Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Mooney started her education career in 1995 as a teacher in the Hermiston School District. She served as a Title I (reading) teacher at Sunset Elementary School and then as a 6th grade teacher at Sandstone Middle School.
In 2005, Mooney was selected to be the principal of Rocky Heights Elementary School, and in 2007 she was promoted to middle school principal at Armand Larive Middle School. In 2008, Mooney was hired by the Pendleton School District to be its director of human resources and school improvement. In 2009, she was promoted to assistant superintendent.
Dr. Mooney earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Washington State University in 2001, and in 2019, she successfully defended her doctorate from Northcentral University, with a specialization in educational leadership..
In July 2016, Mooney returned to her roots in the Hermiston School District as assistant superintendent of human resources. July 2017, the previous superintendent of schools informed the Hermiston school board that he had received military orders, which would require him to be on extended duty, leaving a temporary vacancy. After an application and interview process, the Hermiston school board unanimously selected Dr. Mooney as the interim superintendent. Following the resignation of the superintendent, the board announced its unanimous decision to appoint Dr. Mooney as superintendent in September 2018, a choice buoyed by strong community support.
Dr. Mooney is highly regarded across the State. She was appointed to and actively serves on the statewide Quality Education Commission. She has served as the president of the Oregon School Personnel Association and is a member of the state’s Educator Effectiveness Group. In this capacity, she provides expert advice to the Oregon Department of Education and other state policymakers on matters related to educator training and professional development.
Dr. Mooney is married to Dan Mooney. She has two children: Kennidy (a 2020 Hermiston High School graduate) and Kambree (a 2022 Hermiston High School graduate), and a puppy named Kash.