Andrea Mallen is new Oak Park principal

It will be a homecoming of sorts when Andrea Mallen takes over as principal of Oak Park High School on July 1.

When Mallen replaces Lynn McCormack, who is retiring, she will return to the Conejo Valley where she lived and worked for more than 25 years. In 2004 she left the area to be an assistant principal at Palm Desert High School, which has 2,100 students, nearly double the number at Oak Park.

Mallen said she enjoyed her work in Palm Desert and may consider retiring there, but wanted to return to the Conejo Valley to be closer to her grown children, father and other relatives.

"My life has been in Ventura County since 1978, so for those reasons I am excited to be home," said Mallen, 54. "I know Oak Park very well. It's a great little community. My sister lived in Oak Park years ago, and it was fun watching the whole community grow."

Prior to working in Palm Desert, Mallen was the founding principal of the High School at Moorpark College, established in 2000 as a collaborative effort between Moorpark College and the Moorpark Unified School District to allow students to earn a high school diploma while also gaining college credits. Before that Mallen spent 12 years as a counselor at Moorpark High School.

Mallen and her family lived in Newbury Park for many years. Her two children, daughter Alex, 24, and son Blake, 27, graduated from Newbury Park High School. Mallen and her husband, a retired law enforcement officer, will now live in Calabasas.

Mallen was one of five candidates considered for the Oak Park job. Her extensive experience in high school administration and counseling will be invaluable, said Oak Park Superintendent Tony Knight.

"Andi is highly regarded in her current district and was also held in high esteem in Moorpark. Her references were outstanding. She brings a wealth of high school experiences, and her background in counseling will be invaluable," Knight said.

Mallen said she is aware of the financial challenges facing the Oak Park Unified School District.

"We go into this with children as our clientele, and to have to deal with these other issues is difficult," Mallen said. "Aside from budget woes, which is not different from anywhere else, Oak Park is doing well in just about everything,"

Mallen, born in New York, graduated from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys and earned her undergraduate degree in liberal arts from Pepperdine University in Malibu. She received a master's degree in education, counseling and guidance from Cal State Northridge in 1989.

Mallen has several educational and counseling credentials, including one in administrative services from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. Early in her career she taught at several elementary and middle schools.

"I'm looking forward to being at Oak Park, getting a feel for how programs are run and contributing whatever I can," Mallen said.