction Manager, now a Chief Business Official at Golden Valley Unified School District, introduced her to the complexities and impact of facilities work. His encouragement to attend the CASH Facilities Leadership Academy helped ignite her passion and set her on her current path.

Rosio grew up on California’s Central Coast, where her love of gardening took root. Today, she maintains a small garden and greenhouses and often enjoys her morning coffee among her plants—her “happy place.” She also loves road trips with her children, who proudly attended her graduations when she completed her leadership training programs.

As her district experiences significant growth, Rosio is focused on ensuring that new and existing facilities are safe, sustainable, and future-ready. For her, success isn’t just measured in projects completed—it’s about serving the community, supporting students, and building schools that stand the test of time.

“What I love most about my job is the tangible impact: every decision shows up in safer campuses, smoother operations, and better learning environments,” said Rosio.

“The work sits at the crossroads of people, data, and places, which is what makes facility management such an exciting and vital career,” she added. “I get to solve constraints, steward public funds, and turn complex codes and timelines into clear, actionable plans. It’s meaningful, fast-paced, and collaborative—and at the end of the day, students, staff and the community all benefit.”