SDCCU is proud to present Excellence in Education, formerly known as Salute to Teachers

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (May 21, 2026) – San Diego County Credit Union® (SDCCU®), one of Southern California’s largest locally-owned financial institutions, is proud to celebrate San Diego’s finest educators through its newly rebranded Excellence in Education program, formerly known as Salute to Teachers. In partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education and with support from ABC 10News, the program celebrates the remarkable contributions of local teachers and shares their inspiring stories with the community.

“We are honored to recognize and support the incredible educators who make a lasting impact on students and families across San Diego County,” said Teresa Campbell, SDCCU president and CEO. “Through Excellence in Education, we are proud to shine a light on these dedicated teachers.”
 
Earlier this month, SDCCU hosted its Excellence in Education event on May 1, recognizing all 50 outstanding nominees for their dedication and impact in the classroom. Last week, the five 2026-2027 Teachers of the Year were surprised in their classrooms, and ABC 10News will highlight the winners, acknowledging their inspiring work and the difference they make for students across San Diego County.

The five 2026-2027 San Diego County Teachers of the Year are:
 
  • Katie Andan, La Costa Heights Elementary School, Encinitas Union School District
  • Mark Jeffers, Mount Miguel High School, Grossmont Union High School District
  • Robin Larson, PRIDE Academy, Santee School District
  • Mike Neumann, Southwest High School, Sweetwater Union High School District
  • Stacy Williams, Transition Resources for Adult Community Education, San Diego Unified School District

The five winners will also represent the County of San Diego in the California Teacher of the Year program, where they will compete to go onto the National Teacher of the Year program.

“These extraordinary teachers are shining examples of the difference that individuals can make in the lives of students and in our communities,” said Dr. Gloria E. Ciriza, San Diego County superintendent of schools. “I am so inspired by these impressive and passionate educators. We are honored to partner with SDCCU to recognize them and highlight their accomplishments.”

This year’s local teacher nominees recognized by their districts as teachers of the year were selected based on student achievement, professional development, and community involvement, teaching philosophy and personal style, knowledge of educational issues and trends, promotion and development of the teaching profession, school culture, and ability to serve as ambassadors of education.

SDCCU is one of the nation’s top credit unions and was named one of America’s Best Regional Credit Unions in 2026 by Newsweek, ranked a top credit union in California in 2025 by Forbes, and voted San Diego’s BEST Credit Union for 2025 in The San Diego’s Union-Tribune Readers Poll. SDCCU proudly serves the financial needs of customers in Southern California counties, including Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. SDCCU has more than 413,000 customers and 30,000 surcharge-FREE ATMs. SDCCU provides breakthrough banking products that meet the demands of today’s lifestyle and delivers banking services that save customers money. SDCCU is leading the way, offering FREE Checking with eStatements, SDCCU mobile banking, mortgage loans, auto loans, Visa® credit cards and business banking services. Federally insured by NCUA. Membership required. Equal Housing Opportunity. NMLS #580585. For more information, visit www.sdccu.com.
# # #