Lily Matos DeBlieux

Dr. Lily Matos DeBlieux was born in New York, N.Y. where she attended elementary school and two years of high school. Her family then moved to Isabela, Puerto Rico where she completed high school and college. Lily’s educational preparation includes degrees in Elementary Education (BA), Educational Leadership and Supervision (MA and PHD), all from the University of Southern Mississippi and a BA in Business Administration from the University of Puerto Rico. Her experiences are varied and include serving as a teacher, elementary principal, middle school dean of students, assistant superintendent, adjunct university professor, English as a Second Language Instructor, director of religious education at a military base, business owner, and community volunteer. Lily owned a technology company for six years before returning to her true love: education. Dr. DeBlieux was appointed as the first bi-lingual, Latina Superintendent of the Pendergast Elementary School District in May 2014. She feels privileged to work in an environment with dedicated individuals and a Governing Board that supports “Empowering Excellence and Success.” In her spare time, Lily loves to spend time with family, read, travel, and serve her community. She is active in many community organizations including Leadership West and the Glendale Chamber of Commerce where she serves as a board member, the City of Phoenix Youth and Education Commission, and others. Lily is sought after as a motivational speaker, and in 2015, she founded the organization Si No Yo, Quien? to provide training to empower women to reach new heights in their personal and professional lives. Seeing a need to reduce the startling statistics of preventable deaths of children in Arizona, Lily co-founded the Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life Conference first held in January 2017 and then again in January 2018. This conference is the first of its kind in the state, attended by over 4,500 people. The conference has now become a movement that has now helped over 50,000 youth reduce bullying and teen suicide. The next conference will be in January 2019. Lily has been honored as the Non-profit Leader of the Year, West Valley Woman of the Year and AZ Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (AZALAS) Superintendent of the Year. Additionally, she has been chosen as the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) National Latina Superintendent of the Year and the Phoenix Business Journal’s Most Admired Leader Award, among other accolades. Lily has two children Joel, a Network Engineer and business owner living in Fort Myers, Florida and Dr. Linda, a Pharmacist living in Tucson, AZ. She is also the proud grandmother of Evangeline.