The Moreno Valley Unified School District Board of Education appointed Rowena Lagrosa as its Superintendent of Schools, April 4, 2006. She assumed her duties on May 8.

Lagrosa had served as the Executive Officer of Educational Services for the Los Angeles Unified School District. She now oversees Riverside County's third-largest school district.

"I am thrilled with the opportunity of being the superintendent of Moreno Valley Unified," Lagrosa said. "The District is rapidly growing with tremendous resources and a long history of having an outstanding staff to assist student achievement. I look forward to collaboratively working with staff, parents and the community in order to achieve the Districts goals."

Prior to her appointment in LAUSD executive office in July of 2005, Lagrosa was the Superintendent of Local District 5 for three years. As one of eight Local District Superintendents in the LAUSD, she supervised the instructional program for 96,000 students at 90 school sites.

Lagrosa earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism (1977) as well as her Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential (1984), Masters in Educational Administration (1986) and Administrative Credential (1990) from California State University, Los Angeles. Lagrosa resides in Temecula with her husband Edmund, her daughter Amber Rose, son Seth Richard and her parents.

Lagrosa has been presented an Educational Leadership Award by the Council of Mexican American Administrators, an Outstanding Leadership Recognition by the Women in Educational Leadership, a Distinguished Educator Award and Distinguished Alumna by the Charter College of Education, California State University of Los Angeles.