Zima Creason, Governing Board Member, San Juan Unified School District
About Zima
Zima Creason is a parent, advocate, mental health policy expert, and businesswoman that has worked in the mental health policy and education field since 2001. Currently, she serves as the President and CEO of Mental Health America of California (MHAC) and she was elected as a San Juan Unified School District Governing Board Member in 2018. She is committed to coalition building and stakeholder empowerment/engagement.
Zima serves in a variety of volunteer capacities. She is appointed to the Sacramento County Children’s Coalition, appointed to the California Department of Education Student Mental Health Policy Workgroup, member of the My Sister’s House Friends Committee, and a member of the National Institute of Mental Health Outreach Partnership Steering Committee.
Zima is dedicated to supporting young people to avoid crisis outcomes in adulthood, mental health and wellness, social justice, and for all Americans to have access/opportunity to achieve the American Dream regardless of zip code, culture, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender identification and/or who they love.
As our advocate on the San Juan School Board, Zima will:
• Represent our parent stakeholders – No other current SJUSD Board Member has a child attending a district school
• Apply her expertise in mental health education and policy to build psychologically healthy, safe, and supportive learning environments for students, and workplaces for teachers, staff, and administrators
• Empower student stakeholders to have a meaningful role in the determination of onsite and district policies, practices, and curriculum
• Prioritize student safety including cyber safety, after school traffic, and safety from school violence
• Ensure transparency – Even when things go wrong, even when it is hard
• Expand efforts to improve academic outcomes