Dr. Gustavo Balderas joined McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C. in 2021.
Dr. Balderas began his life as the child of migrant farm workers in Eastern Oregon and developed his love of learning and passion for education in Oregon Public Schools, from kindergarten through his doctoral degree in educational leadership at the University of Oregon.
Dr. Balderas has been an educator for 37 years. He started his career in education as a high school teacher and counselor in the Hillsboro School District in Oregon. He has served in leadership roles at all school levels and in both support and administrative roles at the district office level. He served as superintendent in California, Oregon, and Washington State before beginning his tenure as Superintendent of the Puget Sound Educational Service District, helping support the 500,000 students in public, private, and charter schools in the Seattle-Metro region in Washington State,
Dr. Balderas is a co-founder and past president of the Oregon Association of Latino Administrators. He is a past president of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents and of AASA. Dr. Balderas was named the Oregon Distinguished Latinx Educator of the Year, the Oregon Superintendent of the Year, the AASA National Superintendent of the Year, and the NABE National Superintendent of the Year.