Gilbert Brings Student-First Focus to New Riverside Leadership Role

When Cameron Gilbert stepped into his new role at Riverside High School, he brought with him 16 years of experience in education, coaching, and athletics administration – but he said his primary focus has always remained the same: students. Gilbert has been hired as Riverside High School’s new assistant principal and athletic director, a position that allows him to combine his passion for education and athletics while taking the next step in his career. “I was looking to advance my career into administration as an assistant principal, and the opportunity to step into that leadership role while continuing my passion as an athletic director presented itself as the perfect fit,” Gilbert said.

Superintendent Ken Russell said Gilbert stood out from an extremely competitive pool of candidates because of his student-centered approach, leadership experience, and vision for Riverside athletics. “Out of an extremely competitive pool of candidates, we selected Cameron because of his clear focus on students, a clear and inspirational vision for our overall athletic program, communication and organizational skills, knowledge and experience from serving as the AD (Athletic Director) in Deer Park for five years, versatility and certification necessary to serve as both the AD and assistant principal, and his desire to be part of TEAM Riverside,” Russell said.

Gilbert's path into education began long before he became an administrator. He grew up in Auburn, Wash., where he graduated from high school, and comes from a family with deep roots in education. “I am a third-generation educator, so teaching is truly in my blood,” Gilbert said. He said his grandmother taught for 45 years, beginning in a oneroom schoolhouse in central Kansas. His mother spent 36 years teaching music education, his father taught band and choir for 30 years, and his sister is in her 24th year of teaching. Despite that family history, Gilbert said his own decision to pursue education became clear during his junior year of high school, when he served as a teacher's assistant in his aunt's kindergarten classroom.

“Working with those students under her guidance – and watching the profound impact my parents had on their own students – made me realize my true calling in life was to do the same,” he said. Gilbert spent the past 16 years working in Deer Park, where he served as a teacher, coach, and athletic director. His coaching experience included 33 sports seasons involving basketball, football, and track and field. He also taught special education physical education and worked as a resource math teacher at Deer Park High School for six years before serving as the district's athletic director for five years. Those experiences have shaped his philosophy as both an educator and administrator. “No matter what role you hold in athletics or education, the fundamental key to success is simple: you must work hard and love people,” Gilbert said.

As assistant principal, Gilbert said he will work with the Riverside leadership team to support the district's vision and mission and help provide students with a positive high school experience. His approach to working with students centers on three simple principles. “Love, compassion, and accountability,” he said. “We all make mistakes – what truly makes the difference is how we move forward together.” Gilbert said he believes accountability and support go hand in hand. Students, he said, need to know that the adults working with them genuinely care about who they are and who they can become. That student-first philosophy is one of the qualities Russell said he believes Gilbert will bring to Riverside. “Cameron is a huge advocate for students. He always keeps students and their learning at the center of his work,” Russell said.

“He is also extremely organized, bringing with him efficient and effective systems related to scheduling, budgeting, coach development, student leadership opportunities, and communication.” Gilbert said one of the challenges facing today's high school students is the pressure to measure themselves against expectations created by social media. “Our job as administrators is to support students in their passions, allow them to be who they dream to be, and back up their goals with real opportunities to achieve them,” he said. Building relationships will be an important part of his work at Riverside. “Being present and visible,” Gilbert said. “Students, staff, and families won't believe in you if you aren't there to support them and show them through your daily actions that you care.”

As athletic director, Gilbert said he hopes to build upon the foundation already established at Riverside rather than coming in with the idea of changing everything. “I don't necessarily want to come in and change things, because that implies things were being done wrong,” he said. “What I want to do is take the great things already in place, fine-tune them, and put my personal spin on them.” He said his vision centers on developing a culture around three core values: hard work, a positive attitude, and servant leadership. Gilbert said he believes athletics offers students lessons that extend far beyond the playing field. “It teaches them that they are stronger than they think they are, and that they can do hard things,” he said. “Athletics teaches many life lessons, but the greatest are how to respond to adversity and how to work alongside others to achieve great things.” A successful athletic program cannot be measured solely by wins and losses, Gilbert said.

“There are many intangible growth markers that define a successful program,” he said. He also places significant importance on the role of coaches in shaping student athletes. “Coaches are the most important part of the experience,” Gilbert said. “Oftentimes, coaches spend more waking hours with student athletes during a season than the players' own parents do.” Russell said Gilbert will help Riverside develop their athletic programs. “Cameron will help us create a five-year vision that inspires our coaches, student athletes, parents, staff, and greater community to elevate every aspect of our athletic program,” Russell said. Although much of Gilbert's professional life has revolved around education and athletics, there is more to him than his résumé might suggest. Gilbert said he and his wife, Leah, have been married for 21 years. The couple met at Northwest Nazarene University and later returned to Spokane to begin their careers.

They are parents to their daughter, Addison, who joined their family through foster care at six weeks old and was adopted 13 years ago. Outside of school, Gilbert said he enjoys golfing, camping with his family, spending time with his church family, and, more recently, bowling. He also has a musical side. Despite spending much of his career as a coach and athletic director, Gilbert originally went to college intending to become a band teacher. In high school, he said he participated in band, jazz band, marching band, and multiple choirs, while also playing sports. He later competed in the shot put at Northwest Nazarene University and still sings on the worship team at North Church in Spokane. Gilbert said his aunt and mother were two of the biggest influences on his career. Both held high expectations for their students while making sure those students knew they were cared for. That is the same kind of impact he said he hopes to have at Riverside. When asked what he would hope students would say about him after his first year, Gilbert had a simple answer: “He cared about us no matter what.”

For his first year, Gilbert said he wants to learn more about Riverside students and find ways to foster their growth, both in athletics and in the classroom. His long-term goal is ambitious: “For Riverside to be recognized as the absolute best rural school district in the region,” he said. Russell said Gilbert fits in seamlessly. “Cameron is already fitting in extremely well with our TEAM Riverside culture,” Russell said. “He values relationships and community, all in the name of providing a well-rounded, high quality education for our students.” Gilbert said he measures success not only by accomplishments, but by the difference he can make in a student's life. “If I can reach just one student and help change their outlook on life – helping them see that they can be a better version of themselves than they ever thought possible – then the year will be a success,” he said.