The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has appointed Manuel Cuté Ramos as director of fiscal and business services, the district announced following its July 15 board meeting.
Cuté Ramos brings more than 10 years of experience in finance, operations and strategic planning with a focus on educational equity. He most recently served as senior director of finance, operations and data at The Knowledge House, a nonprofit focused on digital equity and workforce development.
Previously, he held leadership positions at Alliance College-Ready Public Schools and the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, where he managed financial strategy, compliance and compensation reform across large school networks.
"I'm thrilled to bring my passion for educational equity and data-driven decision making to SMMUSD," Cuté Ramos said. "Having personally experienced how access to quality education can transform lives, I'm excited to leverage my background in strategic planning and analytics to help maximize opportunities for all students in this district."
The new director has experience building financial models, streamlining operations and designing real-time dashboards for informed decision-making. He has developed compliance frameworks aligned with federal and state regulations, directed multimillion-dollar compensation strategies and led grant management systems.
Cuté Ramos earned recognition as "Mentor of the Year" for his work supporting first-generation college students in South Los Angeles. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics with a minor in political science from Union College and a master's degree in management science from Yale School of Management. He is fluent in Spanish and has served in various community leadership roles.
"I would like to welcome Mr. Cuté Ramos to the SMMUSD team," said Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton. "His background in finance, data systems and strategic planning, combined with his heart for students and equity, make him an excellent addition to our business services department."
Cuté Ramos replaces Gerardo Cruz, who was promoted to assistant superintendent of business and fiscal services following the June retirement of longtime administrator Melody Canady.
Edited by SMDP Staff