Meet the Team

Steven Costa, Director

Steven has an A.S. in Electrical Engineering, a B.A. in Computer Engineering and a Minor in Electronics. His excitement in bringing his technological knowledge to schools brought him to Portsmouth School District in 2010 when he became the Network Manager. After 6 years as the Network Manager, Steven was promoted to Director of Technology where he continues to use his experience to assist his IT staff, administration, teachers and district staff. In addition to supporting the school district, he also provides services to Town Hall staff. Steven has earned many computer certifications and continues to pursue additional educational outlets to strengthen his technology and management goals. His goal is to propel the Portsmouth School District through various technology initiatives into a 21st-century classroom and student-based environment.

Jacob Caron, Network Administrator

Beginning shortly after graduating from Portsmouth High School in 2008, Jacob has worked in the Portsmouth School Department for the last 9 years. He earned an AD in Computer Networking Technology from CCRI. During his tenure with the Portsmouth School Department, he has worked in several different roles in the IT Department and is currently the Network Manager for the District and Portsmouth Town Hall. Jacob enjoys being able to provide quality tech support to district students, teachers, staff and administration. His goal is to continue studies in technology education to ensure that the district's technology infrastructure is future ready to support all teaching initiatives.

Elizabeth Farley, District Data Administrator

Elizabeth earned a B.S. in Secondary Education and English from West Virginia University and an M. Ed. from Providence College. She has also completed post graduate work through Rhode Island College, UCLA, Fresno Pacific University, Trinity College, and Salem State University. With over 30 years in education, Elizabeth has served as an English teacher, English Department Chairperson, Guidance Counselor, Director of Guidance, 1:1 Coordinator, Student Support Specialist, Technology Integration Specialist, and Data Manager. She has earned certifications in Flipped Learning, Tablet Education, and Blended Learning. Elizabeth's goal is to finish her CAGS in Instructional Technology to help further the district's technology initiatives.

Raymond Ballard, Systems Manager

Ray has a B.A. in Psychology from Florida Southern College, an AD in Computer Engineering from Springfield Technical Community College, and is A+ certified. He has formerly served as a Support Technician at Florida Southern College and as the Technology Coordinator of White Oak School. In his 9 years working in IT, Ray continues to have a passion for supporting technology in education.

Nathan Eckersley, Systems Support Technician

Nathan joined the IT Department in 2021, after 9 years in management and finance working in the corporate retail world for Autozone, FORD, and Nissan. He is continuing his education in Cyber Security and Information Technology at Bristol Community College. Nathan enjoys working with computers, building them from scratch and troubleshooting software. He is excited and looking forward to this new opportunity in the Portsmouth IT Department and will continue to provide top level service to our learning community.

Cory Burke, Data/Finance Clerk

After graduating from Mount Hope High School in 2018, Cory attended CCRI for two years and earned an associates degree in General Arts. He has always had a passion for technology and wanted to create a career out of it. Cory enrolled at MTTI in 2021 for the Computer Service Technician/Network Installer program, and completed the course in June of this year while getting some computer certifications on the way. Cory did his internship with the Portsmouth IT department and really enjoyed his time there and was given an opportunity to become a full time member of the IT crew. He loves helping people out by troubleshooting and solving tech related problems, and he looks forward to what this new opportunity in the Portsmouth IT Department has in store for him.

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