Ian Hanigan serves as chief communications officer for the Orange County Department of Education, overseeing the Communications and Media Services unit. Along with producing stories and videos for the OCDE Newsroom, this team facilitates copywriting, video production, media relations, graphic design, web design and event support for OCDE.
Prior to joining the department in 2015, Ian spent eight years as public information officer for the 30,000-student Irvine Unified School District. Before that, he was a local journalist, writing for the Long Beach Press-Telegram from 1999 to 2003 and the South Bay’s Daily Breeze newspaper from 2003 to 2006. His beats included education, city government, business and aerospace.
Sunburst Youth Academy paraeducator Raelene Velasquez has been named a 2026 California Classified School Employee of the Year and selected as the state’s sole nominee for the national RISE Award.
Orange County public school enrollment declined by about 1.7 percent in 2025–26, continuing a long-term trend that mirrors statewide and national patterns.