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The Mohonasen Foundation for Excellence, Inc.
P.O. Box 4207
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Schenectady, NY 12304


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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 expertise of directors who have experience in finance, communication, development, accounting, planning and education.

Directors’ terms are for two years which are served without compensation. Sharing your valuable time and skills the Mohonasen Foundation for Excellence is a rewarding experience. If you are interesting in joining the Board of Directors, contact one of the current members listed below or complete the interest survey.

The current Board of Directors is composed of eleven members who meet monthly. Members are: Joe Anderson, Willard Baker, Chip Cornish, Mary Kay Komarinski, Patricia Novak, Donald Pangburn, Craig W. Radliff, John Wukitsch and John Gahan. Dr. Lin Severance, Mohonasen Director of Pupil Personnel Services, serves as the liaison to the Foundation. You can read more about our board members below...


JOE ANDERSON
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 CORNISH
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. Mrs. Novak earned a B.S. from the State University at Oswego and an M.S. degree from The College of St. Rose. Prior to her retirement from the Mohonasen District in 1999, Mrs. Novak taught for 32 years at the elementary level, including experience at kindergarten, Grade 2, remedial reading, remedial math, the Gifted and Talented programs and the Enrichment programs. She also served as elementary language arts coordinator. During her teaching career, Mrs. Novak was twice recognized through the Scholars’ Recognition Program by graduating seniors who selected her as their most influential teacher.  She was also selected for the 1992-93 Select Seminar on Excellence in Education and for a NASA seminar on space education. Mrs. Novak and her husband, Walter, have resided in Rotterdam since 1967.  Their daughter, Alessandra, is a member of Mohonasen’s Class of 1990. Mrs. Novak is an avid cook who also enjoys reading and traveling.  


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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This Web page is maintained by Erin McNulty for The Mohonasen Foundation for Excellence. All rights reserved. To contact the Foundation Board, write: PO Box 4207, Schenectady, New York 12304.