Murrieta Mesa High Principal Named Educator of the Year

Murrieta Mesa High School Principal Mary Walters was among nine educators who were honored Tuesday at the annual Celebrating Educators Luncheon in Palm Springs.

Walters, who has been in the education field for 26 years, began as a math teacher at Perris High School and later became the vice principal at Murrieta Valley High School. She became the principal for Murrieta Mesa when it opened in 2009.

Colleagues said she is "an ever-present example of engaging with students, staff and community to build opportunities both big and small."

Other honorees who were named the 2013 Riverside County Educators of the Year:

• Timothy Ritter, superintendent at Temecula Valley Unified School District
• Michael Fine, deputy superintendent of business and governmental relations at Riverside Unified School Distict
• Tim Bedley, fourth and fifth grade teacher GATE teacher at Wildomar Elementary School
• Neician (Nikki) Thaxton, administrative assistant at San Jacinto Unified School District
• Julie Roe Smith, instructional assistant at Orange Grove High School
• Donnette Tanner Wheat, speech and language pathologist at McKinley Elementary School
• Tommy Stokes, a ninth and 12th grade AVID teacher at Moreno Valley High School
• Amyleen Tuiza, special education teacher at Riverside County Office of Education