Warwick Valley School Board appoints interim superintendent

School Board president expects permanent schools chief by Nov. 1, By Abby Wolf Warwick - The Warwick Valley School Board appointed Harvey Hilburgh as interim superintendent, effective July 1, at its special meeting on Wednesday evening. He will be taking the reins from Dr. Frank Greenhall, who retires at the end of this month. Hilburgh’s appointment gives the district an interim administrator who has both professional experience and knowledge of the area while it begins interviewing and vetting candidates to permanently fill the position. In a letter to the editor appearing in this edition of The Warwick Advertiser, School Board President John Connolly wrote he expects to have a permanent superintendent by Nov. 1 if not sooner. A resident of Slate Hill, Hilburgh comes to Warwick after completing a “wonderful year” as interim superintendent of the Greenwood Lake School District. From 1990 to 1999, he was superintendent of schools for the Minisink Valley School District; he was then superintendent of Bethpage School District on Long Island from 1999 to 2004, when he retired. Before coming to Greenwood Lake, Hilburgh served in both Washingtonville and Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery School districts as interim superintendent. In his letter (which appears on page 12), Connolly described the selection process: “The Board has involved various groups of stakeholders to participate in helping to formulate a profile of our next superintendent. The input and feedback from stakeholder groups is a critical and valued part of the decision-making process. Results of that data have been compiled into a brochure which advertises the position and is now posted on the school Web site (www.warwickvalleyschools.com). “After a thorough interview and vetting process, the most qualified candidate will be announced in August. Typically, when an experienced superintendent is chosen, they are required to give their current district notice. Therefore, the Board of Education anticipates having a permanent superintendent in place on or before Nov. 1. Meanwhile, Hilburgh already has turned his attention to opening day in September. His first goal, he said, “is that when school opens, every child has a teacher, and every child who needs a ride to school gets one.” Next is building a new team, followed by “set(ting) the stage for the new Superintendent to be successful.” Greenhall also addressed the board: “You’ve got a good team,” he said. “This is the group to turn the district and keep it going forward in a positive direction.” Other appointments Meanwhile, the School Board also appointed: Timothy Holmes as director of School Business Services in a probationary position effective Aug. 1, replacing Tom Gustainis. Holmes comes to the district from the Binghamton area; he began in the Susquehanna Valley School District in New York’s Southern Tier, continuing in that position for three and a half years. Holmes was then business executive for the Candor District in Tioga County followed by his stint as business administrator in the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School District in the Capitol District. Annie Streiff was appointed high school principal in a probationary position, effective Aug. 1. She has been assistant principal at Clarkstown North School District in Rockland County. Prior to that, she taught English in Suffern schools for ten years. Streiff has lived in the Village of Florida “for ten summers”; her parents have lived in Warwick for 15 years. She began her career as an opera singer, followed by work as a private investigator, before becoming an English teacher. The board also accepted the resignation of John Kolesar as Middle School principal, and announced his appointment as director of human resources, effective July 1.