A bilingual administrator from Windsor with 20 years of experience in education will take the lead at Tomales and Bodega Bay Elementary Schools this summer. Norma Oregon-Santarelli, who grew up in a traditional Mexican family in Sonoma County, stood out among what Shoreline Unified School District Superintendent Bob Raines called “a very strong field of candidates. She’s had a lot of experience in areas that we’re interested in improving,” he said. Ms. Santarelli earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in education, and credentials in counseling and administration. She worked as a high school and middle school counselor for 10 years, then as a high school dean, providing student services. When she had time, she also taught a college course about strategies for student success. Currently, she is the assistant principal at the Wright Charter School and the curriculum and assessment coordinator for the Wright Elementary School District, in Santa Rosa. She’s excited to transition to a small, engaged district in an area she’s always enjoyed. She will oversee about 160 students, 14 certificated teachers and additional support staff between the two schools. Her plan is to spend an average of one day a week at Bodega Bay, where there’s only two classes. The majority of her work will be done 20 minutes away at Tomales Elementary. She’ll continue to live in Windsor, where her 17-year-old daughter and 15-year old son are enrolled at Cali Calmecac Language Academy, and make the 45-minute commute to Tomales. “I’ve always been in love with Bodega Bay and the ocean, and one day I was with my family and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to work here?’” she said. Ms. Santarelli said her bicultural background will serve her well in a school district where more than half of the student body is Latino. “I’m really excited to work with all the students and all the families, and I’m hoping to bridge that communication with our Spanish-speaking families so there can be more involvement in our school,” she said. She describes her leadership style as visible, efficient, goal-oriented and visionary. “I really try to be out with the students and in the classrooms,” she said. Her position, which opened after Amanda Mattea resigned, is official on July 1. Ms. Mattea, who had been at Shoreline for two years, announced in March that she was leaving to lead Cascade Canyon School, a private school in Fairfax, with her husband. Yet low enrollment forced Cascade Canyon School to close at the end of the year. The Matteas are now looking for teaching and educational leadership positions in the North Bay.