Terry Walker

A veteran leader in California education, Terry Walker served for 14 years as superintendent of one of the state’s largest and most complex districts, Irvine Unified School District. He now leverages his significant experience in coalition building and strategic strength to advise clients on their most challenging issues. Terry’s current focus is helping organizations overcome fragmentation and address critical areas like budget constraints impacting staffing, wellness, and tech infrastructure. Crucially, he assists leaders in navigating necessary changes without creating division among staff, labor partners, or parents, while guiding organizations through the rapid adoption and innovation of AI technology to ensure equity and access for every student.

Terry’s depth of experience and interest-based, inclusive decision-making approach not only creates trust, but builds adaptive organizational cultures that can manage disruption and thrive even in resource-constrained environments. In his other current role, as Strategic Alliance Liaison for the ACSA AI Task Force, Terry is developing partnerships that reach across California and into national networks, particularly around AI integration in education. His clients include school districts, higher education institutions, technology partners and nonprofit organizations that are navigating how to align innovation, mental health and equity.

Under Terry’s leadership, Irvine Unified School District grew from 25,000 to nearly 40,000 students, opened 11 new schools, and completed more than $1 billion in facility expansions and modernizations—all despite being one of the lowest-funded districts in the state. He accomplished this by optimizing limited resources, forging innovative partnerships, and making every decision with equity and sustainability in mind.

While aware of its challenges, Terry is incredibly passionate about the power and potential of AI, which he feels could change education forever—for the better. Irvine was named one of the best five districts in the country, for its AI implementation, which Terry accomplished by getting input about the unique and subjective needs of all stakeholders, from teachers to tech giants, labor and leadership, as well as parents, students and even maintenance and payroll. Through his consultancy and other efforts, Terry hopes to expand his efforts nationally, helping clients to achieve similar AI success.