Advocates celebrate 'HEROes'

During March, the Albany Special Education Parent Advisory Council – SEPAC, for short – recognized 65 City School District of Albany employees as HEROes.

The HEROes were nominated for going above and beyond in their work on behalf of students with disabilities. 

All the HEROes received a certificate that includes an explanation of why they were nominated for HERO status, and each school has received a poster with the names of all of this year’s HEROes.

Congratulations to all of them! A list of who they are and where they do their work follows in alphabetical order:

Erin Andrews, Roots Academy at West Hill • Maureen Aromi, Arbor Hill Elementary School • Kathy Banagan, Albany High School • Lynn Bancroft, Arbor Hill Elementary School • Michelle Belvedere, North Albany Middle School • Todd Benton, North Albany Middle School • Michael "Coach" Bland, North Albany Middle School • Andrew Bosse, North Albany Middle School •​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​Patricia Brady, Arbor Hill Elementary School • Jill Brenneman, Albany High School • Derrick Bryant, New Scotland Elementary School • ​​​​​​​Amanda Cetinel, Albany High School • ​​​​​​​James Chaney, Albany High School • ​​​​​​​Jeremiah Constantine, Albany High School • ​​​​​​​Kristin Davey, Albany High School • ​​​​​​​Greg Dillon, Eagle Point Elementary School • ​​​​​​​Sandra Ervin, William S. Hackett Middle School • ​​​​​​​Dr. Jennie Evans, Albany High School • ​​​​​​​Jill Flood, Thomas O'Brien Academy of Science and Technology (TOAST) • Jared Fox, Eagle Point Elementary School • ​​​​​​​Lois Gaines, North Albany Middle School • ​​​​​​​Amelia Gee, New Scotland Elementary School • ​​​​​​​Kenny Griffin, Eagle Point Elementary School • ​​​​​​​Christina Harkavy, Delaware Community School • Brian Hines, William S. Hackett Middle School • ​​​​​​​Brianna Houle, TOAST • ​​​​​​​Allison House, TOAST • ​​​​​​​Joy Howard, William S. Hackett Middle School • Derek Johnson, Giffen Memorial Elementary School • ​​​​​​​Shana Johnson, TOAST • ​​​​​​​Stacey Johnson, Albany High School • ​​​​​​​Dr. Marilyn Jones-Oliver, Albany High School • ​​​​​​​Laura Joy, districtwide • ​​​​​​​Christine Kelle, Albany High School • Stephanie Kitto, Eagle Point Elementary School • Sharon Knox, William S. Hackett Middle School • ​​​​​​​Kyle Koblensky, Albany High School • ​​​​​​​Katie Lawlor, Eagle Point Elementary School • ​​​​​​​Christina Lebrecht, districtwide • ​​​​​​Lisa Mancini, Albany School of Humanities (ASH) • ​​​​​​​Emilia Matacchiero, Arbor Hill Elementary School • ​​​​​​​​Kara McLoughlin, Albany High School • Ashey McNally, Giffen Memorial Elementary School • ​​​​​​​Robin Mitchell, Eagle Point Elementary School • Tajada Mitchell, TOAST • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Tiffany Moore, Giffen Memorial Elementary School • Molly Mullen, Eagle Point Elementary School • Mike Naylor, Eagle Point Elementary School • ​​​​​​​Melissa Parsons, Eagle Point Elementary School • Anne Penna, William S. Hackett Middle School • ​​​​​​​Helen Pindiak, TOAST • ​​​​​​​Erin Reeve, Albany High School • Colleen Ryan, New Scotland Elementary School • ​​​​​​​Shelby Samuel, Albany High School • ​​​​​​​Kathleen Shaw, Albany High School • Erin St. Louis, districtwide • ​​​​​​​Sidrah Stephens, William S. Hackett Middle School • ​​​​​​​Stephanie  Stuart, TOAST • ​​​​​​​Eileen Sunderhaft, districtwide • ​​​​​​​Angelia Taylor, Albany High School • ​​​​​​​Cailyn Toomey, Giffen Memorial Elementary School • ​​​​​​​Dimian Watts, Giffen Memorial Elementary School • ​​​​​​​James Williams, Arbor Hill Elementary School • ​​​​​​​Julie Yanson, North Albany Middle School • ​​​​​​​Jennifer Zotta, Albany High School

You can click here to find out why each was nominated. 

SEPAC is a partner organization operated by district families, educators and community members who support each other and share information related to special education services in the district. Learn more about SEPAC here.