Experienced School Board Member
Now in her second term on the Fresno County Board of Education, Masumoto has exhibited leadership as a champion for students and families as well as demonstrated thoughtful decision-making, integrity and fairness. She has secured funding for projects supporting special education students, rural students, and students in need of special supports. She has been elected by her peers in four counties to represent the local region as a Delegate to the California School Boards Association. As a trusted leader, Masumoto has served as president of the Fresno County School Trustees Association and has been an active advocate for meaningful changes in state legislation as well as local policy improvements.
Prior to being elected to the Fresno County Board of Education in 2018, Masumoto served as a Trustee for Sanger Unified School District for six years where she held leadership positions of president, vice president or clerk each year. With twenty schools and over 13,000 students, Sanger Unified was designated as one of California’s Exemplary Districts in 2018. As a board member, Masumoto worked closely with the superintendent to set priorities and policies to enhance academic and support services for all students – including low income, English Learners, foster and homeless youth, and special needs students.
Educational Background
Masumoto earned a bachelor’s degree in public health education with a minor in nutrition from Loma Linda University, a master’s degree in Community Development from UC Davis, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from UC Davis and CSU Fresno. Her doctoral research focused on leadership practices of high performing, high poverty rural high schools and was published in the Journal of Research in Rural Education.
Professional Life
In addition to being a managing partner with the family farm, Masumoto has worked professionally in the health and education fields for over 40 years. She first started as a nutrition advisor for early childhood education sites in Riverside County, and advanced into leadership positions in pubic education and nonprofit organizations upon moving to Fresno County. Most recently, Masumoto contributed to organizational success as a consultant for the University Advancement division of California State University, Fresno, and supported the university President developing community engagement activities.
From 2005 to 2015, Dr. Masumoto was Project Director with Fresno State’s educational leadership institute where she organized a network of rural schools and many training programs, conferences and coaching supports for educational leaders in Valley districts. There, she also implemented workforce investment and English Learner projects in collaboration with the CA Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley.
Masumoto was previously employed by UC San Francisco’s Fresno Medical Education Program where she was recruitment coordinator for medical residency programs and also coordinator of a health care pipeline program for under represented middle school students in south east Fresno. Prior, she held positions ranging from health educator and department director to overseeing all-employee training and organizational development at Valley Children’s Hospital. She was instrumental in establishing community campus centers in Madera and Clovis (now Community Colleges), Oakhurst, Selma, and Parlier while employed by State Center Community College District. In addition to professional roles, she has been an active community volunteer, member and Past President of the Cultural Arts Rotary Club of Fresno and their foundation.
Rural Roots and Life
Masumoto grew up working on her family’s goat dairy and was active in 4-H as a youth and adult leader. She met her husband in graduate school at UC Davis and has been married to author/writer/farmer David Mas Masumoto for 43 years. She is a full managing partner in the family’s 80-acre farm, producing organic peaches, nectarines, apricots and grapes for raisins. Both of her adult children, Nikiko and Korio, attended public schools in Sanger and Fowler, and are graduates of public universities. They also work on the family farm and are active in the community. Her husband is a prolific writer and author of several books including some co-authored with dauther Nikiko and Marcy.
The Masumotos are strong advocates for rural communities, healthy living, and California’s Central Valley. The family has established the Masumoto Community Education and Leadership Fund at the Central Valley Community Foundation. With those philanthropic monies, they help support schools, community based organizations and statewide organizations that contribute to enhancing leadership and quality of life for the people in the Valley and throughout California.
