School Board Election: Meet the board candidates
The order of the candidates is the order in which they will appear on the ballot. Three seats on the Board of Education for three-year terms are up for election. The three candidates who receive the three highest vote totals will be elected to the three-year terms. Below are the photos and biographies that each candidate submitted for this newsletter. On Tuesday, June 2, 2020 the District is hosting a Meet the Candidates session at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom followed by the 7:00 p.m. Public Budget Hearing. Link will be posted on District’s website soon.
Edwin Curry
My name is Edwin Curry; I have been a Baldwinsville resident since 2008. My wife, Nicole and I chose Baldwinsville to raise our 4 children Alex (13), Liam (11), Grace (8) and Lucas (3); for the opportunities the school district and community offer. I am a very active member of the community, volunteering in the Baldwinsville little league program as a coach and active board member. I also was active in the local Boy Scout program where I served as a Cub-master for 3 years. Professionally, I work at Tessy Plastics as an Automation Engineer. I have worked on several projects within the company to help support their Green Initiative, and more recently their pandemic relief efforts.
I am a strong advocate for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education. Long term, I would like to work with others to develop a long-lasting strategy to ensure success for many generations of Baldwinsville graduates to come. I believe in hands on learning and feel the introduction to skilled trades would be an integral part of this strategy. I love being involved in the community, and my decision to run for school board is for that reason.
Jeffery Marier
“I have proudly served on the Baldwinsville School Board in various roles, including School Board President and Vice-President, for the last 9 years. This experience will be extremely useful to help the Baldwinsville Central School District quickly and effectively find solutions to the economic and instructional challenges we are facing as a district moving forward. The tremendous efforts of our teachers, administration and staff to overcome these challenges has been inspiring and gives me great motivation to continue my service on the School Board to help enable even greater success!”
Jeff lives in Baldwinsville with his wife, Susan, and his two children, Natalie and Nathan, who both currently attend the Baldwinsville Central School District. He received his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toledo (OH). He is currently an Electrical Engineer at Lockheed Martin in Liverpool, NY and an Adjunct Professor of Electronics at Cayuga Community College. Jeff was recently reappointed to serve on the Onondaga County Justice Center Oversight Committee (JCOC) and is a proud US Air Force Desert Storm veteran, Eagle Scout and a Leadership Greater Syracuse graduate.
Jennifer Patruno
Jennifer Patruno has lived in Baldwinsville since 2011 with her husband, David, and their sons, Jonathan and Christopher, who both attend the Baldwinsville Central School District.Jen earned a B.S. in Health and Sports Science from Wake Forest University, a B.S. in Secondary Education Science in Biology from Oneonta State, and an M.S. in Health Education from Cortland State. She is a NYS certified teacher in Biology, Chemistry, General Science and Health. She taught 7th grade Life Science and high school Chemistry. Jen is the founder and director of Aim High Running Camp, which focuses on team building, goal setting and leadership skills for youth. She develops the safety plan, ensures NYS Department of Health regulations are followed, and manages 60 employees. She also manages the database marketing for Patruno Electric.
In 2015, Jen began attending board meetings to advocate for improved math and science curricula. In 2017, she was honored to be elected to the Board of Education. She continues to work to ensure educational programs are challenging, diverse, and appropriate for all students so they can grow and reach their full potential. She has been supportive of all programs that encourage student connectivity to the school district. Jen has been pleased to see the expansion of mental health and counseling services for our students to provide additional supports. She continues to engage stakeholders, look at data and research, and consider financial implications when making decisions.
Jen has been an active member of numerous committees: Audit, Policy, Wellness, Communications, Mental Health, Technology, Fifth Grade Celebration, and Board Manual Development. She attends professional development workshops to learn all aspects of her role and responsibility as a board member. She also attends conferences to stay current with trends in education and changing legislation that impacts our students. She volunteers at school functions and regularly attends a variety of school events to support the students and staff in their endeavors.
Burrill Wells
I am running for the board of education because I have the skills and experience necessary to help restore a balance to board deliberations. Board members must be strong advocates for thoughtful and collaborative dialogue in the decision-making process. I previously served on the board during both prosperous and difficult economic periods, and the district moved forward because of our focus on teamwork and mutual respect. I will work hard to be a strong and steady voice as we face an uncertain and challenging future.
Under my leadership as a former board president, community residents overwhelming approved renovation projects for Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium and the Baker High School Auditorium. In addition, I was the one who proposed adding the position of student board member, thus giving a voice to those in our charge. More information is available at burrillwells.com.
Burrill Wells is a fifth generation Baldwinsville resident and a 1983 graduate of Baker High School. He holds a BA in French from SUNY Oswego, an MA in French and Francophone Studies from SU, and a Master of Public Administration from SU’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He has lived and studied abroad in both Europe and South America.
Burrill is a NYS certified teacher of French, with 14 years of teaching experience at the secondary and college levels. For the past 5 years, he has been the French teacher at JCB High School in the Phoenix School District where he teaches four levels of French. He has served as a yearbook co-advisor and freshmen class advisor. Currently, he is a member of the JCB School Improvement Team (SIT), and a member of the district-wide Professional Development Committee. Prior to teaching, Burrill worked in the labor and non-profit sectors.
In addition, Burrill is a member of the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT), from which he received two scholarships to study in Québec. He is also a member of the Language Educators of Central New York (LECNY) where he participates in professional development opportunities.
Burrill was a member of the Baldwinsville School Board for 19 years. He served as President for 3 years and Vice President for 4 years. He participated on several committees, including the Audit, Policy, and Facilities Committees. In addition, Burrill served one term on the Baldwinsville Village Board of Trustees where he was a member of the Public Works Committee and chaired the Labor Relations Committee.
Currently, Burrill is a member of the YMCA Downtown Writers Center where he enjoys taking courses in poetry writing.
Michael Wells
I am a lifelong resident of Central New York and a resident of Baldwinsville since 2017. My wife Jennifer and I have 2 children in the district in the 7th and 8th grades. I attended Northeastern University where I received my Bachelor’s degree and returned to Central New York where I worked for a non-profit and now a local utility. Baldwinsville holds a special place in my heart as it was once home to my parents and presently much of my extended family. I was drawn to the close-knit feel of Baldwinsville and have found it a wonderful place to raise my daughters and build friendships. Like most parents of teenagers, our free time is filled with soccer, volleyball, lacrosse games, as well as dance practice and recitals. When time permits, we donate our time and abilities to several local charities and organizations, such as Hope for Heather and The Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund. I believe that through faith & strong leadership we can best serve our children’s need to grow and develop.
I am running for school board to improve my engagement with the education of my children as well as our community. I believe that now more than ever, it’s important to be a thoroughly engaged parent, who leads with direction and purpose to help our children navigate these unique times.
Matthew Yager
Matt has served on the Board of Education since 2014. He has been a member of numerous committees over the past six years and currently serves on the technology and wellness committees. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Training and Development from SUNY Oswego and a Master of Arts Degree in Student Affairs Administration from Michigan State University. Matt has worked with undergraduate students in an advising and counseling capacity at Michigan State University, The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and Syracuse University.
He is currently working at SU in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. As an academic counselor he assists students with overall curriculum and career planning as well as helping them resolve other educational, social, and emotional concerns. From 2005 to 2009 Matt took a leave from his career to spend time with his children as a stay-at-home dad and worked part-time as a developer and webmaster for Lenovo's worldwide HR division.
Matt and his wife, Dena, have been Baldwinsville residents since 2006 with their two children, who are both students in Baldwinsville schools.
