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Public invited to meet Elba schools' three superintendent candidates

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Elba Central School District’s Board of Education (BOE) has named three finalists for the district’s next Superintendent.

Tony Zambito, president of the Elba Central School District’s BOE, said he is pleased with the high-quality candidate pool and is enthused about the potential the three finalists have to offer.

“Choosing the best superintendent for our district is the board’s main priority,” Zambito said. “The field of candidates was diverse, which made narrowing the field to three very difficult. We are confident that one of these candidates will be the best candidate for our school district and community.”

The three finalists are Karrie Schiavone, Sheila Eigenbrod, Ph.D., and Keith Palmer.

The community is invited to attend a meet-and-greet with each of the candidates from 5:30 to 6 p.m. this afternoon, and tomorrow Wednesday,  May 27, and Thursday, May 28 in the School Library/Media Center at the Elba Central School District. Schiavone will visit today; Palmer on Wednesday; and Eigenbrod on Thursday.

The anticipated start date for the new superintendent is July 1.

Kevin MacDonald, district superintendent of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, who is acting as search consultant, said the Board has developed and implemented a process that will help determine the best candidate.

“This is a rigorous search process,” MacDonald said. “Finalists will visit the Elba Central School District to meet with staff and the community and go though another round of interviews. The process concludes with the Board meeting to make a final decision.”

Karrie Schiavone is currently the Principal of Holley Elementary School, a position she has held since 2012. From 2002 until 2012, she served as the director of Instruction and Special Programs for Holley Central Schools (HCS). Prior to that, she served as elementary principal of the Warren P. Towne School in Medina. From 1995 until 1999, Schiavone served as an intermediate teacher and in many supervisory roles at HCS including elementary Science coordinator and district Social Studies curriculum writer. Schiavone began her career in education in 1994 as a teacher for the Bethel Head Start in Buffalo. Throughout her career she has served in many leadership capacities. She currently oversees a number of committees at HCS including the district’s Technology; Safety and Health/Wellness committees as well as the APPR Committee. She has a broad scope of fiscal management at HCS, including developing and managing budgets and grants for a multitude of district programs and services. She holds a bachelor of science from SUNY Buffalo, and a master’s degree in Education from the College at Brockport. Schiavone earned a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration from The College at Brockport and also holds a New York State School Administrator Certificate.

Sheila Eigenbrod, Ph.D., is the principal of Pavilion Central Middle/Secondary School where she has served as principal since 1996. Eigenbrod began at the Pavilion Central School (PCS) District in 1993 as the Middle School principal and director of Special and Preschool Special Education. From 1990 until 1993 she served as the school psychologist and chairperson for Special Education at the Friendship Central School District. She also served for three years as a school psychologist at the Stanley Falk School, a private school in Buffalo for students who have special learning, social, and emotional needs. Eigenbrod began her career at the New York State School for the Blind as an occupational therapist. She earned a bachelor of science and a master’s degree from SUNY Buffalo. She also holds certifications as both New York State School District Administrator and Teacher/School Psychologist. Eigenbrod earned her doctorate degree in Educational Psychology in 1996 from SUNY Buffalo. Her list of endeavors is varied and includes many accomplishments. Under her leadership, the PCS District earned regional top rankings for graduation rates and advanced Regents Diplomas. She supported fiscal management of zero-based budgeting for grades 6-12 and Eigenbrod led the development of district positions that addressed accountability and instruction.

Keith Palmer is the principal of Pembroke High School, a position he has held for 12 years. From 1991-2003, he served as the assistant principal of Kendall High School in Kendall. Palmer began his career in 1987 as a Math and Computer Science teacher at North Warren Central School in the Adirondacks. He also taught at the Washington Correctional Facility located in Comstock for two summers in both 1988 and 1990. Palmer holds a bachelor of arts from Houghton College, and a master’s degree from SUNY Plattburgh. He holds three New York State (NYS) certifications, a NYS School District Administrator, a NYS School Administrator and Supervisor Certificate and a NYS School Business Administrator Certificate. Palmer’s career encompasses a variety of leadership accomplishments including developing Professional Learning Communities to build school/family communication and maintaining effective relations with union leadership. His instructional leadership includes constructing guaranteed and viable curriculum for all coursework through the school.

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