New Hartford
Board of Education Members
Introduction:
The Board of Education is comprised of nine dedicated community volunteers who give their time and expertise to assure the high quality of education for New Hartford's school children. They are as follows:
Bryan Keilty has been a member of the BOE since December 2007 and was recently elected Chairperson of the BOE. Bryan is a 13-year resident of New Hartford. He is currrently the Chair, Ex-Officio Member of the Long-Range Planning Subcommittee. He has two boys who attend Bakerville Consolidated and Ann Antolini schools. Bryan is employed as a Vice President at United Investment Bankers, LLC, a residential and commercial lender/broker with a main office located in Hamden. Bryan is a strong advocate for quality public education, having attained all of his formal education at Connecticut public schools: a high school diploma from Region 6; and bachelor and law degrees from UCONN. Bryan is the Chairman for the Board of Education.
Sue Lundin has been a member of the BOE since September 2006. Sue also serves on the School Community Relations and Policy Subcommittee. Sue has resided in New Hartford since 1993. Before retiring in 2011, she was a Residential Manager for the State of CT Department of Developmental Services, overseeing residential services and supports for the West Region of DDS. Sue is a lifetime member and volunteer with the Girl Scouts and is an alumna and a member of the Board of Trustees of Springfield (MA) College.
Stephen Tuxbury is Vice Chairman of the Board of Education and has been a member of the Board for the past ten years. Mr. Tuxbury is a member of the Long Range Planning Subcommittee, Negotiations and Personnel Subcommittee, and Chairman of the Plant Facility and Transportation Subcommittee. He also served on the Town Building Committee for the Bakerville and New Hartford Elementary building projects. As a member of these committees, Mr. Tuxbury provides special insight and expertise related to building infrastructure, and he remains committed to assuring the safety and appropriateness of our schools' learning environments. Mr. Tuxbury is a General Superintendent for Tilcon, Connecticut. He lives with his wife, Lila, and their four children--Elizabeth, Ben, AnnMarie, and Zachary.
Katie Fisk Natale has been a resident of New Hartford for the past fifteen years and has been a member of the Board of Education for eight years. She lives with her husband, Justin Natale, whose two sons attended the New Hartford Public Schools. Dr. Natale was formerly an Education Manager at the Connecticut State Department of Education where she oversaw teacher and administrator assessment and induction programs. She is now an independent education consultant. Her interest in becoming a member of the New Hartford Board of Education stems from her knowledge of public policy and educational programs. Her abiding passions are to ensure that all of New Hartford's children achieve at high levels, and that the school system has the resources it needs to make that happen. Dr. Natale serves as Chair of the Personnel & Negotiations Subcommittee and the Long Range Planning Subcommittee. In addition to advocating for children in New Hartford, she also serves on the Board of Directors for Families-in-Crisis, a state-wide non-profit organization providing services to families of offenders and working to help at-risk children learn to succeed in school and in society.
(A Neil Tolhurst Photo)
Elaine Carmelich was elected to the board in November 2009. She is serving as Chairperson of the School Community Relations and Policy Subcommittee as well as chairing the Student Health and Safety Subcommittee. Elaine has lived in New Hartford for many years, and is now retired from her career as a library media specialist. Elaine has a BA from Bucknell University, an MLS from Southern Connecticut State University and has completed her coursework towards an MALS from Wesleyan University. She and her husband Richard, a retired public school superintendent and currently a professor at Sacred Heart University, are the parents of two grown children and the doting grandparents of three elementary aged grandsons. Elaine is on the Board of Directors of the Bakerville Library and a member of the BookFriends at the Licia and Mason Beekley Community Library. She is also a member of the Senior Center Advisory Council and the New Hartford Democratic Town Committee. Elaine believes that the New Hartford Public School System offers the students of New Hartford a quality education, and she is committed to maintaining that high standard with due consideration to the economic needs of the community.
Melissa Giaconia is a new member of the Board, joining in November 2011. She moved to New Hartford in 2007 and has been active in the schools ever since. She’s a regular volunteer in the Bakerville and Ann Antolini School libraries, a member of the Board of Education’s Community Conversation Project as well as a class room parent. She is currently a member of the Long-Range Planning Subcommittee, Negotiations and Personnel Subcommittee, and the School Community Relations and Policy Subcommittee. She served two years as the PTO Treasurer and co-chaired the PTO’s Cultural Enrichment Committee. Melissa has a B.S. degree in Finance with 10 years of experience in banking and investment operations. She has focused the last nine years on raising her two children with her husband Will.
Maria Watkins maria @watkinsdesigns.net
Maria Watkins is a 9-year resident of New Hartford, she lives with her husband Greg, and their two children who both attend Ann Antolini School. She is self-employed as a graphic designer and enjoys the flexibility of working from home, as it gives her the opportunity to be involved in her children's school. Maria currently volunteers for the New Hartford Public Schools in the library media center, and previously as a room parent, she is also involved in the Community Conversation Project. She sees the opportunity to serve on the Board of Education as a way to further contribute to our town's schools and children. She is a member of the Long-Range Planning Subcommittee and the School Community Relations and Policy Subcommittee. Maria believes the town of New Hartford is providing our children with a quality education and wants to ensure it continues to thrive.
Jen Zenuh is currently serving as a member on the Plant Facility and Transportation Subcommittee and the Student Health and Safety Subcommittee.
Joshua Adams is a new member of the Board of Education having joined in November 2011. He and his wife, Theresa, have lived in New Hartford for 12 years. They have two daughters in the New Hartford public school systems at Bakerville and Ann Antolini schools. Joshua is an engineering manager at Pratt & Whitney is East Hartford. Having three higher degrees in engineering, and working in a highly technical field, Joshua brings a practicing perspective to technology in education. He hopes to contribute to a continued success in this area. He is currently serving on the Negotiations and Personnel Subcommittee, Plant Facility and Transportation Subcommittee, and the Student Health and Safety Subcommittee.
