.
The
Mohonasen
Foundation for Excellence, Inc.
P.O. Box 4207
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OUR BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
The
Board of Directors is composed of members of the Mohonasen community who
wish to actively contribute to the education of its students. Directors
must be at least 18 years of age and may not be employees of the
district.
The
insight of district parents and alumni interested in advancing the
quality of their children’s educational experiences benefit students
and the foundation. Past Mohonasen Board of Education members and
individuals that represent the ethnic and cultural diversity of the
community are encouraged to bring their unique perspectives to the
board. The Foundation benefits from the
Directors’
terms are for two years which are served without compensation. Sharing
your valuable time and skills the Mohonasen Foundation for Excellence is
The
current Board of Directors is
composed of eleven members who meet
Joe Anderson began teaching Social Studies at Mohonasen High School in 1957 and retired after 34 years of service in 1991. He graduated from Albany State where he earned a BA and MA in Social Studies. At various times in his career he coached Junior Varsity basketball, freshman basketball, volleyball and golf. He married a district art teacher, the former Annette Thisse. They have six children and nine grandchildren. Joe enjoys camping, fishing, golf and his gym membership. Joe joined the board of directors of the Mohonasen Foundation in 2007.
BILL
BAKER
Mr. Baker was
educated in the Schenectady School System, graduating from Mont Pleasant
High School in 1951. He continued his education, graduating from
Springfield College with a bachelor's degree in physical education and
from SUNY Albany with a master's degree in school administration. He is
married to Lois Sigsbee
Baker. They have four children: Deborah Baker Wilday, a teacher and
coach in the Galway School District; Dennis, a manufacturing engineer
for Focus Golf in Greenville, SC; Kim, a manager for the Times Union in
Albany; and Roger, a policeman in New London, CT. Mr. Baker began his
teaching career at Mohonasen in 1957 (the first year of centralization),
teaching health, physical education and driver education classes. While
at Mohonasen, he coached varsity basketball for 24 years, varsity
baseball, varsity golf, varsity volleyball and varsity girls soccer. He
was also athletic director at Mohonasen from 1972 to 1986, serving as
president of the regional athletic directors association in 1974.
Mr. Baker retired from Mohonasen in 1988. Other activities include
working as a soccer referee at both the scholastic and college level for
20 years. He is a member of the Belllevue Reformed Church, serving as
vice president of the church Consistory. He also enjoys woodworking,
golf, and chairing the Foundation's annual
golf tournament, it's major fundraising event.
Chip (Norman) Cornish has been highly visible in the Mohonasen community since 1968 when he began as a teacher at Bradt School. As a sixth grade science teacher at Draper Middle School, Chip was known for using the school's observatory to maximum advantage when integrated into the science curriculum. He conducted special observatory programs for his students, science club members and curious parents. Since Mr. Cornish retired from Mohonasen in 2002, he has directed his time to family, community service, and a coin business. As Grants Director of the Mohonasen Foundation, Chip feels right at home when he visits teachers who have applied for Foundation grants.
JOHN
GAHAN
John Gahan joined the Foundation in 2006 after a long history with Mohonasen which started in 1961 in the first grade at the John Bigsbee Elementary School and culminated with graduation from Mohonasen in 1973. John received is BS in Accounting from Bryant College in 1977 and started with the NYS Health Department after graduation. Currently he is the Assistant Director with the Bureau of Primary and Acute Care Reimbursement with the Department of Health. He got involved as a volunteer with Mohonasen when his daughter Christina started school. She has recently received both her undergraduate and MBA degree from Union College. He has been chairman of the budget review committee, co-chair of Elementary Reorganization Committee, initial member of Goals the 2000
Initiative, as well as serving on the Board of Education for 11 years, three years as its president. His goal as a member of the Foundation is to help it increase its exposure and money raising ability so that it can provide grants to support unique academic initiatives to further the educational experience of our Mohonasen students.
MARY
KAY KOMARINSKI
Mrs. Komarinski
serves as the Mohonasen Foundation's secretary. She was raised in
Toledo, Ohio and received a bachelor’s degree in political science
from Wheeling Jesuit University. While attending college, she met her
husband, Peter. In 1973, her family moved to the Capital District,
settling in Rotterdam. In 1988, Mrs. Komarinski received her master's
degree in special education. Since then, she has been a special
education teacher in the Shenendehowa Central School District. All five
of her children; Mark, Derrick, Scott, Allen and Kathleen, graduated
from Mohonasen. The four oldest have all graduated from college, with
Scott receiving his MBA from the University of Delaware.
Kathleen is a sophomore at Catholic University of America. Both
Mr. and Mrs. Komarinski have been involved in community activities. Mrs.
Komarinski has been a volunteer with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. She
is very active at St. Gabriel’s Church, serving on the parish council
for many years and as a religious education teacher.
For the past ten years, she has assisted with the youth choir.
She has served on several committees at Mohonasen, including as a
facilitator for the EPIC parenting program.
PATRICIA
NOVAK
Mrs. Novak was elected to the Foundation’s
Board in 2000 and is currently serving as president.
In that capacity, she
orchestrates the foundation's grant program, development activities and
alumni relations. She considers her participation on the Board as an opportunity
for continued involvement in maintaining the excellence of education for
Mohonasen students.
DONALD
PANGBURN
Mr. Pangburn became
affiliated with the Foundation in 2002 and is currently serving as the
assistant secretary. Mr. Pangburn is a graduate of Hope College,
Holland, Michigan; the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, NJ and the
Rutgers University School of Law. He is a licensed attorney. Mr.
Pangburn is a retired pastor in the Reformed Church of America, having
served on Long Island, the US Virgin Islands, Brooklyn, Troy and, most
recently, the Bellevue community in Schenectady from 1987 to 2001. Mr.
Pangburn serves his community as a member of the Town of Rotterdam
Ethics Board and as a member of the Rotterdam Sunrise Rotary. He
provides pro bono legal assistance to not-for-profit and community
groups such as the Schenectady Inner City Ministry, Bethesda House and
ARISE. Mr. Pangburn resides in Rotterdam with his wife, Demitra Tulla
Pangburn, a retired teacher of 30 years.
They have three children and are the grandparents of three
Mohonasen students, Chloe, Phoebe and Alex Hester.
CRAIG
W. RADLIFF
Mr. Radliff
is the Foundation's vice president. He grew up in the Schenectady area and graduated from Mohonasen High School
in 1976. He continued his
education and received his associate's degree from Alfred State College
and his bachelor of science degree in industrial technology from Buffalo
State College. Mr. Radliff joined General Electric in 1980 and has a
held a variety of positions at different locations.
In 1991, he returned to the area and is currently the manager of
the Schenectady Facilities Operations for Power Systems. In June 2005, Mr. Radliff received the Mohonasen Board of Education's
Board Recognition Award. Craig and his wife, Elsa, have two children, Casey
and
Christopher. They
reside in Rotterdam.
DR.
LIN SEVERANCE
Dr. Lin Severance has been an employee of the Mohonasen Central School District since 1985. She was hired as a special education teacher. While teaching at the Mohonasen High School, she also coached volleyball and was an advisor for various student organizations such as SADD and Key Club. She then served as CSE chairperson before being appointed as the Director for Pupil Personnel Services in 2000. In July of 2007, she was named Director of Student and Personnel Services and Grant Development for the District. Dr. Severance has served on the Mohonasen Foundation for Excellence since 2006 and serves as the District’s liaison to the Foundation.
JOHN
WUKITSCH
Mr. Wukitsch joined the Foundation
in 2004. He grew up in Rotterdam and attended Mohonasen High School
graduating in 1976. He attended the State University of New York at
Albany graduating in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in
mathematics. He subsequently received a Master of Arts degree in
mathematics in 1982, also from the State University of New York at
Albany. He has worked as a consulting actuary for the past 20 years for
Milliman USA, a national consulting firm. He is an Associate of the
Society of Actuaries, an Enrolled Actuary, a member of the American
Academy of Actuaries, and a member of the Adirondack Actuaries Club.
John and his wife, Maria, have two children, Michael and Paul.
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