Search Results - McKenna, George 1926-

George J. McKenna III

George J. McKenna III (born September 6, 1940) is an American politician and former educator currently serving as a member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education for District 1, a position he has held since 2014. Prior to his board tenure, McKenna served as the principal of George Washington Preparatory High School. During his tenure, he led reforms to address issues related to gang violence in the school. His initiatives at the school were recounted in the 1986 biographical film ''The George McKenna Story'' where he was portrayed by Denzel Washington.

By 1988, he was appointed to the Inglewood Unified School District as the superintendent, where he was later ousted from the District due to him clashing with the board. He served in various capacities in different school districts including on the Compton Unified School District and the Pasadena Unified School District. In 2014, he won a special election to succeed Marguerite LaMotte on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education after she died, serving until he announced his retirement in 2024. Provided by Wikipedia