People Watch

School Administrator, June 2020

John J. Buckey
John Buckey will become the superintendent of the Marblehead School District in Marblehead, Mass. He has been the principal of Nantucket High School in Nantucket, Mass., since 2008 and was named Massachusetts High School Principal of the Year in 2012. Previously, he served as the principal of Littleton High School in Littleton, Mass. Buckey is a past president of the Massachusetts School Administrators Association. He earned his Ed.D. in educational administration and organizational leadership from Northeastern University. Buckey has been a member of AASA since 2015.
 



Clint Christopher
The Muscatine School District in Muscatine, Iowa, has appointed Clint Christopher as its new superintendent. Christopher has served as superintendent for the 9,700-student Eastern Carver County School District in Chaska, Minn., since 2017 and previously was its associate superintendent for three years. An educator for 23 years, Christopher earlier worked as an assistant superintendent in Moline, Ill., and began as an elementary school teacher in North Scott, Iowa. He joined AASA in 2014.
 





Thomas G. Farrell
Joining the 9,000-student school district in Brick Township, N.J., as superintendent is Thomas Farrell. Since 2013, Farrell has worked as superintendent of the Shore Regional School District in West Long Branch, N.J. He previously was a principal at New Egypt High School in New Egypt, N.J. He came to education from business, having served as executive vice president at Atlantic Lighting in Edison, N.J., for seven years. An AASA member since 2013, Farrell completed his Ed.D. in leadership at Monmouth University.
 

 


Jessica Schmettan
After serving as assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the Port Jefferson Union Free School District in Port Jefferson, N.Y., Jessica Schmettan has transitioned into the district’s superintendency. Before joining Port Jefferson in 2016, Schmettan was the assistant superintendent for elementary curriculum and instruction in the Sachem Central School District in Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y. Earlier she was literacy coordinator for five ele-mentary schools in the Three Village Central School District in Stony Brook, N.Y., and a teacher in Setauket, N.Y. She has been an AASA member since 2019.
 

 


Jason D. Thomson
Jason Thomson has begun his new role as superintendent of the Ichabod Crane Central School District in Valatie, N.Y. Prior to taking this post, he was superintendent of the Delaware Academy Central School District in Delhi, N.Y., for nine years and served as principal of a K-12 school, director of curriculum and director of special education in Franklin, N.Y. Earlier, he worked as a dean in Walton, N.Y. Before moving into education, Thomson was a personal trainer for Yoko Ono for a year. He has been a member of AASA since 2012.
 




Julie Trepa
The Boone Community School District in Boone, Iowa, has welcomed Julie Trepa as its new superintendent. Trepa has spent the last three years as a shared superintendent of two Iowa districts: West Monona Community School District in Onawa and West Harrison Community School District in Mondamin. She previously was the principal at Paul Norton Elementary School in Bettendorf, Iowa. An AASA member since 2017, Trepa is part of AASA’s 2021 West cohort for the National Superintendent Certification Program.
 




APPOINTMENTS
Stephen D. Butz, from superintendent, Southeast Delco School District, Folcroft, Pa., to director of career and technical education, Delaware County Intermediate Unit, Morton, Pa.
Kimberley Cantu, from deputy superintendent to superintendent, Mansfield, Texas
Thomas W. Kenworthy, from assistant superintendent to superintendent, Portsmouth, R.I.
Andy Kohl, from assistant superintendent to superintendent, Warrensburg, Mo.
Troy Marnholtz, from superintendent, Chilhowee, Mo., to assistant superintendent, Warrensburg, Mo.
Christopher Montini, from assistant superintendent to superintendent, Naugatuck, Conn.
Ryan P. Pacatte, from assistant superintendent of instruction and student learning, Palmyra-Macedon Central School District, Palmyra, N.Y., to superintendent, Avon, N.Y.
Robby Parker, from superintendent, Madison, Ala., City School District to principal, Whitesburg Christian Academy, Huntsville, Ala.
Matt Pearce, from assistant superintendent to superintendent, Republic, Mo.
Jesse Rodriguez, from superintendent, Proviso Township High Schools District 209, Forest Park, Ill., to superintendent, Zion-Benton Township High School District 126, Zion, Ill.
Andrew S. Wise, from superintendent, Olympia Community Unit School District 16, Stanford, Ill., to superintendent, Center Cass School District 66, Downers Grove, Ill.
 

RETIREMENTS
Mat Bottoms, superintendent, Carteret County, N.C.
Gary Cialfi,
superintendent, Trumbull, Conn.
Brent Colbry,
superintendent, Skowhegan, Maine
Jacque Cowherd,
superintendent, Fulton, Mo.
Walter Davie,
superintendent, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Jeff Eakins,
superintendent, Hillsborough County, Fla.
Teresa Fabricius,
superintendent, Fruitland, Idaho
John George,
executive director, Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, Norristown, Pa.
Robert Hanger,
superintendent, Palmyra, Neb.
Paula Hawley,
superintendent, Pikeland Community School District 10, Pittsfield, Ill.
Lyle Holiday,
superintendent, Windham Southeast Supervisory Union, Brattleboro, Vt.
Scott Howard,
superintendent, Butler County, Ky.
Kathy Kelly,
superintendent, Columbia Heights, Minn.
Scott Patrick,
superintendent, Warrensburg, Mo.
Michelle Saylor,
superintendent, Bellefonte, Pa.
Karen Sullivan,
superintendent, Indian Prairie School District, Aurora, Ill.
Chance Wistrom,
superintendent, Republic, Mo.
 

News about AASA members’ promotions, retirements, honors and deaths should be addressed to: Editor, School Administrator, 1615 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Fax: 703-841-1543. E-mail: magazine@aasa.org