Pine Bush schools name new superintendent three months after death of former leader
PINE BUSH – The Pine Bush school district has named a successor to superintendent Tim Mains, a little more than three months after Mains' unexpected death.
Brian P. Dunn has been chosen by unanimous vote of the Pine Bush school board to lead the district.
His hiring came after an "extensive" search for a new superintendent the district undertook in partnership with Orange-Ulster BOCES, according to an announcement on Tuesday.
"I truly believe we chose the best person for this job," interim Superintendent Donna Geidel said in a statement. Geidel had been appointed to temporarily lead the district after Mains died suddenly on Dec. 30.
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Mains was beloved by the Pine Bush community, as was evident from the outpouring of tributes after he died. The Indiana native was an educator and an activist. He was the first openly gay candidate elected to public office in the state of New York and served 20 years as a Rochester city councilmember.
The school board was expected to officially appoint Dunn to the superintendent post at its meeting Tuesday evening. His job will begin July.
His contract is slated to run through through June 30, 2026, according to the school board's agenda. His base salary is $220,000.
Tim Mains' salary, excluding benefits, was $227,327, according to a state Education Department financial report.
“I am deeply honored to join the team and was drawn to the Pine Bush School District for its strong reputation and the beautiful rural surroundings,” Dunn said in a statement in a news release issued by the district. "I am excited to listen and learn about the history and culture of the district and community."
Pine Bush was one of several school districts in the region hunting for a new leader amid unusually high turnover of superintendents since the start of the pandemic.
As of early March, six out of 34 school districts in Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties were led by interim superintendents.
On March 3, Middletown schools appointed a new superintendent, longtime district employee Amy Creeden. Creeden served as the district's interim superintendent for five months after the departure of Richard Del Moro last fall.
Newburgh schools, one of the region's largest districts, is conducting a national search for a new superintendent. The district appointed administrator Ed Forgit to be interim superintendent on Dec. 31. But Forgit helmed the district as acting superintendent for most of the school year in the absence of Roberto Padilla, who exited through a settlement agreement approved by the school board.
Dunn will come to Pine Bush after serving four years as the superintendent of Middleburgh schools, a district located about an hour's drive west of Albany in Schoharie County.
He began his career in education as an English teacher in the Albany school district 1999. In 2005, Dunn began working for the Troy school district, where he spent five years as a high school assistant principal and seven years as a middle school principal.
A graduate of The College of Saint Rose in Albany, Dunn has a master's degree from University at Albany. His wife, Laurel, is a second-grade teacher in the Troy school district. They have three children, ages 16, 12 and 11.
A statement from Pine Bush's school board president, Gretchen Meier, said Dunn's "infectious enthusiasm" drew board members' interest.
“In the coming months, I look forward to earning the trust of the community," Dunn said in a statement. "My door is always open and I welcome input and feedback.”
Lana Bellamy covers Newburgh for the Times Herald-Record and USA Today Network. Reach her at lbellamy@th-record.com.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Pine Bush schools appoints Albany-area educator as new superintendent
