About Eric Dillie

Eric Dillie is an educator, school leader, and nonprofit board member who has spent 24 years helping schools work better for students and families across California and Texas. He lives in Livermore, California, and serves as Executive Director of Summit Public Schools: Tamalpais, a tuition-free 7th–12th grade public charter school in Richmond that earned a five-year charter renewal (2027–2032) in October 2026.

Where it started

Born and raised in Iowa, Eric is a first-generation college graduate who grew up in a blue-collar, labor-union household with parents who earned their GEDs. His parents taught him the value of education, and the care and attention he received from his own public school teachers led him into the profession. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from the University of Northern Iowa and his Master of Education in Educational Administration from the University of North Texas.

In the classroom

Eric began his career as a public school classroom teacher and coach in Texas, spending seven years teaching 6th- and 7th-grade history, humanities, and Gifted and Talented (GT) courses in Round Rock ISD and Coppell ISD while designing district GT curriculum and leading teacher professional development. He holds multiple teaching and administrative credentials in both California and Texas.

Leading schools

Eric Dillie's leadership career spans traditional public, private, and public charter schools. He served four years as a Campus Principal and network Director of Instruction at Winfree Academy Charter Schools across the Dallas–Fort Worth area, leading campus turnarounds and opening the network's Grand Prairie campus. After moving to Livermore in 2013, he served as Campus Principal of Livermore Valley Charter Preparatory High School (LVCP), leading a comprehensive turnaround in which LVCP was ranked #366 in the nation in Newsweek's 2015 Top 500 U.S. High Schools and won first place in an international computational math competition. He subsequently served as Director of International Programs at York Education Group and as Superintendent of Schools at Key Educational Group before becoming Executive Director of Summit Public Schools: Tamalpais in 2022. Explore his full career on the Experience page.

Serving the community & nonprofit boards

Eric serves on the Board of Directors of Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy in Hayward, the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa County Charter Coalition (5Cs), and the Board of Directors of the Livermore Valley Craft Beer Foundation. An active Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Livermore Valley, he previously served on the boards of the Rotarian Foundation of Livermore, Partners for Change Tri-Valley, Rising Young Leaders, and East Bay Home Ownership Opportunity. In 2022, Eric ran for the Alameda County Board of Education (Trustee Area 7), reflecting his commitment to strong public schools across the Tri-Valley and East Bay. Read the press coverage and letters of support on the Impact page.

Behind the mic

Eric is the producer and a co-host of Back Room Briefings—the #1 podcast for Bay Area politics and sports—alongside hosts Shawn Wilson and Dan Mendoza. Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@backroombriefings_podcast.