Dr. Zaki, Principal

Dr. Salwa Zaki is the principal of Dianne Feinstein Elementary School in San Francisco, California, nestled between the Sunset and Parkside communities. Born in Egypt, and then raised in Southern California, she comes from a long line of educators--her grandparents, parents and brothers are all teachers. Her twenty-five years in education began in Fresno, CA, as a first grade teacher at Bethune Elementary. Dr. Zaki continued teaching in Las Vegas, and then was a principal there for ten years, culminating with the honor of opening Triggs Elementary School in 2010. During her years in Nevada, she was also adjunct faculty in Educational Leadership at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the University of Nevada, Reno. She served as Professional Learning Director for Washoe County School District  for seven years before moving to the Bay Area in 2019. Dr. Zaki co-authored Latinas in the Workplace: An Emerging Leadership Force (Stylus, 2011). She earned both her doctorate and master’s degrees in Educational Leadership from UN Las Vegas, her teaching credential from CSU Fresno, and her undergraduate degree from UC Irvine. Dr. Zaki is the proud parent of a UC San Diego junior, a high school senior and a fourth grader here in San Francisco. She and her family enjoy many outdoor activities such as snowshoeing, hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, rock climbing, and tennis. Indoor favorites include the symphony and theater.