Named the 2025 ACSA Special Education Administrator of the Year, Dr. Julie Hong is an award-winning educational leader, author, and systems designer with over 21 years of experience across general, special, and alternative education. She currently serves as Director of Instructional Support, Innovation, and Competitive Advantage at the Riverside County Office of Education, where she leads systems that unify Alternative Education, Special Education, and career pathways through student-centered, future-ready design. She is the author of Toward Pedagogy-First AI Integration: A Conceptual Framework Grounded in Relevance to Rigor Flow and Pedagogy in the Loop. Her work advances a human-centered approach to AI integration that aligns with UNESCO’s emphasis on ethical, inclusive, and human-centered AI in education. She has led transformative change across three school districts and two county offices, building instructional coherence in diverse settings. Her work centers on AI Integrated Learning, Project-Based Learning, Universal Design for Learning, and Design Thinking. Dr. Hong also serves as Vice President of Membership for ACSA Region XIX, Past President-Elect of the SWAA Charter, board member for Mosaic Legacy, and CAAPLE mentor to aspiring administrators. She is known for Sparking Joy in Education and reimagining schools through purpose, people, and possibility.