Four members of the Shenendehowa Central School district’s Board of Education took the oath of office Tuesday, July 8, at the district office in Clifton Park.
New board member Mary Blaauboer, returning board member Mary Wiggins and new officers all took the oath of office during the board of education’s annual reorganization meeting.
Blaauboer was elected in May to fill a vacancy created when Charles Huff left the board. She has been attending board meetings since her election to learn how the board governs.
Wiggins, who was re-elected after serving her first term on the board, was also sworn in during the meeting.
The board also voted for new officers for the president and vice president positions.
Former President Bill Casey nominated Janet Grey, who previously served as the board’s vice president, to be the president for the 2008-09 school year.
She appropriately gets involved, Casey said of Grey.
Grey is serving her second term on the board and her first year as president after the board unanimously voted for her to take the position.
`I appreciate Janet’s HR [human resources] background; it really makes a difference in what we do here,` Casey said.
He said her background has provided insight on candidates for principal in the past.
`I couldn’t be more proud to be in this seat, but I am more proud after both Bill and Gary [DiLallo] have sat in this seat,` Grey said. `What footsteps and shoes I have to fill.`
Sharon Bowles was elected unanimously by the board to serve as the vice president after being nominated by Gary DiLallo, who said he recommended she serve two years ago, however, she passed up the opportunity saying she was not ready for the position at the time.
`I can’t think of anybody who could do a better job,` said DiLallo.
Bowles is serving her first full term on the board, she served the remainder of Erika Reibel’s seat, which was vacated in 2005.
`I definitely respect the processes she goes through in making her choices,` DiLallo said of Bowles; although he said they do not always agree.
The board also assigned members to specific committees throughout the district and adopted staffing recommendations made by Michael Dutkowsky, assistant superintendent for human resources.
In addition to filling vacancies for the director of operations and athletic trainer positions, Dutkowsky made 24 other staffing recommendations to the board.“