A new leader is taking the helm at the Manhattan Beach Unified School District — and she’s no stranger to the city’s public schools.
Kimberlie Linz will become the district’s new superintendent on Wednesday, July 1. Outgoing Superintendent John Bowes‘ last day is Tuesday, June 30.
Bowes became superintendent in 2021 and announced his retirement late last year. After a monthslong process, the district’s Board of Trustees selected Linz to succeed Bowes earlier this year, according to a district press release. The board appreciated Linz’s transparent style and seasoned record of executive experience, the press release said.
For Linz, this marks a return to MBUSD. she spent 10 years working as princIpal of both Pacific Elementary and Manhattan Beach Middle Schools until 2018, the release said. She then moved on to be chief business official for the El Segundo Unified School District.
“MBUSD is a special place with a legacy of excellence, a dedicated governing board, engaged families, amazing staff and incredible students,” Linz said in the release. “To have the opportunity to serve in the community that helped shape me as a leader is deeply meaningful on both a personal and professional level.”
Linz will make $325,000 annually in the superintendent role, according to her employment contract.
During her nearly 30-year career in education, Linz has established a record of strategic leadership in TK-12 education, and selfless service to students, staff and families, the release said.
The new superintendent began her career as a special education teacher in Arizona, later moving to California to join the Beverly Hills Unified School District as an elementary and middle school general and special education teacher, math coach, and assistant principal.
Linz is known in the education community for her thoughtful listening, collaborative leadership style and ability to balance technical oversight with a focus on learning, according to the press release. She was was also honored in 2024 with the El Segundo PTA Council’s Very Special Person award for her work with the $92 million bond that funded campus improvements across the district.
With experience as a school leader in MBUSD and an executive leader in El Segundo, the press release added, her colleagues and supervisors have touted her approach in bringing all voices to the table in district decisions, as well as her ability to use her influence with local, state and federal agencies to secure resources for students.
“We are privileged to bring forward Dr. Linz,” MBUSD board President Tina Shivpuri said in the release, ” leader who embodies those shared priorities and a strong vision for MBUSD’s future.”
Linz was recognized as State Business Official of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators in 2023.
Linz has a doctorate in educational leadership from USC, a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Wisconsin.