Maricela Torres
Los Angeles
Summary
Senior-level administrative professional with over 12 years of experience supporting executive leadership within LAUSD. Skilled in executive office management, personnel and fiscal administration, policy support, and confidential communications within large, complex organizations. Experienced in compiling, analyzing, and reporting operational and financial data, managing budgets and payroll, and preparing reports and meeting materials for senior leadership. Bilingual in English and Spanish, with a proven ability to engage diverse stakeholders and provide proactive, high-level support that ensures efficiency, compliance, and effective workflow. Committed to contributing expertise and institutional knowledge to advance the mission of the Office of the Superintendent.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Administrative Secretary I
Los Angeles Unified School District
Deputy Superintendent, Instruction
01.2023 - Current
- Provide direct administrative assistance to Deputy Superintendent of Instruction by managing emails, calendar, meetings, event invitations both LAUSD and non-LAUSD, phone calls, drafting and translating communication on her behalf, booking her travel, liaison between her and non-LAUSD individuals and companies
- Reconcile financial items including general budget, process payroll
- Provide additional clerical support to Senior Director of Deputy Superintendent of Instruction
- Work with 4 instructional departments: Chief Academic Officer, Chief of Special Education, Equity and Specialized Programs, Chief of Transitional Programs, Educational Transformational Officer
- Work with 4 regions: Region North, Region South, Region West, Region East
- P-Card for Office of Deputy Superintendent of Instruction
- Manage and collect Benefit forms for four Chiefs and four Region Superintendent
- Travel: Review and Approve with the direction of the Deputy Superintendent of Instruction all travel under our department including school sites and central offices.
- Board Informative: Review and Approve with the direction of the Deputy Superintendent of Instruction
- E-Library: Review and Approve with the direction of the Deputy Superintendent of Instruction
- Provide high-level administrative support to senior leadership, ensuring seamless daily operations across the Deputy Superintendent of Instruction’s Office.
- Manage executives’ calendars, coordinate meetings, appointments, and travel arrangements for efficiency and accuracy.
- Oversee approval request processes, tracking documentation and compliance for timely responses.
- Coordinate and prioritize high-volume email correspondence.
- Serve as first point of contact for visitors and stakeholders, delivering professional customer service.
- Support internal referral systems, ensuring accuracy, follow-up, and improved outcomes.
- Training leadership clerical support staff on new District processes, procedures, and changes, ensuring consistency, compliance, and effective implementation across offices.
- Point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, I ensure all interactions reflect professionalism, diplomacy, and the high standards
Senior Secretary
Los Angeles Unified School District
Local District Northeast | Region North
10.2021 - Current
- Assist Administrator of Operations
- Operations Coordinators
- Region North Regional Directors
- Region North School Mental Health
- Region North Staff Relations
- Region North Reassigned Employees
- Region North Fiscal
- Region North School Administrative Assistants
- Region North Support: Supervise Clerical Staff
- Payroll (Electronic Records Management, Timecards, Documents/Forms, SAP Time Reporting Region North, EDP’s School Support)
- P-Card Holder
- Process Purchase Orders
- Submit and reconcile expense reports
- Answer and direct phone calls (English and Spanish)
- Provide general support to visitors
- Spanish Translation (phone and in person)
- Write and distribute email, correspondence memos, letters faxes, and forms
- Organize and schedule appointments
- Assist with planning meetings, present as needed, and take detailed minutes
- Assist in the preparation of regularly scheduled reports
- Safety Alert Emails
- Administrator of Operations Car Services Setup, District Registration
- Assist with Field Trip Processing and Approval for all Region North Schools
- Support with Reassigned Employees
- Develop and maintain Operations filing system (paper and electronic)
- Update and maintain office policies and procedures binders
- Manage Administrator of Operations and Operation Coordinators Calendars
- Manage 5 voicemail lines
- Maintain electronic contact list files
- Obtain Administrator of Operation Signature
- Email Communications OBO: Administrator of Operations, Operation Coordinators, Staff Relations
- Conference Attendance Processing Forms/Documents/Signatures
- Region North Conference Room Reservations, Calendar/Keys Management
- Order office supplies and connect with outside vendors and/or sponsors
- Telecommunications liaison
- Submit Region North ITS Requests
- Administrative Staffing Support
- Recruitment Support
- Region North Staff Parking Placards
- Region North District Emergency Badges
- Region North Athletic Badges
- Emergency Contact Lists Update (School Site & Region North Staff)
- Region North Directory and Planner
- Administrative Assurances
- Nepotism Forms
- Master Calendar Entries
- Plant Manager Maintenance Requests
- Setup/Support Zoom/Teams Meetings
Family Daycare Owner
Torres Family Childcare
Los Angeles, CA
12.2012 - Current
- Oversee operation of home daycare.
- Ensure compliance of Licensing and safety regulations.
- Manage finances and budget.
- Maintain annual tax records for business and clients
- Maintain all business records and activities of business.
- Staff recruitment and retention.
- Administer programs and curriculum.
- Directed and executed daily operations and activities of in-home daycare center in order to provide age appropriate instruction and care for children.
- Clean and maintain facility.
- Implement marketing strategies to increase clientele as needed.
- Maintain employee files
- Maintain employee payroll and attendance/absences timecards
- Enter employee payroll
- Prepare and manage correspondence, reports and documents
- Organize and coordinate meetings, parent conferences
- Implement and maintain office systems
- Maintain schedules and calendars
- Arrange and confirm appointments
- Organize internal and external events
- Handle incoming emails, mail and other material
- Set up and maintain document management systems
- Set up work procedures
- Collate and maintain information and database
- Communicate verbally and in writing to answer inquiries and provide information
- Coordinate the flow of information both internally and externally
- Conferred with parents regarding facility activities, policies and enrollment procedures.
- Maintain and observe environment and children’s activities.
- Record keeping of individual children on a daily basis.
- Review and approve menu plans and food purchases.
Senior Office Technician
Los Angeles Unified School District
Local District Northeast | Region North
04.2019 - 10.2021
- Assists Administrator of Operations
- Operations Coordinators
- Region North Directors
- School Mental Health
- Staff Relations
- Pupil Services & Attendance (PSA)
- Restorative Justice Advisers
- Reassigned Employees
- Fiscal
- Spanish Translation
- REGION NORTH Schools with Field TripsOperations Support:
- Email Communications on behalf of
- Prep for Operations Meetings & School Mental Health Meetings
- Safety Alert Emails
- Water Flushing E-Mail Reminders
- Process Nepotism Certification Forms
- Non-Routine Field Trip Processing
- Support with Reassigned Employees
- Manage Reassigned Employees Files
- Child Abuse Documents
- Emergency Binder
- Manage 5 voicemail lines
- Maintain Operations Files
- Obtain Administrator of Operation Signature
- Scan Files
- Manage Administrator of Operations and Operation Coordinators Calendars
- Local District Support:
- Calls (English and Spanish)
- File and Maintain LD files
- Process and Maintain: Reassigned Employees Files
- Email Communications OBO: Administrator of Operations, Local District Superintendent, Operation Coordinators, Staff Relations
- SAA Meetings (Assist with Oversight and Prep)
- Prep for Local District Northeast Meetings
- Operations Meetings: prep, present as needed
- School Mental Health Meetings: prep
- Scan Files as needed
- Payroll (Electronic Records Management, Timecards, Documents/Forms, Time Reporting (REGION NORTH, EDP’s School Support)
- Assist all REGION NORTH school Non-Routine Field Trip processing and filing
- Conference Attendance Processing Forms/Documents/Signatures
- LD Conference Room Reservations, Calendar/Keys
- Storage Sheds/Supply Garage Maintenance
- Supplies (Order/Inventory)
- Telecommunications liaison
- ITD Requests
- REGION NORTH Emails Management
- Administrative Staffing Support
- Recruitment Support
- Distribution Lists (Electronic)
- Safety Alert Emails
- Water Flushing Email Reminders
- Please be advised Emails
- Administrator of Operations Car Services Setup, District Registration
- Local District Northeast Staff Parking Placards
- Emergency Badges
- REGION NORTH Key – Operations (Maintenance, Distribution, Inventory)
- Emergency Contact Lists Update (School Site & REGION NORTH Staff)
- REGION NORTH Directory and Planner
- Administrative Assurances
- Nepotism Forms
- Master Calendar Entries
- Emergency Binder
- Opening Year Documents
- Answer Local District calls
- Plant Manager Maintenance Requests
- Fingerprinting
- Setup/Support Zoom Meetings
Office Technician
Los Angeles Unified School District
Local District Northeast | Region North
08.2018 - 04.2019
- Assists Administrator of Operations
- Operations Coordinators
- School Mental Health
- Public Services & Attendance (PSA)
- Staff Relations
- Fiscal
- Operations Support:
- Email Communications On Be Half Of
- Prep for Operations Meetings & School Mental Health Meetings
- Safety Alert Emails
- Water Flushing E-Mail Reminders
- Process nepotism Forms
- Support with Field Trips
- Support with Reassigned Employees
- Child Abuse Documents
- Emergency Binder
- REGION NORTH Support:
- Assist and Support Directors
- Assist with Roscoe PD Center Calendar and keys
- Assist with Conference3 Room Calendar
- Conference Rooms Maintenance
- Maintain Conference Room Calendar
- Distribute Mail
- Electronic Distribution Lists
- Supply inventories
Office Technician (Sub)
Los Angeles Unified School District
Multilingual Multicultural Education Department
06.2018 - 08.2018
- Assist with entering payroll for hundreds of district personnel.
- Assist with submitting Purchase Orders
- Assist with entering LAUSD Head Quarters visitors on the VMS Symmetry Connect System.
- Assist with Booking LAUSD Head Quarters Conference Rooms using Outlook.
- Assist with updating and editing forms.
Counselor Aide
Los Angeles Unified School District
San Fernando Middle School
12.2006 - 08.2018
- Assists a school counselor or other credentialed employees with tasks relating to student or youth counseling and guidance services involving educational and career planning, personal and social development, and follow-up activities.
- Provide students with information on educational and career opportunities and choices, and refer students who need further assistance to credentialed employees.
- Assist with transition activities of neglected and delinquent youth from group homes by providing information on requisite skills in areas of education, employment, and life skills.
- Discuss problems of attendance and behavior with students and parents and refer them to credentialed staff for specialized assistance.
- Follow up on absenteeism with telephone calls or individual and group discussions as directed by credentialed staff.
- Assist in school and community programs that identify and work with students who are neglected, delinquent, and potential school dropouts and assist those who have dropped out of school in finding academic or training programs appropriate to their interests and abilities.
- Assist counselors or other credentialed staff in the administration of interest inventories and achievement and aptitude tests and assist in processing materials for District and State group tests of scholastic capacity and achievement.
- Assist counselors or career advisors in arranging and conducting tours and field trips with District personnel and community, business, college, and university representatives.
- Assist in maintaining reports and student contact logs in areas of career, academic, personal, and social development, attendance, and behavior, including a description of problems.
Education
Bachelor of Arts Degree - Sociology
California State University
Los Angeles05.2023
Associate of Arts - Liberal Studies
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, CA06.2007
High School Diploma - undefined
Benjamin Franklin High School
Los Angeles, CA06.2000
Skills
- Executive Support & Calendar Management
- Meeting & Event Coordination
- Compliance & Approval Processes
- Stakeholder & Customer Relations
- Payroll & Time Reporting
- Documentation & Records Management
- Training & Staff Development
- Bilingual: English/Spanish
- Full knowledge of MISIS
- Arriba
- CONCUR Travel
- P-Card Holder
- Bilingual - Speak, Write, Read: English, Spanish
- Excel in Verbal and Written Communication
- Attention to detail and problem-solving skills
- Excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritize work
- Operations management
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to multi-task
- Proficient in Microsoft Office; Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Outlook
- Adobe Acrobat DC proficient
- File/Records maintenance paper and electronic
- Hold to the highest standard of confidentiality
- Quick learner
- Reliable
- Stress Tolerant
Languages
English
Full Professional
Spanish
Full Professional
Timeline
Administrative Secretary I
Los Angeles Unified School District
01.2023 - Current
Senior Secretary
Los Angeles Unified School District
10.2021 - Current
Senior Office Technician
Los Angeles Unified School District
04.2019 - 10.2021
Office Technician
Los Angeles Unified School District
08.2018 - 04.2019
Office Technician (Sub)
Los Angeles Unified School District
06.2018 - 08.2018
Family Daycare Owner
Torres Family Childcare
12.2012 - Current
Counselor Aide
Los Angeles Unified School District
12.2006 - 08.2018
Associate of Arts - Liberal Studies
East Los Angeles College
High School Diploma - undefined
Benjamin Franklin High School
Bachelor of Arts Degree - Sociology
California State University