Meet Your
Board of Education Candidates

Personal Data

I am 33 years old, married with a newborn baby boy. My wife Brittany Buckmaster works for the Gouverneur School District as a Special Education teacher at the middle school. I am currently employed at CIVES Steel as a supervisor and have been with the company for seven years. I graduated from SUNY ESF Ranger School in 2011 with an associates in Forest Technology.

Statement which addresses why you are interested in serving on the Gouverneur Board of Education:

One of the most important pillars of a community is its youth. The support and structure given to them as they grow has a massive impact on both their personal lives and the future as well as that of the community itself. Serving the surrounding community and helping ensure a positive future for its youth is important to me and should be of importance to all of us.

Incumbent; elected to Board and has served since 7/1/2016. 

Personal Data

My career in education has spanned forty-eight years. I have held the positions of classroom teacher, elementary school principal, school psychologist, Committee on Special Education chairperson, and most recently, twenty-five years as a school superintendent. I completed eight years working for SUNY Potsdam, supervising student teachers. My education includes a Master's Degree in Teaching from the University of Tennessee, a Master's from St. Lawrence University in School Psychology, a Certificate of Advanced Study in Administration from SUNY Oswego, and a Doctorate in Educational Administration from Columbia University.

My wife, Susan, a retired Gouverneur elementary teacher, and I have resided in our Gouverneur home of 45 years and have three married daughters, and three grandchildren.

Statement which addresses why you are interested in serving on the Gouverneur Board of Education:

My extreme interests in education and lifelong learning have inspired me to run again for a fourth term on the Gouverneur Central School Board of Education. As a retired educator, I remain eager to stay abreast of the changes and practices in this crucial field.

I am excited to continue learning about new concepts in education and the best ways to help students in the Gouverneur school system. My experience as a student teaching supervisor for SUNY Potsdam afforded me the valuable opportunity to observe, understand and participate in many of the North Country schools. My daughters, who were all Gouverneur students from their first school days through graduation, have benefited from the merits of this District, and have gone on to successful careers.

Serving as a school board member is a fulfilling way to serve our community and students. It also offers me the opportunity to use knowledge from my long career, remain current on educational research, strategies, and technologies, and aid in decisions which best impact our Gouverneur students.

Personal Data

I am a married mother to three very active boys who attend school here in Gouverneur. I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology with a Minor in Human Services from SUNY Potsdam. I have been employed by The Arc Jefferson-St. Lawrence for almost thirteen years working in the residential department supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Statement which addresses why you are interested in serving on the Gouverneur Board of Education:

I am interested in serving on the Gouverneur Board of Education so that I may utilize my personal and professional background to assist in decision making that affects our students and our district. I have always been a strong advocate for my children and would continue to do so for all students in our district. I believe in giving them the best possible future while maintaining fiscal responsibility for our district.

Incumbent; ten years of prior Board service.
Three terms (9 years) from 7/1/2013 - 6/30/2022, and the remainder of an unexpired term, from  3/18/2024 through 6/30/25.

Personal Data

I am a high school graduate from Adirondack Central. I have a B.A. in Secondary Education and Social Studies. I have lived in the Gouverneur District for the last 34 years. My husband and I have three daughters, three sons-in-law and 5 grandchildren. Though I chose not to pursue a teaching career, I have been very active in the school community volunteering where needed, serving on committees and the Board of Education since our kids started school.

Statement which addresses why you are interested in serving on the Gouverneur Board of Education:

Serving on the Board allows me to be involved in shaping the future of our children and our community.