Board of Education

I am a mom of 6 children. My husband and I bought a house in the Village last year. My children have been a part of the district for the last 5 years. I grew up in Greene and really love our town.    I decided to run for the school board for many reasons. First and foremost is because of my children. With six kids I am very invested in the district and community. I feel it’s important to make sure our children get all the help they need to succeed in life. Making sure their mental health is strong. There are so many kids who behind the scenes need adults to stand for them and help them with their mental and emotional health. As a parent I want to make sure the children throughout our district have everything they need to be strong healthy adults!  I have an interest in  the future of children in our community. I feel that if I am given the opportunity to serve a term on the Board I would be able to help make a difference in the lives of the families of the children in our town.

My name is Ken Pickard, I'm a local business owner,active community member, motivated for change. 

Thank you 

My name is John Fish.  I graduated from Union-Endicott School District in 1995 but have been a resident of Greene for the past 14 years.  I hold an associate degree in Computer Science from SUNY Broome and a bachelor’s degree in information systems from SUNY Empire.  For the past 10 years I have been employed at The Raymond Corporation within the IT group, and currently hold the position of Senior IT Manager responsible for Application Development.  I have two sons that have previously graduated from Greene Central Schools and a third that will be graduating this spring.  I have contributed to the youth of Greene for many years as a coach of multiple youth sports including little league baseball, travel basketball, and youth football.  I served on the football boosters board for several years and have frequently volunteered at our Labor Day festivities.  I have attended countless Footlights shows, music concerts, band performances, and school fundraisers.  My family has also been fortunate enough to utilize the excellent special education services for my middle son, who required help due to severe hearing loss in both ears, yet with the help of GCS was able to graduate a year early.

I was first elected as a GCS Board Member in 2019 and have served as Board President for the past 2 years.  During this time, I have also served as a member of the Building & Grounds committee, responsible for the latest capital project and updates to the parking lots and cafeterias, and on the Audit Committee, responsible for reviewing the official audits of our business practices throughout each fiscal year.  During the past 3 years, we have faced some incredibly difficult and divisive times for everyone in our community.  I am proud of everything that our district was able to accomplish these past few years, including creating a new forward-thinking mission and vision for the district, keeping our students in school for more days than any of the surrounding districts, and continuing to provide the highest level of education that we expect from our school district.  I am looking forward to the years to come and will be proud to continue serving the students, staff, and community of Greene on the Board of Education.

To the great people within the Greene Central School District: 

I am seeking your votes for a third term on the Greene Central School Board. 

I currently have two children enrolled at GCS. I’ve received college degrees at Clarkson University and the University of Wisconsin. I have a varied background in the engineering and biochemistry sciences, along with many years of experience at helping run a local business. And now I also have six years of experience being a school board member. During those six years I served as Chairperson of the Budget Committee. When I first ran for board, I asked for your support and promised you that I would make informed choices on each issue that is presented, weighed against my own experiences and with our children’s best interest at heart. I've kept this promise and have done everything I could possibly do to keep the district moving forward and remaining open during some very challenging times. I have an enormous respect for all of the work being done in the district and I'm very proud of what has been accomplished. Let's work together and make this district the best it can be.

Thank you.

– Seth Barrows

Hello, I am Jeremy Snavely. 

My Wife and I bought our first home here in Greene about 5 years ago.  In this short time, we have come to love this town and community of great people! I feel that one way I can give back to this community is by serving on the Board of Education where I can by use the financial and management thinking skills I have learned from managing and running several businesses.  

   Although I don’t yet have children, I have been teaching and mentoring teenagers at my church for over a decade, and my wife has worked full time at a children’s camp for the first 5 years of our marriage.    I think it goes without saying that we care deeply about the future of our students and are already heavily invested in them.  

   Now I am going to ask something of you as a tax paying member of Greene School district.  Ask your students what they are learning.  Spend time and listen to what they say.  Learn about what they are going through emotionally.  Care about where your schools budget is being spent.  These are things that matter to me, and I hope that they matter to you too. 

Lastly, even if you are supporting another candidate,  Please come out and vote.  This is how YOU have a say as to what is happening in our school district.  

Greetings to all the wonderful taxpayers of Greene Central School District,

My name is Mitch Brower. I am a currently an employee at Johnson City High School and my main role at the school is to assist students experiencing behavioral, social, and/or emotional crises, working with a multidisciplinary team to develop support plans for students to achieve academic success. I currently have an Associates of Science in Human Development and a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology. I am a proud American and an advocate of students’ mental health and academic success.

I am humbly asking for your vote in the Greene School Board election on May 17^th. In return, I pledge to be a voice for the people. If you all bless me with the opportunity of being a Greene school board member, I will guarantee full financial transparency, including a full accounting of COVID funds received by state and federal government. Additionally, I will always push back against unconstitutional mandates such as forced masking of all students and staff, as well as the shutting down of schools/remote learning, which research now suggests leads to loss in learning, increased levels of depression and anxiety, and tremendous loss of social skills. I will also immediately request to review all curriculum and library materials and scan them for any unnecessary gender and/or race theory being taught, providing transparency and assurance that parents/guardians are never left in the dark about their children in any capacity (academically or personally). It is also of the upmost importance for the board to provide appropriate supports, for both students and educators, to ensure a successful academic environment, not one where core learning is derailed by unnecessary issues.

It is also important to note that as a board member, I will stand for the need to provide checks and balances to the administration. And, that I will never stifle the voices of parents/guardians under any circumstances. The right of parents/guardians to voice their concerns will never be infringed during my time on the board of education, all parents/guardians will always have a chance to speak, as it is their child(ren) first and foremost. If I am on the board I will NEVER walk out on concerned parents/guardians.

Greene is a beautiful community filled with people that have a strong moral fiber and work ethic. The parents/guardians of this town truly have a vested interest in their children and in the district. This should be embraced and empowered in all areas, and if you give me your vote on May 17^th I pledge to make that a priority.

Thank you for your support,

Mitch Brower

Hello my name is Christopher Austin and I am running for one of three open spots on the Greene Central Board of Education.  I have previously served on this board for over 15 year. As a member of the board I have had the privilege to serve on most committees and as a result I bring experience and knowledge with me to the board if I am lucky to serve again. This previous experience allows me to have insight into the workings of the board and the school.

I find myself very enthusiastic to return and serve as a member of the board. As a board member I think it is important to be present to support our students at ball games, concerts, plays, and etc.. I also believe it important to support everyone who works in and around the school, whether it be instructional or non-instructional staff members.  I want to assist in the ever-changing needs that has been placed upon our schools.

.

If elected I am looking forward to working towards a fiscally responsible district while maintaining a safe school community where all students can learn and enjoy their school experience.

I thank you for your support.

I’m a graduate of Holland Patent Central School District and Herkimer Community College. I moved to Greene 9 years ago, but all 3 of my children; Ryan graduated in 2016, Dustin (Class of 2020) and Sarah (Class of 2023) have enjoyed attending Greene Central School since Pre-K. I am proud to serve the Greene community as a volunteer for JRC and youth athletics, as well as serving as your School Board Member. I am always pleased to hear from the G.C.S. community and staff members. I will strive to represent our community to the best of my abilities. 

Seth Barrows is in his fifth year on the Board of Education. Seth graduated from Greene Central School District in 1992 and holds degrees from Clarkson University and the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Seth has worked locally for over 19 years at Empire Natural Gas Corporation, a company that provides natural gas and electricity supplies to nonresidential customers in upstate New York. Seth lives with his family in the Town of Greene and has children attending the district.

In 1993 I graduated from Chenango Forks High School and Broome Tioga BOCES. Greene has been my home for 24 years. My wife and I have two children, who are students in the Intermediate and High School buildings. I have been a municipal highway employee for 20 years, most recently holding the position of Highway Superintendent for the Town of Greene. I want to represent your voice on the school board because I believe in our school district and want to help create positive changes for our community, students and faculty.

Natalie McMahon is newly elected to the GCS Board of Education, taking her seat in July of 2021.  She graduated from Greene Central School in 2000 and then continued her athletic career playing field hockey and obtaining her Bachelor’s degree from The State University at Oneonta.  Natalie and her husband have made Greene their home with their two children, both students in the Greene School District.  She has been employed at The Raymond Corporation for the last 8 years in National Accounts, working with some of the organization’s largest customers.  Natalie has been involved in the community with most recently coaching youth soccer, tee ball, basketball and will be coaching youth field hockey in the fall.  She is looking forward to further supporting our community and our youth, by serving on the Board of Education.

Brian Milk was first elected to the Board of Education in 2015. Brian graduated from Oxford Academy and Central Schools in 1997. Brian works for the Chenango County Highway Department and has worked there since August of 1997. He is a heavy equipment operator, and also drives a plow truck in the winter. He lives in the Town of Greene with his family. He has 2 daughters and a son in high school. Brian is a member of the JRC Board, and has coached youth football for seven years, and has also coached youth softball and Little League.