MARLBORO – Randy Heller has been elected to serve a one-year term as president of the Marlboro K-8 School District Board of Education for 2022.
Heller was elected during the board’s reorganization meeting held Jan. 4.
Prior to the election of the board’s president and vice president, the four individuals who won terms on the panel in the November 2021 election were sworn in to begin serving those terms.
Kathleen Amster, who was already serving on the board, and newcomers Aldo Patruno and Christina Russotto were sworn in to serve three-year terms. Newcomer Jessica Piernik was sworn in to serve a two-year term.
Robyn Wolfe, Steve Shifrinson and Paul Ferland concluded their terms of service on the school board in December.
Heller, Amster, Patruno, Russotto and Piernik are joined on the board by Tricia Branch, Susan Shrem, Jennifer Silacci and Jill Strafaci.
After the new board members were seated, nominations were opened for the office of president. Heller was nominated first and Amster was nominated second.
Under the board’s policy, a roll call vote was held on the first board member who was nominated for the position.
Voting “yes” to elect Heller as president were Branch, Piernik, Shrem, Silacci, Strafaci and Heller. Voting “no” were Amster, Patruno and Russotto.
Heller was elected president in the 6-3 vote. In accordance with board policy, no roll call vote was held on Amster’s nomination for president.
Following his election, Heller said his motto as the board’s president would be “keep moving forward.”
In part, he said, “We have navigated uncharted waters over the last few years … by working collaboratively, (all of the school district’s stakeholders’) goal is to enable a learning environment that is safe, secure and innovative.”
Heller promised to “listen with empathy” to all views and said, “I am humbled and proud” to become the board’s president.
Heller, who succeeded Wolfe as president, welcomed the new members – Piernik, Patruno and Russotto – to the board and he encouraged all nine board members to get to know each other on personal, professional and community service levels.
Nominations were then opened for the office of vice president. Branch was nominated first and Amster was nominated second.
Under the board’s policy, a roll call vote was held on the first board member who was nominated for the position.
Voting “yes” to elect Branch as vice president were Heller, Piernik, Shrem, Silacci, Strafaci and Branch. Voting “no” were Amster, Patruno and Russotto.
Branch was elected vice president in the 6-3 vote. In accordance with board policy, no roll call vote was held on Amster’s nomination for vice president.
Following her election, Branch said, “We will work to bring about a positive outcome for kids” and she pledged that the board would work as a team.