Gabriella Blakey 

Chief Operations Officer

Albuquerque Public Schools

Dr. Gabriella Duran Blakey has worked in education for over 20 years as an advocate for systemic change in school districts to meet the needs of students. She began her work in education as an AmeriCorps member in Las Cruces, New Mexico. After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Education from New Mexico State University, she taught high school in Everett, Washington and Albuquerque, New Mexico. She continued her education to pursue work in school administration and received her Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership from the University of New Mexico where she was recognized with the University of New Mexico Educational Leadership Program Distinction Award. She received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of New Mexico.

Dr. Duran-Blakey has worked as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal at both the middle school and high school levels. She was the founder of Health Leadership High School in Albuquerque, a charter school focused on project based learning around the social determinants of health. At the district level she has served as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Professional Development for Santa Fe Public Schools, Associate Superintendent for Middle School Education, and  Associate Superintendent of Leadership and Learning of Learning Zone 1 in Albuquerque Public Schools.

She is currently the Chief Operations Officer for Albuquerque Public Schools where she assists in promoting overall efficiency and maximizing operational and administrative services in support of educational opportunities for over 75,000 PreK-12th grade students and 143 school sites.