Alumni Spotlight - Issue 14 - ExLA-2

RoAnn Triana

Chief Human Resources Officer, Clark County School District

A proud product of the Clark County School District (CCSD), RoAnn Triana serves as the district’s Chief Human Resources Officer, leading human capital initiatives for one of the largest school systems in the nation. Overseeing a workforce of 44,000 employees, she is driven by the belief that people are the foundation of every successful organization. Her leadership combines data-driven strategy with a deeply human approach, ensuring that every staffing decision ultimately supports the students of Clark County.

Triana’s path to leadership began in East Las Vegas, where she grew up with dreams of becoming a doctor. When her high school counselor discouraged that goal, she charted her own course, earning a Pell Grant and completing her pre-med degree with a minor in chemistry from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, becoming the first in her family to graduate from college. Early in her career, she worked in the nonprofit sector, traveling to underserved communities in South Africa, the Philippines, Mexico, and Turkey. Those experiences broadened her worldview and deepened her commitment to equity and opportunity.

Returning home to Las Vegas, Triana chose to enter education, determined to become the teacher and advocate she once needed. As principal of Gibson Middle School, she led a dramatic turnaround that moved the school from a one-star to a three-star rating in a single year. Triana also completed the Leadership Institute of Nevada’s Executive Leadership Academy. She later served as principal of Western High School, helped open a charter school, and led Plymouth Elementary before becoming Regional Superintendent of Region I—supporting 104 schools, 13,000 employees, and more than 100,000 students across the urban core.

Now as Chief Human Resources Officer, Triana oversees a comprehensive recruitment and retention strategy. Under her guidance, CCSD has launched a districtwide hiring initiative that expanded international recruitment to include educators from the Philippines, Kenya, Belize, Jamaica, India, Portugal, and Colombia—producing a 13% decrease in classroom vacancies from last year and a 25% decrease from two years ago.

Throughout her two-decade career, Triana has remained steadfast in her purpose: to connect every classroom with a qualified, caring educator. Her leadership is marked by empathy, urgency, and action—bridging the gap between systems and schools, ensuring every decision made in Human Resources translates to real impact for students.

We are proud to award RoAnn Triana with the celebrated Drivers Award.