APS' Jacquez Announces Retirement

Deputy Superintendent Antonio Gonzales will assume Operations role.

APS Deputy Superintendent for Operations Gabe Jacquez has announced he will retire in August, a move that will spur key changes to the district’s leadership team in 2025-26.

Jacquez, completing his first year at APS, said family considerations led him to make the decision. He will be relocating to Lubbock, Texas. He added he was sorry to leave APS but was proud of his team’s work on a variety of fronts, including the daily delivery of food and nutrition to district students, plus safety and maintenance, in addition to long-term issues such as capital improvements.

“It was a very tough decision to make,” he said. “The team at APS is incredibly supportive and hard-working, and I will miss the camaraderie and devotion to the district’s goals very much.”

Jacquez came to APS a year ago from Las Cruces Public Schools, where he served as deputy superintendent of operations and leadership. He also had been an associate superintendent, school principal, assistant principal and teacher in the state’s second-largest district.

Jacquez’s departure means Antonio Gonzales, currently APS’ deputy superintendent of leadership and learning, will assume the Operations role. Superintendent Gabriella Blakey said Gonzales’ long tenure in the district, including time as an associate superintendent and head of HR, in addition to several years as a principal, make him ideally suited to keeping critical support services running smoothly.

“It’s with sadness that we bid farewell to Gabe, but I know Dr. Gonzales will be terrific as deputy superintendent for operations,” said Dr. Blakey. “He is a proven leader with an exceptional work ethic and a clear vision for what operational excellence looks like in a school district. He brings not only an academic lens to the work, but also a student-centered mindset that ensures every operational decision – from transportation to nutrition to facilities – serves our broader mission for educational success.”

The district is looking for a successor to fill Gonzales’ leadership and learning role.