School Board Makes New Staff Appointments

The School Board appointed new staff at its May 15 meeting. The appointments include:

Barrett Elementary School Principal
The School Board appointed Dr. Gabriela Rivas as principal of Barrett Elementary School. Rivas is an accomplished educational leader with over a decade of experience serving diverse student populations and leading instructional initiatives at the classroom, school, and district levels. She currently serves as Assistant Principal at Gunston Middle School, where she focuses on equity-driven instructional practices, multilingual learner support, and strategic program implementation aligned with school improvement goals.

Previously, she served as the Elementary English Language Arts Supervisor, overseeing curriculum design, professional development, and intervention strategies for K–5 literacy instruction. She also held an assistant principal role at Barcroft Elementary, where she was named the 2023 APS Assistant Principal of the Year.

Dr. Rivas holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Tech, along with multiple post-master’s certifications in educational leadership and reading specialization.

The appointment is effective on July 1.

Executive Principal for School Leadership and Support
Leona Smith was appointed as Executive Principal for School Leadership and Support. This is a new position in the Office of School Support beginning July 1.

Smith is a seasoned educational leader with over 20 years of experience across classroom teaching, school leadership, and executive administration. Grounded in equity, innovation, and continuous improvement, she has led transformative work at school, regional, and district levels in both Fairfax County and Prince George’s County Public Schools.

Currently, Smith serves as the Innovation Officer for Transformation, Leadership & Continuous Improvement in Prince George’s County, where she leads professional development and strategic school improvement initiatives for principals and assistant principals. Her work includes launching pilot programs, performance assessments, and mentorship models to strengthen leadership pipelines and drive student outcomes.

Previously, she served as Special Project Administrator to the Assistant Superintendent of Special Services and Executive Principal of School Improvement in Fairfax County. In these roles, she directed equity and special education initiatives, supported 29 schools—including high-need campuses—and led division-wide responses to federal mandates and school turnaround efforts.

As Director of Equity, Family Engagement & Title I, Smith managed a $24 million federal grant, co-developed an Equity Framework, and led division-wide professional learning on DEI. As Principal of Forest Edge Elementary, she oversaw a successful transformation through MTSS implementation, family engagement strategies, and wellness initiatives.

Smith began her career in Title I schools and has held roles including assistant principal, technology specialist, and Head Start teacher. She holds a bachelor’s in elementary and early childhood education from Carlow University, a Master’s in Education in instructional technology from the University of Maryland and a certification in administration and supervision K-12 from the University of Virginia.

Director of Extended Day
Tony Hall was named Director of Extended Day, effective on May 19. Hall is an educational leader with over two decades of experience in K-12 public education, specializing in school administration, instructional leadership, and equity-focused student achievement. While currently serving as the Principal of Washington-Liberty, the school has seen notable increases in student achievement across all subgroups, including double-digit gains in Math and English in addition to reductions in chronic absenteeism.

With a steadfast commitment to inclusive excellence, Hall has championed schoolwide initiatives to expand access to advanced coursework, increased International Baccalaureate performance above the global average, and enhanced staff development in co-teaching and Professional Learning Communities. In addition to academic initiatives, Tony has prioritized social-emotional learning through the implementation of RULER, as well as teacher wellness and stakeholder engagement through staff wellness programs, student focus groups, and family outreach efforts.
Prior to his current role, Hall served in assistant principal roles at both Washington-Liberty High School and Gunston Middle School. Hall began his career in APS as an English teacher at Gunston Middle School. He holds a Master of Arts in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Phoenix, and a

Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Central State University. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Liberty University.

The appointment is effective July 1.

Director of Finance
The School Board appointed Rudbel Alfaro as director of finance. Alfaro is a highly accomplished finance and operations leader with over a decade of experience in public sector financial management, currently serving as the Management and Budget Officer for Arlington County Government’s Department of Human Services. Alfaro oversees a $60M+ behavioral healthcare budget and supervises a 17-member team, leading key functions including fiscal operations, procurement, HR, customer service, and administrative support.

Alfaro is recognized for driving innovation and cost-saving initiatives, such as transitioning services to telehealth, expanding grant funding by 50%, automating core business processes, and streamlining contracted services to yield $3M in savings.

Alfaro holds a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) credential and brings strong technical skills, cross-functional leadership, and a strategic approach to finance and operational excellence. Alfaro is fluent in Spanish, with working proficiency in French.

The appointment is effective on June 16.