Washington Conference is pleased to introduce Ron Jacaban as its new associate superintendent for education. He will be supporting Michelle Wachter, new vice president for education, in aiding the growth of Adventist Education in western Washington.
Jacaban most recently served as principal of Puget Sound Adventist Academy for six years and previously served as principal of Lake City Academy in Idaho for six years.
“A big thing on my heart is to be a servant leader,” Jacaban said, “to support and be in the trenches with my fellow educators. I am looking forward to working with Michelle who has great working relationships and rapport with schools.”
Jacaban holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education with a minor in religion from Pacific Union College. Ten years ago he earned a master’s degree in education leadership from Walla Walla University. In his college studies, he was fascinated by high school level education and started his career as a boys’ dean, physical education and religion teacher at Rio Lindo Academy in California.
After he met and married his wife, d’Ann, an elementary teacher, the couple moved to Napa, California. Jacaban worked for five years at the Napa Valley Register where he started at the bottom and worked his way up to becoming the director of marketing and sales. On his days off, he would visit his wife’s third grade classroom and caught the excitement of elementary education.
One day at the Register, Jacaban saw an advertisement on the Section A back page where Pacific Union College announced their new continuing education program. The first option listed: elementary education certification. This was an answer to prayer for Jacaban. For the next two years, he spent evenings working on his certification program.
The Jacabans moved to Tillamook, Oregon, where the couple both taught elementary grades for two years. Jacaban was then asked to serve as principal, a daunting first-time role he filled for five years. During their time in Tillamook, the Jacabans welcome a son into their family. Their son, Ryan, is now 17 and finishing his senior year in high school.
While at Lake City Academy in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Jacaban began working on his master’s in educational leadership. He shadowed the Upper Columbia Conference education superintendent for three months and learned much about the administrative side of education.
Jacaban made a commitment of longevity to Puget Sound Adventist Academy and provided continuity of education leadership for six years. Now, he will be joining the Washington Conference Office of Education team in supporting education leaders, boards and teachers at 20 school campuses.
“Ron has been an integral part of the education team, helping to navigate the changing Covid protocols, these past two years,” Wachter said. “More than once, he took supplies to other schools, spent hours on the phone helping fellow principals and even offered to teach a class for the day to give a teaching principal time to complete some paperwork. He is a team player, and I am pleased to collaborate with him to help our schools continue to thrive.”
Ron Jacaban is the new associate superintendent for schools in Washington Conference.
