Sid Haro, assistant superintendent of the Lompoc Unified School District, has been nominated for the 2014 Valley of the Flowers Peace Prize.
Haro was the moving force as LUSD converted spare classroom space at the former El Camino Junior High School into a community education center housing seven programs and agencies.
“Sid Haro has brought a new form of energy and dynamism to the Lompoc Unified School District,” City Councilwoman Ashley Costa said. “He was able to coordinate multiple partners including for-profit, nonprofit, government and community entities and bring life back to the El Camino campus.”
El Camino now houses CalSAFE (School-age Families Education), the Center for Employment Training, El Puente Community School, LUSC Adult Education, Migrant and State Preschool, Workforce Investment Board and the National College of Technical Instruction.
Haro was stunned when informed he had been nominated. He recalled the words of his father, once a migrant farm worker, when learning barely more than a year ago that his son had accepted a position as assistant superintendent in Lompoc.
“Lompoc was one of the places we used to camp,” he told his son. “I’m very proud that you’ve gone back in a leadership position.”
Haro has served educational institutions in 12 states and in Canada. He was twice honored as Instructor of the Year at California State University-Hayward, where he earned two degrees and two educational certificates.
He has been married for 36 years to his high school sweetheart, Shirley Haro. They have two children, Sara and Ysidro.
Haro is the first Peace Prize nominee this year. Nominations may be made by the public prior to Dec. 1 by contacting committee chairwoman Allie Kay Spaulding at 805.741.7000 or alliekay31@comcast.net. Current holder of the prize is the Rev. Doug Conley. Previous recipients include Conrad Gonzales, Shannon Rose Chavez and Robert Almanza.
The Peace Prize ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25 at Valley of the Flowers Church.
— Allie Kay Spaulding represents Valley of the Flowers Church.