Get To Know Dr. Lisa Mumau, Steel Valley's new Director of Pupil Services

Each of us has a set of core beliefs that drives us in our careers and our daily lives.

For Dr. Lisa Mumau, those principles guide her every day as Steel Valley’s new Director of Pupil Services. They are values that have always been present in her life and career as an educator, but they were amplified while she was pursuing her doctorate in educational leadership at Duquesne University.

“Our principles at Duquesne are my guiding principles in life - that we lead with our mind, heart and spirit in a moment of action,” she said. “My belief at the core of everything would be our students - they are the most important stakeholders.”

When students are the focus of education and are given consistent support, they thrive.

“Everyone wins,” Dr. Mumau said. “It's a trajectory of moving forward in a team approach.  And together, we are stronger than just one intervention. We need to have all interventions at the table.”

Strengthening that support system in the Pupil Services department and ensuring the community has access to those resources is Dr. Mumau’s focus.

A Hempfield graduate, Dr. Mumau majored in psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, earned her master’s degree in educational counseling from California University of Pennsylvania, her administrative principal certificate from the University of Scranton, and her Director of Pupil Services certificate from Duquesune University. Dr. Mumau continued her educational learning journey with her doctorate in educational leadership from Duquesne University. She worked as a school counselor, alternative education coordinator, and had various leadership responsibilities in the Connellsville Area School District, Derry Area School District and Yough School District before she arrived at Steel Valley. 

A mentor and now a peer, Yough superintendent Dr. Janet Sardon was a strong advocate for Dr. Mumau’s leadership capacity which helped foster her continuous professional career growth. 

“She supported me, mentored me, and taught me how to build in my capacity as a leader,” Dr. Mumau said. “The best advice she ever gave me was to personally reflect as a leader daily. It’s in this reflection time that our best progress moving forward happens. While at Yough and in my leadership program at Duquense University, I was able to take a deeper dive into developing systems built around our students and community.”  

The Pupil Services Department in the Steel Valley School District supports students in special education, students who may need health accommodations, students identified for gifted and enrichment programs, students who are homeless or in foster care and students who are English Language Learners.  

Some of the programs and projects Dr. Mumau has been focused on recently include creating a continuum of services and resources for all students through supporting social and emotional learning interventions. 

“We have great programs here at the Steel Valley School District,” Dr. Mumau said.

These programs include the Student Assistance Program (SAP), School Based Mental Health Therapy through UPMC MonYough, contracted Behavioral Health Supports, a unique and student-centered program in which success coaches support students from the school to community. Dr. Mumau is passionate about giving students the tools, resources, and exposure to developmentally appropriate curriculum, multi-tiered academic and beahvioral interventions which will ultimately support career and future ready successes. 

A key component to making the programs the best are enhanced communications to families and engagement in the community. Dr. Mumau was part of the Steel Valley team that visited charter school families in the district over the summer. She’s also engaged with other families, just to listen to what they have to say. 

“They were so pleased, and so thankful that we took the time to build a conversation and a relationship, to give them the respect, courtesy and the time,” she said. “Because in this position, if you're good at problem solving, you're good at interpersonal skills and building relationships, you'll be able to support and lead the systems that we need to strengthen all learners academically, socially and emotionally.”