Marguerite Riggins wins Association of California School
Administrators award
Gilroy – For the past 20 years Marguerite Riggins has quietly, accurately and consistently completed the numerous unglamorous tasks required of a secretary. She fields phone calls, schedules appointments, assembles Power Point presentations, plans parties and professional development seminars and often serves as the sounding board for parents, principals and teachers.
Although Riggins prefers to work behind-the-scenes, and wasn’t overjoyed at the prospect of this story, her dedication has not gone unnoticed. Thanks to a nomination written by her boss, Gilroy Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Jacki Horejs, Riggins received a double honor from the Association of California School Administrators.
The nomination landed her the ACSA Confidential Secretary of the Year award both county and statewide.
“I just like to go to work and come home quietly,” Riggins said. “Yes, I’m honored but I don’t think the community needs to know.”
But Horejs, who has worked with the Hollister resident since 2000, wants Gilroy to know how much Riggins is appreciated. In her nomination, above a bulleted list of Riggin’s many duties, Horejs wrote “I doubt Marguerite would have responded to a ‘Help Wanted,’ ad that outlined the work she currently does so completely.”
Horejs also explained in the two-page document that five years ago the district initiated many changes at the central office to improve student performance.
“The work of the office increased but the staffing to do the work, did not,” Horejs wrote. “Trooper that she is, Marguerite worked enthusiastically and tirelessly to ensure the success of each of the improvement initiatives. Her role in achieving the district’s bold goals is not often recognized and acknowledged but without her competent commitment to excellence the district would not have been the able to achieve the success it has.”
Riggins was born in Los Banos, grew up in San Jose and lived in Gilroy for 11 years before moving to Hollister. She is married and has three grown daughters.
Riggins began working at GUSD, 20 years ago, working in accounts payable and the state and federal programs sectors before settling into her current position in educational services. The longtime district employee modestly explained that being a good secretary isn’t difficult when Horejs is your boss.
“Actually, Jacki’s really easy to work with because she’s always optimistic,” Riggins said. “She just makes it easy and she has high expectations.”
