Welcome to Dr. Greg Ottinger, the new Executive Director of the National Center for Urban School Transformation. Dr. Ottinger serves as Co-Director and Faculty in the Doctoral Program in K-12 Educational Leadership at San Diego State University. With a career spanning classroom instruction to executive leadership, Dr. Ottinger is deeply committed to fostering transformational leadership, operational excellence, and learner-centered practices.

Before joining NCUST, Greg served as the Chief Business Officer for the San Diego Unified School District, California’s second-largest school district. In this role, he was a key member of the instructional cabinet and oversaw finance, technology, transportation, nutrition, facilities/construction, enrollment, charter schools, custodial services, maintenance, and school police. Earlier in his career, Greg held executive positions at the San Diego County Office of Education and began his professional journey as an elementary school teacher. NCUST founder, Dr. Joseph Johnson, reflected:

Dr. Ottinger demonstrates that equity champions have critical roles in various parts of educational organizations. In his various school, district, county, and university leadership roles, he has evidenced both passion and skill for influencing improved learning outcomes for all groups of students. San Diego State University has selected an outstanding collaborative leader who will continue to build NCUST’s capacity to advance educational equity and excellence.

A native of San Diego, Greg earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership from San Diego State University. He remains a passionate advocate for inclusive, equitable, and engaging learning environments that empower all students to thrive. Beyond education, he is a professional ultramarathon coach, specializing in races of 200 miles or more.

Dr. Francisco Escobedo recently resigned from his role as Executive Director of the National Center for Urban School Transformation. He will continue to serve as a member of the California State Board of Education, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping educational policies and advancing equity across the state’s diverse school districts. With a commitment to developing leadership within education, he will be instrumental in establishing a Superintendent’s Academy for California. This academy focuses on cultivating the next generation of educational leaders by providing rigorous training, mentorship, and resources to prepare future superintendents to meet the increasing challenges in public education. We thank Dr. Escobedo for his dedication to NCUST’s mission and leadership in supporting the organization.