AZ Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman
Sedona AZ – Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman today announced two appointments to her executive team at the Arizona Department of Education (ADE).
Claudio Coria, who will serve as Chief of Staff at ADE, has most recently held the position of Executive Director for Leadership at the Phoenix Union High School District (PUHSD) since 2016. At PUHSD, Coria was charged with overseeing principal and leadership development across the district. A product of the Teach For America program, Coria began his career as a bilingual junior high teacher in the Roosevelt School District. In his 14 years at PUHSD, Coria has worked as a K-8 teacher and an assistant principal, as well as a middle school and high school principal. Among his many accomplishments, Coria served for five years on the Arizona State Board of Education Professional Practices Advisory Committee and led Alhambra High School into sustained academic achievement that resulted in a Beat the Odds Gold School award from the Center for the Future of Arizona.
“I am excited for Claudio to bring his experience in school and district leadership to the Arizona Department of Education,” Superintendent Hoffman said. “From his award winning work as a principal, to his role helping grow education leaders, Claudio’s vision for public education, including his passion for supporting Arizona’s many multilingual students, makes him the perfect fit to help us carry out our mission and work here at ADE.”
PUHSD Superintendent Dr. Chad Geston echoed Superintendent Hoffman’s praise of Coria, “Simply put, Phoenix Union’s loss is Arizona’s gain. Claudio is a very talented, thoughtful and committed leader. He has a proven track record of success across the entire K-12 continuum, having served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and now as an executive director supervising and mentoring current and future leaders. Claudio is bilingual, bicultural and is devoted to the success of every single student under his watch. The more than one million students in Arizona are in great hands as he joins an already driven and dedicated team under the direction of Superintendent Hoffman.”
“It’s a privilege to join Superintendent Hoffman’s team at the Arizona Department of Education,” Coria said. “I look forward to continuing to build on the success of this administration and to work with the agency’s talented and dedicated staff to ensure every student in Arizona has access to a high-quality public education.”
Also joining the Superintendent Hoffman’s executive team is Whitney Marsh, who will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff. Marsh comes to ADE from the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR), where she served as Director of Strategic Initiatives. Previously, she was Vice President for Education Policy and Budget at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director of the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools and also served as an Education Policy Advisor in the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting.
“Whitney’s resume speaks for itself,” Superintendent Hoffman said. “Her experience at the state and foundation level, as well as with our state universities, will be incredibly helpful as we continue to build connections and partnerships between ADE and the many stakeholders that serve Arizona’s K-12 students and teachers.”
“I am excited to start a new journey in Arizona education policy by joining the Arizona Department of Education under Superintendent Hoffman’s leadership,” Marsh said. “I’ve been impressed by the relationships she’s built and successes she seen in just her first year in office, and I look forward to working with the entire team to help every student in Arizona receive a first-class education.” 
