Martin to Receive Golden Apple Award

The La Cañada Unified School District administrative team has selected La Cañada Flintridge resident Kevin Martin to receive the prestigious Golden Apple Award. Sponsored by the Association of California School Administrators, the award honors outstanding community leaders throughout the state.
“The La Cañada Unified School District is deeply indebted to Kevin Martin for his generous volunteerism and tireless dedication to its schools, community, teachers and staff and, most importantly, its children,” said LCUSD Superintendent Wendy Sinnette. “For over 11 years, Kevin has been a leader within the district and without his commitment to LCUSD, our progress on a multitude of initiatives and our efforts to create a learning community which serves the needs of all students would not have been realized with as much success. He has a deep appreciation and respect for the value of a high-quality public education.”
Martin served as a director for six years on the La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation’s board and was its president during the 2017-18 school year. During his year as president, family donor participation grew by more than 20 percent.
For the past five years, he has served as an LCFEF Endowment trustee. During his combined 11 years with the LCFEF Endowment, assets have more than tripled and are now worth more than $10 million. In his work with the LCFEF, Martin created the planned giving platform, led the search committee in the hiring of Executive Director Marilyn Yang, served on the Rose Harrington Educator of the Year selection committee, and instituted the popular semi-annual Breakfast with the Superintendent event.
Martin grew up in Glendale where his parents were teachers and school administrators. He graduated with honors from UCLA and moved to LCF nearly 25 years ago. He and his wife, Carrie, have been married for 19 years. They have two sons, Charlie and Andy, both of whom have benefitted from La Cañada public schools. Andy is currently a sophomore at La Cañada High School. Kevin is a managing director in the Private Wealth Management division at Morgan Stanley. For more than 35 years, Martin and his team have assisted their clients in protecting and growing their wealth and making informed financial planning decisions.
Martin’s volunteer work has extended beyond the LCF Educational Foundation. He served on both the successful Measure LC parcel tax campaign and Measure LCF bond campaign.
“His integral support for and leadership of the STEM and Robotics Lab at LCHS has resulted in volunteers raising over $145,000 for the club,” Sinnette said. “Kevin helped launch the LCHS mountain bike team and has served as a coach with the team for over three years. The team now has over 60 active members, many of whom would not be participating in an organized sport if not for the team.
“Finally, Kevin has served on both the LCUSD Superintendent’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and subsequently on the LCUSD DEI Oversight Committee where his thoughtful, respected and insightful perspectives have helped advance the district’s values of inclusion, wellness and belongingness as central tenets of the climate of care found on each school campus,” Sinnette added. “Always an advocate for students, Kevin has built a legacy of service and we are pleased and proud to have him as the 2023 Golden Apple recipient for LCUSD.”
Representatives from the 10 school districts comprising Region XV of the Association of California School Administrators will meet at a special breakfast ceremony on March 21 to present the awards.