Board of Supervisors Honors Nancy Magee Upon Retirement as County Superintendent of Schools

Redwood City - The Board of Supervisors proclaimed today as Nancy Magee Dayin San Mateo County to honor her 31 years in public education as she retires from her role as County Superintendent of Schools.

Magee was first elected superintendent in 2018 and led the San Mateo County Office of Educationwith a focus on early learning, environmental education and student safety and wellbeing.

"If there is a message Nancy Magee has given to the students of San Mateo County, it is, 'Yes, you can,'" said Supervisor Jackie Speier, who sponsored the proclamation with Supervisor Lisa Gauthier. "She has always exhibited a can-do attitude."

Magee appeared via Zoom, thanking supervisors for the recognition and, characteristically, highlighted the collaboration that helped move initiatives forward.

"I think it's a great example of what San Mateo County can accomplish when we all work together," Magee said.

Gauthier, who was unable to attend the meeting, shared a statement about Magee's legacy. "Nancy Magee's impact lives on through the people she served - in students who felt seen, families who felt supported and educators who felt trusted and empowered to do their best work," Gauthier said.

Board President Noelia Corzo added, "Nancy is the kind of leader who creates more seats at the table, opens doors for others, and models collaboration and humility every step of the way. Her impact on educators and students alike will be felt for years to come."

Magee chaired San Mateo County's Coalition for Safe Schools and Communities, helping develop emergency response protocols, a suicide prevention toolkit, and a student threat assessment protocol now used across the county's 23 school districts.

"Nancy's dedication to making our schools safer is and was unwavering. And we can say without fear of contradiction that there are 70 headlines in San Mateo County that didn't happen because we had those protocols," Speier said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Magee supported school districts as they transitioned to distance learning and later returned to in-person instruction. For this work, she received the Pillar of the County Award from the San Mateo County School Boards Association and was named Superintendent of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators (Region 5).

She and her staff have also been instrumental in advancing The Big Lift, a countywide third-grade literacy initiative prioritizing early literacy to improve academic and lifelong outcomes.

Supervisors praised Magee's collaborative leadership style and long-standing partnerships with school districts and county agencies.

"Superintendents throughout the region always described you as collaborative and accessible," Supervisor David Canepa said. "Your hard work is not forgotten, and it is deeply respected."

Supervisor Ray Mueller praised Magee's consistent focus on students. "Your unwavering commitment to put children first - and their education first - will be sorely missed," he said.

Magee earned a master's degree in Library and Information Science from San José State University and a bachelor's degree in English from San Diego State University. Magee spent more than 20 years working in classrooms before moving into district and county leadership roles, including associate superintendent of student services at the County Office of Education.

She also helped advance the United for Youth Vision 2030 Blueprint, a countywide initiative developed with Behavioral Health and Recovery Services to expand youth mental health supports. Magee also served on several local boards and initiatives, including the First 5 San Mateo County Commission, the Housing Endowment and Regional Trust of San Mateo County (HEART), the Home for All San Mateo County steering committee, and the San Mateo County Child Care Partnership Council.

She also promoted environmental education and climate literacy in schools. In 2021, the County Office secured a $6 million grant from the California Legislature to develop climate change and environmental justice curriculum. The effort received several recognitions, including the 2020 Sustainable San Mateo Sustainability Champion Award.

In 2025, the San Mateo County Office of Education was named Medium County Office of the Year by the California County Superintendents.

Magee is the mother of two adult sons, Travis and Noah, and grandmother to Avery and Emmy. The proclamation was approved 4-0, with Gauthier absent.

Katrina Rill
Chief of Staff, Office of Supervisor Jackie Speier
[email protected]
650-380-1951

Joshua Caspillan
Legislative Aide, Sup. Lisa Gauthier, District 4
[email protected]
650-542-1222

Michelle Durand
Chief Communications Officer
[email protected]
650-670-6114