At the May 7, 2026 regular meeting, the Board of Education appointed two new administrators: Nalani Battaglia, Director of Child Nutrition and Estefania Hernandez, Program Administrator for Early Childhood Education. 

Nalani Battaglia, Director of Child Nutrition 

Nalani Battaglia joins the Gilroy Unified School District Child Nutrition Department as Director after 21 years with Sodexo, a trusted partner of GUSD for more than 30 years. She brings extensive experience and a deep commitment to excellence in child nutrition.

 Nalani earned her Bachelor of Science in Food Service Administration from California State University, Chico. She began her career with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, where she applied her background in business administration while gaining hands-on experience in all aspects of food service operations. A few years later, she joined Sodexo, working alongside Gilroy Unified School District, where she further applied and expanded her knowledge of child nutrition.

 Nalani and her husband, Chris, live in Gilroy with their two daughters. Their oldest daughter will graduate from CSU Chico next week, and their youngest is completing her first year at Gavilan College. Nalani currently serves on the Board of Directors for Leadership Gilroy and is an active member of the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association, where she enjoys engaging with and volunteering in the community. In her free time, she enjoys watching San Francisco Giants games—especially when they are winning—and taking daily walks to reflect on the day.

Estefania Hernandez, Program Administrator of Early Childhood Education

Estefania Hernandez is a Gilroy native who attended local schools and graduated from Gilroy High School in 2010. She began her career as a bilingual teacher and literacy specialist, and in 2017 joined Gilroy Unified School District as a Dual Immersion and English Language Development teacher at South Valley Middle School, where she served for nine years.

Most recently, Estefania has worked as an Academic Coach for the Elementary and Secondary English Learner Program and as a Fieldwork Supervisor for PK–3 teacher candidates.

Estefania earned her Master’s degree in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction from San José State University in 2018. She also completed her Administrative Credential through the Santa Clara County Office of Education in 2025.

In her free time, Estefania enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and trying new food. 

Both Nalani and Estefania begin in their new roles on July 1, 2026.