GGUSD IT Programmer Named Orange County Classified Employee of the Year

• Monday, March 20, 2023

Garden Grove Unified School District employee Manjit Charaia, who has served as a Senior Programmer Analyst in the district’s Information Technology Department for more than six years, was named an Orange County Finalist for the Orange County Department of Education’s 2023 Classified Employee of the Year program.  During a surprise celebration last week, Superintendent Gabriela Mafi congratulated Charaia on the recognition and thanked her for her many contributions to the district. Charaia is one of only 9 classified employees across the county to receive this prestigious recognition. 

Charaia has played an important role integrating digital curriculum so that students and staff have 24/7 easy access to resources and materials. She has demonstrated an ability to expertly navigate problems, resolve challenges, and improve routine processes to be more efficient and effective. Over the years, Charaia has developed repeatable processes to ensure the district’s Aeries student data system works seamlessly and is excellent at developing training guides to support staff’s use of technology.

Orange County Department of Education will honor its nine honorees during Classified School Employees Weeks May 21-27, 2023.  The nine county finalists are also eligible for the California Department of Education Classified Employee of the Year program as well as the new U.S. Department of Education Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) program created in 2020.

Each year, GGUSD submits nominees for the OCDE Classified Employee of the Year program.  GGUSD’s 2023 nominees include:

• Clerical and Administrative Services: Jennifer Nishikawa, Secretary to the Superintendent
• Custodial and Maintenance Services: Paul Kemp, Plant Supervisor at Los Amigos High School
• Food and Nutrition Services: Renee Buckley, Food Service Worker at Jordan ATP
• Health and Student Services: Lian Baker, Interpreter for Special Education and Student Services
• Paraprofessional: Giao Chu, Instructional Aide at Brookhurst Elementary
• Security Services: Lavern Broadnax, Campus Safety Assistant at Santiago High School
• Skilled Trades: John Gras, Cabinetmaker, Maintenance & Operations
• Technical Services: Manjit Charaia, Senior Programmer Analyst for Information Technology
• Transportation Services: David Valdez, Bus Driver

“Congratulations to Manjit and to all of our Classified Employee of the Year nominees for providing important contributions that support the success of our schools and students,” said Board of Education Vice President Teri Rocco. “GGUSD has the very best classified employees whose impressive skill sets and commitment to excellence is unmatched.”

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