School Board Members of Achievement Highlighted
The Central New York School Boards Association has announced its list of honored board members for 2020-21, recognizing their extraordinary service to public education and to their fellow board members.
This year’s recipients are Kathryn Carlson of the Cayuga County School Boards Association; Douglas Ann Land of the T-S-T County School Boards Association; Mark Mattison from the Oswego County School Boards Association; Peg Peri of the Cortland County School Boards Association, and Deb Kolod of the Onondaga County School Boards Association.
About our 2021 Recipients
Kathryn Carlson – Cayuga Onondaga School Board Association nominee Kathryn Carlson has served as a member of the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Board of Education for the last 13 years. During her tenure, Kathryn has been elected to represent and serve the Board as both their Vice President (4-years) and President (3-years). In addition, Ms. Carlson has served on the BOCES’ Audit Committee; and currently utilizes her wisdom, expertise and insight on the BOCES’ Policy Committee.
Douglas Ann Land – Prior to completing her active Board of Education service in 2018, Douglas served on the Board of Education for Trumansburg Central School as a member for 27-years. During that time period she was instrumental in hiring five superintendents of schools for Trumansburg, the completion of numerous capital projects totaling over $40 million, and helping to bring the current Universal Pre-Kindergarten program to fruition.
Mark Mattison – President of the Altmar-Parish-Williamstown Central School District. Mark is a dedicated member and leader of the APW Board. He is constantly seen at academic award presentations, sporting events, musicals & plays.
Peg Peri – Peg has served on the Cincinnatus Central School Board of Education since July 1, 2005. During this time, she has served several terms as President as well as Vice President. Peg was instrumental in initiating the district’s Strategic Plan. She has also been a mentor to new Board members.
Deborah Kolod – Debbie Kolod is a lifelong resident of the East Syracuse Minoa District, residing in East Syracuse. She and her husband, Chris, have three children who are ESM graduates. Mrs. Kolod works for Jamesville-DeWitt School District as a Typist II. She has an Associate’s Degree from Empire State College and is also an ESM graduate. She is serving her third term on the ESM Board of Education and is currently the Board of Education President.
Our 2019-2020 recipients were not recognized due to the pandemic shutdown. Last year’s winners include, Geralyn Huba of the Cayuga County School Boards Association; Sean Eversley Bradwell from the T-S-T County School Boards Association;
Darlene Upcraft of the Oswego County School Boards Association; and Ann Wright of the Onondaga County School Boards Association.
2019-2020 Recipients Were Also Honored
The COVID-19 pandemic prevented last year's recipients from receiving a formal presentation. Those winners wee also announced by Derrick Dorsey at the annual banquet.
About Our Honorees from 2019-2020
Dr. Sean-Eversley-Bradwel joined the ICSD Board in 2009. Prior to that Sean had been a Social Studies teacher at Ithaca's Lehman Alternative School. He went on to earn a PhD in Public Policy from Cornell, with a focus on educational policy.
Geralyn Huba – As an active, faithful member of the Skaneateles Board of Education from 2013 to 2020, Geralyn Huba was instrumental in helping the Skaneateles school district meet far-reaching challenges arising from the Great Recession.
V. Ann Wright – When V. Ann Wright passed away on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, she left a lifetime of volunteering and service to others that will benefit the Central New York educational community for years to come. Most of her work focused on the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES Board of Education, where she served 34-years, including nearly 27-years as Board of Education president, until just before the time of her death. Throughout that time, she was a passionate and tireless advocate for OCM BOCES and a true believer in the valuable services it provides for thousands of students and educators in the region.
Darlene Upcraft – Darlene is a dedicated member of the Oswego County School Boards Association, where she’s been named as the 2020 Oswego County Board Member of the Year. Since 1996, she has served on the Mexico Academy and Central School District (MACS) Board of Education (BOE), where she has served as vice president for the last seven years and has offered her time on the policy, facilities, website, capital projects, technology and school-based health center committees.
Each of these board members has gone above and beyond their call of duty. The work that needed to be accomplished was so important, as district’s were plagued by so many unforeseen challenges because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
