Employment History

Superintendent of Schools, Seneca Valley School District
Harmony, PA • 2011 – present 

Superintendent of Record, Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School
Butler, PA (position rotates among seven districts) • 2014 – 2015

Superintendent of Record, Clarence Brown Education Center 
Butler, PA (position rotates among five districts) • 2012 - 2013

Assistant Superintendent, Seneca Valley School District 
Harmony, PA • 2007 – 2011

Principal, Ryan Gloyer Middle School (a National Blue Ribbon Middle School and "A School to Watch" in Pennsylvania)                                         
Harmony, PA • 2004 – 2007

Assistant Principal, Ryan Gloyer Middle School                                                                               
Harmony, PA • 2002 – 2004                                                                                                                                   

Assistant Principal, Coatesville Area Senior High School                                                                            
Coatesville, PA • 2001-2002   

English & Gifted Ed.Teacher, Elizabeth Forward High School                                                                     
Elizabeth, PA • 1997-2000

English Teacher, Shelby City Middle School                                                                             
Shelby, NC • 1996-1997

English Teacher, Purchase Line Jr. Sr. High School                                                               
Commodore, PA • 1993-1996

 

Skills

• Online Instructor Certification – Penn State University (World Campus), Oct 2015
• Online Instructor Certification – Slippery Rock University, March 2011
• Mentor & Internship Advisor for many Superintendent and Doctoral Candidates at the University of Pittsburgh (2015-2021)
• Graduate of Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Dr. Pedro Rivera's Superintendent Academy, Cohort 1 2016-2018 National Institute for School Leadership (NISC)
• Budget experience with Act 1 & Pennsylvania public ed. financial crisis in 2008
• Strong understanding and experience in public relations, public education advocacy, business partnerships & workforce development
• Solid understanding of personnel selection, training & supervision
• Working knowledge of school district organizational leadership & strategic planning
• Expert in research-based hiring processes that are legally defendable
• Interview and hire applicants with a strong understanding of state and federal laws as they relate to being an Equal Opportunity Employer
• Remediate and design Plans of Improvement for ineffective teachers
• Create & conduct staff development programs
• Experience in evaluating and revitalizing gifted education programs
• Union strike experience, very knowledgeable about Act 88 & school strike laws

 

Research & Educational Travel

• Classrooms Without Borders, Poland, Summer 2023, 10-day scholarship seminar to study the Holocaust in Warsaw & Krakow with a Holocaust survivor, visited ghetto sites, concentration death camps and memorials
• Finland & Estonia School Systems, 2019, summer school leader study with Fulbright Scholar Petteri Elo, 26 US educators, only representative from Pennsylvania public schools
• School Superintendent Assessment (SSA) Standard Setting Study, Dec. 2018 for 2019 SSA National Exam, Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton, NJ; selected by ETS to be on a national review board to set standard cut off scores for Superintendent Letter of Eligibility, Post-Doctoral students to take the SSA
• Doctoral Research - An Analysis of Teacher Selection Tools in Pennsylvania, 2009
• Master of Education Thesis – Teachers of the Gifted in Pennsylvania: Knowledge of the Nature and Needs of Gifted Students; Surveyed 100 randomly selected districts across the state of Pennsylvania in order to evaluate teacher knowledge and training in gifted education; resulting in a 70-page report presented to the Department of Education, 2000

 

Grants & Foundation Work

• Founded the SV Foundation a 501c3 to support the Seneca Valley School District
• SV Foundation Education Improvement Tax Credits since 2013-2014 school year = approx. $500,000
• Learning 2025, AASA Demonstration Systems - 2022 Grable Foundation $18,000, Tugboat Grant $32,250, 2023 Grable Foundation $14,231, Tugboat Grant $25,000
• 2016 Educational Improvement Tax Credit $29,000
• 2015 Educational Improvement Tax Credit $29,000
• 2015 AIU3 STEAM grant in the amount of $20,000 to create an interactive SMALL (Situated Multimedia Arts Learning Lab) Lab
• 2014 Pennsylvania Department of Education Safe Schools Grant $56,000
• 2012 ALCOA Foundation Lead to Learn Metacognition Thinking Skills $15,000
• 2012 ALCOA Foundation Math Collaborative $25,000
• 2011 ALCOA Foundation STEM Initiatives & 21st Century Thinking Skills $21,000

 

Honors/Awards

• 2022 Distinguished Educator Award, University of Pittsburgh, Tri-State Study Council
• 2017 (Dec.) Commencement Speaker, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh
• 2017 Distinguished Female Educator Award in honor of Dr. Jean E. Winsand, University of Pittsburgh, Tri-State Study Council
• 2016 Pittsburgh ATHENA Award Finalist (Athena National recognizes exceptional women who demonstrate excellence in their profession, contribute to their community and help other women to succeed through mentorship)
• 2016 University of Pittsburgh Distinguished Alumni Award, Pre-K-12 Educator
• 2015 Pittsburgh ATHENA Award Nominee 
• 2012 National Blue Ribbon Middle School
• 2006 Don Eichhorn Award Winner, Recognized as one of the Best Middle Schools in the State of Pennsylvania, Ryan Gloyer Middle School
• Accomplishments as an Assistant Principal highlighted in 2003 feature story in the Philadelphia Inquirer
• 1999 All-Star Teacher, University of Pittsburgh & Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Presentations & Public Speaking Events

• Jean Winsand Women’s Leadership Institute, Tri-State Area School Study Council, University of Pittsburgh, Featured Speaker: “Negotiating Your Next Employment Contract – Preparation, Etiquette and Taboo," April 2015
• Verizon Women’s Leadership Conference, Featured Panelist on Education and Leadership – Oct 2013
• Jean Winsand Women’s Leadership Institute, Tri-State Area School Study Council, University of Pittsburgh, Featured Panelist: “Our Changing 'Business' - is Education really a 'Business'?,” April 2012
• Rotary Club Guest Speaker (Cranberry Township AM & PM club, Zelienople, PA)

 

Professional Affiliations & Boards

• Executive Director of the Seneca Valley Foundation (501c3 non-profit)
• Butler Health System Board of Directors (Jan. 2018 - 2021)
• Highmark Western Regional Advisory Board (2014-present)
• Community Development Corporation (CDC) of Butler County Board of Directors; Named #1 Small Economic Development Agency in Pennsylvania (2015 - 2023)
• Member of The Western Pennsylvania Superintendent’s Forum, University of Pittsburgh (Must be nominated and approved by the Board of Officers) 
• Western Pennsylvania Superintendent's Forum, University of Pittsburgh Executive Committee (2022)
• Duquesne University School of Education Community Advisory Board (2018 - present)
• Penn State Education Outreach Advisory Board (2014 - present)
• Tri-State Area School Study Council, Executive Board, University of Pittsburgh (2015 - present)
• Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators - PASA (Membership Chair 2014-15, Advocacy Committee 2020-Present)
• National Association of Secondary School Administrators
• Association for Supervision and Curriculum and Development – ASCD