About

Dr. Gina Acosta Potter grew up in San Diego surrounded by a family of educators. Teaching was not just a profession in her family. It was a way of life. As a third-generation educator, she learned early that schools are the heart of a community.

She began her career in 1992 after earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Soon after, she completed her teaching credential and master’s degree at the University of California, Los Angeles and started teaching in Santa Monica–Malibu. Those early classroom years shaped her belief that strong systems matter just as much as strong instruction.

Over time, Potter took on leadership roles across California. She served as a classified academic mentor, teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, deputy superintendent, and chief business official. With more than a decade in school finance, she developed a rare balance of instructional and operational expertise.

In 2018, she became Superintendent of the San Ysidro School District. There, she focused first on trust and stability. Under her leadership, the district restored fiscal health, passed five general obligation bonds, modernized campuses, doubled English learner reclassification rates, and won two CSBA Golden Bell Awards for building a robust ecosystem of support with community partners and for English learner success. During the pandemic, her district became a lifeline, serving more than one million meals per year to families throughout the community.

As the first female Filipina/White, biracial Superintendent in California, Potter brings both pride and purpose to her work. Guided by compassion, clarity, and consistency, she continues to lead with the belief that when systems work well, students can focus on learning—and dreaming.