Meet Chris Lowe
A PYLUSD graduate.
A current PYLUSD parent.
An educator.
A community leader.
I'm a product of Placentia-Yorba Linda schools.
I attended Van Buren Elementary, Kraemer Middle School, and Valencia High School. I embraced every part of school life—serving in student government, wrestling on the varsity team, founding Valencia's Interact Club, organizing blood drives, and looking for ways to contribute to my school and community.
After graduating from Valencia, I earned my degree from Cal State Fullerton and later an MBA from Chapman University.
Today, I live in Yorba Linda and have three boys.
Two graduated from PYLUSD schools, and one currently attends Yorba Linda High School. It's been rewarding to watch my sons experience many of the same opportunities that meant so much to me growing up.
My career has centered on education, leadership, and service.
I currently teach at Chapman University and serve as Director of Education at the Richard Nixon Foundation, where I oversee educational programs for students from across Orange County, including many from Placentia-Yorba Linda.
One of the things I appreciate most about teaching is that I get to see the results of K-12 education. Every semester, students arrive in my classroom with the skills, habits, confidence, and preparation they developed long before they got to college.
I've also served eight years on the Placentia City Council, including two terms as Mayor, and held leadership roles with The Walt Disney Company. I've worked with multi-million-dollar budgets. I've led teams. I've helped move large projects from idea to reality. And I've spent years working with people who don't always agree but still need to find a way forward.
Looking back, many of the opportunities I've had in life can be traced back to the foundation I received in PYLUSD. I want every child to have access to the same kind of opportunities that helped shape my future.
A kid who walked to Van Buren Elementary became...
Mayor of Placentia, who helped reopen a neighborhood elementary school
CSU Student Trustee representing 400,000 students
Disney executive negotiating with governments around the world
Chair of the Orange County Fire Authority
Assistant Dean and Founding Director of the master in RE Program
Professor at Chapman University teaching graduate students
Director of Education at the Richard Nixon Foundation
The opportunities I found in PYLUSD helped shape the course of my life.
Today's students deserve those same opportunities.
That means staying focused on what matters most: strong schools, great teachers, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and decisions that keep students at the center of every discussion.
10 Year Award from Disney
Final 2026 Capstone Class winning team in the Masters of Real Estate Program at Chapman University
Celebrating RJ's First Year at Boise State University
Early Reader
Building of Special Recovery Rooms for Children's Hospital in Shanghai
Celebrating Governor Pete Wilson's 90th Birthday
Barbara Hackman Franklin, Former US Secretary of Commerce
Day at Angel Stadium
Capstone Course at Chapman University
Afternoon Out with the Boys
Honored to be Selected as Cooper's Hero
Varsity Wrestling at Valencia High School
Go Sprints!