Fresno Unified School District announced the appointment of a new chief information officer after controversy drove out former communications boss Nikki Henry.

The district has hired Adela Garcia Duncan, according to a social media post made Wednesday night.

Duncan has many years of experience in sales and communications. She will officially start in mid-September.

“Ms. Garcia Duncan brings a powerful combination of service, strategy, and innovation to Fresno Unified,” district spokesperson Diana Diaz said. “We’re excited to welcome her as our new Chief Information Officer and look forward to the impact she will make for our students and families.”

Additionally, the School Board approved the hiring of Dr. Ben Amuku Drati as deputy superintendent. He will begin work on Tuesday, Sept. 2, under a three-year contract.

“Dr. Drati’s return to the Central Valley brings a wealth of experience and a powerful personal story that mirrors the resilience of our students,” Diaz said. “We’re excited to welcome him as our new Deputy Superintendent and look forward to the leadership he’ll bring to Fresno Unified.”

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Predecessor Leaves After Fabricating Quotes

Garcia Duncan’s predecessor, Henry, resigned under controversy in late June.

The former CIO made a dossier containing fabricated attacks against Superintendent Misty Her falsely attributed to the Fresno Teacher’s Association.

Analysis of the dossier showed that the quotes attributed to the FTA were manufactured by an artificial intelligence tool. The hyperlink attached to quotes ended with “utm_source=chatgpt.com.”

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After GV Wire broke the story, Her admitted the dossier was created using AI.

The incident strained the already fragile relationship between the district and the FTA, with FTA President Manual Bonilla calling for Henry’s removal.

The district placed Henry on leave for about a month, and she eventually resigned on June 30.

But further controversy arose when the district granted Henry a $162,000 severance package. The district labeled the move a strategic decision to “avoid the uncertainty, inconvenience, and expense of litigation.”

The agreement was never announced during open session at a School Board meeting.

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Duncan Brings Extensive Resume

Garcia Duncan is a Valley native, raised in Mendota. She has worked for the Department of Defense and multiple news networks.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in technology management and a Master’s of Business Administration. Additionally, she earned public affairs and communication strategy qualification from the Defense Information School.

Before attending school, she served as a medical laboratory technician for the U.S. Army for almost nine years.

Garcia Duncan worked in sales for multiple organizations, including ABC30, Comcast, and The Fresno Bee.

Then she settled in as director of communications and outreach at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, a Department of Defense educational facility. She worked there for almost six-and-a-half years.

Additionally, for almost two years, she worked part-time as an adjunct professor for University of Maryland Global Campus.