George J. McKenna III
George J. McKenna III | |
|---|---|
McKenna in 2021 | |
| Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education for the 1st district | |
| In office August 28, 2014 – December 9, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Marguerite LaMotte |
| Succeeded by | Sherlett Hendy Newbill |
| Vice President of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education | |
| In office July 1, 2015 – July 6, 2017 | |
| President | Steve Zimmer |
| Preceded by | Steve Zimmer |
| Succeeded by | Nick Melvoin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 6, 1940 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Xavier University of Louisiana (Ed.D, BMath) Loyola Law School (M.A.) |
George J. McKenna III (born September 6, 1940) is an American former politician and educator who served as a member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education for District 1 from 2014 until 2024. Prior to his board tenure, McKenna served as the principal of George Washington Preparatory High School. During his tenure, he led reforms to address issues related to gang violence in the school. His initiatives at the school were recounted in the 1986 biographical film The George McKenna Story where he was portrayed by Denzel Washington.
By 1988, he was appointed to the Inglewood Unified School District as the superintendent, where he was later ousted from the District due to him clashing with the board. He served in various capacities in different school districts including on the Compton Unified School District and the Pasadena Unified School District. In 2014, he won a special election to succeed Marguerite LaMotte on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education after she died, serving until he announced his retirement in 2024.