CHATHAM–The Chatham Board of Education introduced Salvatore “Sal” DeAngelo to the community this week at a reception and a few minutes later voted unanimously to appoint him the next district superintendent of schools.
He will start July 1 and will replace current Superintendent Cheryl Nuciforo, who announced last April that she would retire at the end of this school year.
Dr. DeAngelo currently works for the Bethlehem Central School District as chief technology and information officer. He holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the Esteves School of Education at Sage Graduate School and a master’s degree in business education from Norwich University.
He will earn a base salary of $160,000 a year under a three-year contract.
Dr. DeAngelo lives in Niskayuna with his wife and two daughters (one in high school and the other in college), as well as the family’s three dogs and two cats. In his spare time, he likes to pursue his passion for photography, and he is also a certified SCUBA diver.
“We’re very excited,” Chatham school board President Melony Spock said when the appointment was approved. “We can’t wait to work with you,” she added.
Before taking his position in the Bethlehem district south of Albany, Dr. DeAngelo was business administrator for the Schenectady City School District. Earlier, he served as the Schenectady District’s Technology Services Coordinator, Project Director and Coordinator of Technical Services for ProjectVIEW (a program focused on strengthening education through interactive technology), and Manager of Technical Services.
“I am truly looking forward to this opportunity to continue the excellent programs that already exist in Chatham and finding ways to make our school even stronger,” Dr. DeAngelo said in a statement issued before the reception at Chatham High School Tuesday, January 10. “I strongly believe in being a good steward of the community’s resources and want to engage the larger community and all our stakeholders in the process. Everyone’s contribution will be needed to ensure our future success. Through collaboration, together we will find the best solutions to the challenges facing our district.”
The school board’s release said that Dr. DeAngelo has over 30 years’ experience leading and coordinating public school district programs and comes with “exemplary recommendations, having earned great respect from the professionals he works with.”
The release said that the board offered Dr. DeAngelo the position following an extensive search and interview process. As part of that search, the board asked community stakeholders to provide the desired characteristics of the next superintendent, and from those conversations the board developed a candidate profile for the position. Consultant Dr. Lucy Martin assisted the board in their search and the board had the pleasure of interviewing several qualified candidates.
Ms. Spock said that Dr. Martin identified 21 candidates for the position in a first round. The full board then chose seven semi-finalists and then three finalists. Board members did visit the Bethlehem district schools before selecting Dr. DeAngelo. All members of the school board were part of the search committee.
Ms. Spock said Dr. DeAngelo had outlined a five-year plan for the district and hopes to spend time his first year meeting with people in the towns served by the district.
“The Board of Education is confident that Sal is a great fit for Chatham and will lead us in providing the best possible education for the students of Chatham” Ms. Spock said in said in the release. “He is an innovative visionary leader, a collaborator with great communication skills, and someone who believes creating trusted relationships rooted in integrity form the foundation for successful leadership.”
Even before he takes over the district administration in July he will be planning opportunities for the community to meet and get to know him. The release said dates for meetings would be announced in the near future.
At the school board meeting that followed Tuesday’s reception, Dr. DeAngelo signed his contract with the district and the took photos of presentations by administrators and faculty about using Google software to connect teachers and to teach English classes.
