Saint Mary’s College Names Kimberly Mayfield Lynch as New Dean of the Kalmanovitz School of Education

Saint Mary’s College of California has announced the selection of Kimberly Mayfield Lynch, EdD, as the next Dean of the Kalmanovitz School of Education (KSOE), following a national search. She will begin her tenure on July 1, 2026.

The announcement was made by Saint Mary’s Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Carol Ann Gittens, PhD, in a message to the campus community.

Dr. Mayfield Lynch is a transformative educational leader whose three decades of work span K–12 teaching, higher education administration, and public service. Known for building innovative programs and mission‑driven partnerships, she brings a distinguished track record of advancing educational equity, supporting diverse educators, and aligning academic initiatives with community needs.

Most recently, Mayfield Lynch served the City of Oakland as Deputy Mayor, where she mobilized cross‑sector coalitions and helped advance initiatives connecting education to living‑wage career pathways. She currently serves as Chief Learning and Innovation Officer for Oakland Natives Give Back, where she leads evidence‑based learning strategies, federal grant evaluation, and partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and community organizations.

Kimberly Mayfield Lynch brings a distinguished track record of advancing educational equity, supporting diverse educators, and aligning academic initiatives with community needs.

In higher education, Mayfield Lynch served as the Founding Dean and later Dean of the School of Education and Liberal Arts at Holy Names University. During her tenure, she led successful WASC and California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) accreditation cycles; strengthened recruitment and retention; modernized academic operations; and integrated liberal arts programs with teacher preparation.

Earlier in her career at Holy Names, she served as Department Chair and became the institution’s first African American tenured professor. Her externally funded work includes serving as principal investigator for the federally supported Teacher Apprenticeship Program (TAP), which trained and credentialed 60 culturally and linguistically diverse single‑subject teachers for Bay Area districts—helping to build a long‑term educator pipeline for local schools. She also led the oversight of Raskob Day School, ensuring enrollment stability and continued accreditation.

A widely published scholar‑practitioner, Mayfield Lynch has written and presented on teacher diversity, urban education, culturally responsive pedagogy, and educational leadership. Her work includes contributions to the Journal of Transdisciplinary Peace Praxis and presentations at national and international conferences. Her extensive civic leadership includes service on regional and national boards dedicated to education, equity, and community impact.

Provost Gittens noted that Mayfield Lynch’s leadership philosophy strongly reflects the College’s Lasallian, Catholic mission, emphasizing transparency, collaboration, and equity‑centered innovation. She also highlighted Mayfield Lynch’s commitment to fostering faculty scholarship, mentorship, and authentic community partnerships that connect classroom learning with real‑world transformation.

Gittens also expressed gratitude to Marshall Perry, PhD for his service as Interim Dean and for providing steady leadership during the transition. She acknowledged the search committee for its thoughtful work in bringing the successful search to completion.

In the coming months, Mayfield Lynch will engage in transition planning with KSOE and Academic Affairs as she prepares to lead the School into its next chapter—one focused on educational justice, community partnership, and preparing scholar‑practitioners who serve the common good.

Saint Mary’s College looks forward to welcoming Dr. Mayfield Lynch to campus as she begins her tenure this summer.