Meet Troy Tenhet, OCE associate superintendent

February 27, 2026

Troy Tenhet, associate superintendent for the Office of Correctional Education (OCE), knows exactly when he found his calling.

After a career working in the trades, Dr. Tenhet taught sixth grade for several years, moonlighting as an adult high school teacher during the evenings at the Lerdo Correctional Facility, operated by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.

“One night I’m setting up for class, and the guys, all wearing orange, are coming in,” Tenhet said. “Somebody behind me clears his throat and says, ‘I’m so sorry, Mr. Tenhet.’ And I thought, what in the world?” He turned around and saw two of his former sixth-grade students standing there.

“That broke my heart,” Tenhet said. He told them they didn’t have to apologize, and said, “Look at you standing in a classroom, you’re doing the right thing. So have a seat and buckle up. Let’s get to work.”

It was in that moment, Tenhet decided to shift gears. He explored education opportunities at CDCR and started in 2017 as a teacher at California State Prison, Corcoran. He worked as an assistant principal and principal at California State Prison, Los Angeles County, before becoming an associate superintendent in January 2025. In his current role, he is supporting education administrators in CDCR’s Region III to enhance teaching and learning across all Office of Correctional Education program areas.

Growing up in the trades

Tenhet grew up in a family immersed in construction. His stepfather was a contractor, and Tenhet and his three brothers helped on projects.

“I remember my buddies getting happy about summer,” he said. His summers were different. “We would gather rocks, build houses, and clear brush.”

He started in the trades in the 1990s, working in the Bay Area on welding, pipe fitting, and rigging crews. His projects included refineries, steel mills, and cogeneration plants.

One of Tenhet’s final projects was with the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He said this cutting-edge project was the only time he worked on a composite crew, a multi-disciplinary team of workers from different union classifications assigned together to increase efficiency. The collaborative nature of the work is something he continues to appreciate in his current role.

“The close teamwork with Region III Associate Director Bryan Phillips, Region III Regional Health Care Executive Michael Whittaker, and the Region III wardens underscores our commitment to one mission, one team,” Tenhet said. “Having custody and health care work in close coordination with education is an effective combination for changing lives.”

Education and the CDCR mission

Teachers had a big impact in Tenhet’s life from an early age.

“I could name them all. They stepped up for me, and this has always been part of who I am,” he said. “Their belief in me is something that has stayed with me when I got into education.”

Tenhet went to college at night, eventually earning his Doctorate in Education in educational leadership in 2014 from California State University, Fresno. He sees the transition from being a pipe fitter and welder to educating an incarcerated population as a continuation of the valuable impact his teachers had in his development as an instructional leader.

“The two are not so different. I’m a builder, and the materials I work with have changed. So, whereas I built piping systems, now I build organizational, human capacity,” he said.

Tenhet also notes that while career and technical education (CTE) and academic instruction may seem to be different realms, the principles, in terms of teaching, are very similar.

“I view my role as an overseer, advocate, thought partner, and supporter,” he said. “I monitor data, as it drives decision-making, and provide training and guidance to all things related to teaching and learning, which is our prime directive.”

Tenhet is proud of the ripple effect of his job and how it supports CDCR’s mission of successful reentry.

“Let’s say I’m working with a site principal. The principal influences the assistant principal because of what I’m doing. The assistant principal is influencing the teachers. The teachers are influencing the students. The students are reaching that higher ground when they get reintegrated into society, and they’re influencing their families and communities.”

Story by Mary Xjimenez, information officer II
Office of Public and Employee Communications
Photos by Hugh Neely, TV specialist
California State Prison, Corcoran

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