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The People Team (Human Resources)
The People Team (Human Resources)
Greetings, Donegal School District!
We’re excited to introduce ourselves as your new Human Resources team, here to partner with you across Donegal. As we begin our journey in the district—and as I personally step into the world of education—our primary focus is to connect deeply with each department and school to understand your needs and objectives.
Over the past several weeks, we’ve been holding in-depth discussions with leaders, along with focus groups across various departments, to get a clear picture of your goals, challenges, and team dynamics. These sessions have been invaluable in helping us reintroduce HR, align with your priorities, and gather insights that will shape our path forward.
Our role within Donegal is both strategic and supportive. We are dedicated to empowering every team member to excel, and we’re here to offer expertise in talent management, organizational development, and employee relations. Our mission is to understand Donegal’s educational goals intimately and to craft talent strategies that help bring those visions to life.
Our commitment to you is simple: we’re here to provide support, consultation, and resources to help our leaders and staff thrive. From acting as partners in organizational change and team building to ensuring compliance and championing workplace culture, our goal is to build a supportive and collaborative environment for all.
As we continue to build relationships across the district, we look forward to hearing more from each of you. We’re here to align people strategies with the broader mission of Donegal School District and to create an engaging, inclusive, and forward-thinking workplace.
Thank you for welcoming us into the Donegal family. We’re excited to partner with you as we build a strong, vibrant, and resilient organization together.
Mary Fair & Allison Viechnicki
Allison Viechnicki
Human Resources Coordinator
Over the years, I’ve worked in customer service, sales, and public schools—and for the past five years, I’ve been lucky to be part of the District. That time has really helped me build a strong foundation and reinforced my passion for serving others. I’m so grateful for the chance to connect with our staff, students, families, and community members—it’s truly one of the best parts of the work I get to do.
On a personal level, my empathy has grown a lot through life experiences—especially after becoming a parent and going through the loss of multiple stillbirths. Those moments have shaped who I am in big ways. I’ve been fortunate to have an amazing support system in my husband, kids, family, and friends. And if this is something you ever want to talk about, I’m always open to having that conversation—please don’t hesitate to reach out.
I’m originally from Northampton County, PA, but Lancaster has definitely become home since we moved here in 2012.
Outside of work, I’m a wife, mom to two awesome kids, and a proud aunt. My husband, Dan, works as a Director of Sales. Our son, Owen, is a freshman at Temple University, and our daughter, Hayden, is a junior at Hempfield. We also have two chocolate labs—Willow, our sweet old English lab, and Brewer, our wild American lab who keeps us on our toes!
Mary Fair
Director of Human Resources
With 8 years in HR, my career has spanned from insurance brokerage to global technology-driven manufacturing. I returned to Donegal, my hometown, to embrace more family time and connect with my roots. My daughter, Elliana—my world and a resilient cancer survivor supported by THON—continues to inspire me, and I’m proud to work with a district that values this incredible organization.
Outside of work, I’m at home in Marietta, PA, where I’m renovating a historic house from the 1800s, preserving its charm with each project. My other side kick is Weezy, my college-era black cat (my old man, black mamba, putter, etc.).
Human Resources Responsibility and Support
The team as a whole supports on the below.
Leave of Absence (LOA): Support for FMLA-qualified leaves, income protection, uncompensated leave, disability accommodations, etc.
Benefits Assistance: Questions about medical, vision, dental, workers’ compensation, HealthWorks, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and more.
Certification and Education Tracking: Certification renewals, education levels, and credit accumulation.
Mandatory Training: Annual training (Vector) and compliance support.
HR Technology and System Oversight: Manages HR technology platforms and software
Temporary Staffing Agency Partnerships: Oversight of contracts with staffing agencies such as STS, SOS, Ames, etc.
Policy Clarification and Guidance: For employee questions on district policies and procedures.
Professional Development: Internal training and development opportunities for staff.
Exit Process: Support for offboarding, including conducting exit interviews and exit paperwork.
Partners that support our vision:
Badge Creation: Aligned with security needs. For new or updated badges, email Badges@donegalsd.org.
Business Office: Manages invoices, contracts, and billing support.
Building Secretaries: Assists with substitutes, meeting coordination, and school-specific communication support.
Information Technology Team: Onboarding new staff and subs to ensure technology needs and access are available accordingly. They support with employee transfers, offboarding and HR tech support.
Assistant Superintendent: Supports in recruitment and staff management, development opportunities and a strong partner in Act 48 credits.
Mary Leads:
Strategic HR Planning: Ensures HR activities align with district goals.
Benefits Enrollment: Assists with benefits enrollment and changes.
Educational Reimbursement: Processes tuition reimbursements.
Employee Relations: Assists with employee concerns and workplace issues.
PIMS Reporting: Oversees state reporting and compliance requirements (PIMS).
Retiree Assistance: Supports retiree processing and coordination.
Allison Leads
Onboarding and Orientation: Coordinates onboarding for all new hires.
Recruitment and Staffing: Leads recruitment for professional and support staff.
Personnel Record Updates: Manages employee profile changes, including address and name updates.
Benefits: Assists with benefits enrollment and changes. Provide Insurance letters to staff.
Clearances: Manages and updates staff and sub clearance requirements.
Paula Boyer
Payroll Processing: Oversees payroll functions, including changes and payroll support.
Contract Balances: Manages contract balances and ensures accurate payroll records.
Employment Verifications: Provides employment verification letters.
Substitute and Volunteer Onboarding: Handles onboarding and payroll setup for substitutes and volunteers.
Payroll Compliance and Reporting: Ensures adherence to all payroll regulations and manages reporting.
PSERS Compliance: Supports compliance with the Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System.
Extreme Grace
Extreme Grace
Extreme Grace is a foundational approach that supports a positive shift in workplace culture and how we communicate with one another. It begins as an internal practice—something you grant yourself—to set the right mindset for interactions and relationships. Extreme Grace is built on four essential components: Trust Best Intentions, Be Curious, Check Assumptions, and Radical Candor. These elements can be applied in any sequence that feels right, with Radical Candor ideally as the culmination.
The goal of Extreme Grace is to foster genuine partnership by offering candid feedback that is embraced as an opportunity for growth. This feedback should stem from empathy and care, balancing directness with support to drive meaningful change. When conversations are perceived negatively, pausing to engage these principles helps refocus on what truly matters—enhancing our contributions and reinforcing our role as constructive partners.
Trust Best Intentions is a particularly significant principle. In the fast-paced workday, it’s easy to forget that behind every email and message is a colleague—a fellow human invested in collaboration. If a message triggers a negative reaction, human nature pushes us to respond defensively. Granting yourself extreme grace at that moment means choosing to assume positive intent. This doesn’t mean that every message you receive will come from a place of productivity or goodwill. However, adopting this mindset ensures that your response is grounded in positivity, setting an example and potentially guiding others out of a negative headspace if their intentions were misaligned.
Moving through these principles with intention brings mindfulness to your interactions, fostering accountability and self-awareness. Extreme Grace reminds us that we control our reactions and contributions, enabling us to model and encourage the type of communication that supports a healthier, more collaborative work environment.
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