The New Haven Unified School District (NHUSD) is represented by five publicly elected trustees. Each trustee represents a trustee area. Discover your district's representatives. Explore the Trustee Area Map and learn more about each trustee below.
Shruti Kumar was elected to the Board of Education in 2022. She is a Professor of Physics in a Bay Area public college. Shruti has a Masters degree in Physics, and a Masters degree in Electronics. She has lived in Union City since 2005 and has three children, currently in the New Haven Unified schools.
Shruti is very passionate about Public Education. She has worked on several projects designed to promote equity and excellence among students. As a professional STEM educator, Shruti strives to level the playing field for all students. She has been an avid volunteer in the New Haven schools since 2009. She serves as a youth mentor for various non-profit organizations. Shruti is also a Scout Leader with local Scout groups.
Shruti’s intense passion for public education and commitment to service led her to serve on the New Haven School Board.
Click the image above to watch “40 Questions with Shruti Kumar”
Shamsa Rafay is excited and energized to be working with the progressive New Haven Unified School Board.
Shamsa and her husband, Rafay, are proud parents of three children, two of whom are alumni of James Logan High School, and the youngest at JLHS, class of 2024.
Before running for School Board Trustee, Shamsa was a Union City Human Relations Commissioner. She has volunteered with various non-profit organizations such as the New Haven Schools Foundation; PTC of Pioneer, Eastin & IVCMS; Member of League of Women Voters, Youth Voter Movement; Tri-City Interfaith Council; and Spiritual Care Volunteer at Kaiser Permanente, to name a few.
She was awarded the “Excellence in Human Relations” award in 2016 by Alameda County
Click the image above to watch “40 Questions with Shamsa Rafay”
Patricio “Pat” Urbi was elected to the New Haven Unified School District Board of Trustees, representing Area #1, in November 2024. He is a long-time Tri-City resident, attending public schools in Newark, Ohlone Community College, Fremont, and Cal State East Bay. His two sons are products of New Haven Schools and James Logan High School graduates. His wife is a former elementary school counselor and is currently a counselor at James Logan High School.
Pat has served as a board member of East Bay Asian Youth Centers in Oakland for 10 years; 5 as board president. He retired from the New Haven Unified School District after serving 26 years as a classroom teacher and site administrator. As an administrator, he wrote a grant that earned Barnard-White Middle School the distinction of being one of only 50 schools nationwide to receive the NASA Explorer School designation. He also served as the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region 6 representative to the Equity, Diversity, and Achievement for Student Success Committee. The forerunner of what became the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for ACSA. He has served at the following New Haven Schools as a teacher or as a site administrator: Cabello Elementary, Delaine Eastin Elementary, Barnard White Middle School, Alvarado Middle School (now Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School), Alvarado Elementary School, and Guy Emanuele Elementary School.
Since retirement, he has been appointed Interim Principal at a local high school and serves as a substitute administrator for San Lorenzo and Newark Unified School Districts. He is currently the Interim Principal at Birch Grove Primary School in Newark.
He is dedicated to public education and is a trustee to the New Haven Unified School District community.
Michael Gonzales was elected as a Trustee to the New Haven School Board in 2020. He is an elementary school teacher in Hayward Unified School District. His previous teaching experience includes 15 years with numerous grade levels and diverse populations for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Michael has been heavily involved with the fight against the privatization of public education in California. In doing so, he organized a coalition that wrote a plan, S.M.A.R.T. Academy, for a new elementary school which eliminated a charter school takeover during the Public School Choice Initiative in LAUSD. Mr. Gonzales’ previous advocacy for the California Teachers Association (CTA) includes the Racial Equity Affairs Committee, serving as vice-chair of the CTA Hispanic Caucus and 10-year State Delegate for the California Teachers Association. Mr. Gonzales was also a proud National Delegate for the National Education Association Representative Assembly for seven years. Mr. Gonzales, is steeped in community advocacy and has served as president of the Pacoima Neighborhood Council, where he also served as chair of the Education Committee.
Michael understands the strife of students with learning disabilities from not only teaching experience, but also as a student. In grade school, Michael would misbehave to compensate for his inability to read at grade level due to his learning disability. The New Haven Unified School District staff recognized Michael’s attention seeking behavior and never gave up on him. Michael is excited to serve on the school board and give back to the community that has given him so much support as a student.
Michael Gonzales is a third generation Union City resident. All of Michael’s family went to New Haven Unified Schools. The Gonzales family serves or has served the Bay Area as educators, athletic coaches, and firefighters.
Click the image above to watch “40 Questions with Michael Gonzales”
Benjie is a senior at James Logan High School and a lifelong student in the NHUSD district. Soon, he seeks to pursue a degree in cognitive science.
Before becoming Student Board Representative, Benjie served as Freshman Class Representative and Clubs Commissioner, where he cultivated strong connections between students, school programs, and clubs. With a leadership history dating back to 7th grade, Benjie has developed a deep commitment to serving his peers.
Click here for an interactive map of all Alameda County Unified School Districts including New Haven Unified School District
