New Chappaqua School Board Members, Superintendent, Sworn In

With Wednesday marking the official start of the 2011-12 school year, the Chappaqua Central School District Board of Education saw major changes in its make up and the district leadership.

New board members Karen Visser and Victoria Tipp, who were , were the first to take the oath of office to star their three-year terms. Superintendent Lyn McKay, who was selected to her position in March, followed with her own swearing in.

The meeting also represented a major transition in the board's leadership for the 2011-12 school year. The school board selected Alyson Gardner Kiesel to be its new president for the year, replacing 12-year board member Janet Benton, who decided not to run for another term. Kiesel, who was first elected in 2009, is serving her first term.

Upon being sworn in as president, Kiesel got a flower bouquet from her family, who were looking on at the meeting. Being school board president represents the latest chapter in her life locally, a background that includes having graduated from Horace Greeley High School in 1988.

Returning to the leadership fold, Jeffrey Mester is now vice president. Mester, who is serving in his second board term, previously served as president for the 2009-10 school year and in an earlier vice president stint for the 2008-09 school year. He is replacing Gregg Bresner for the leadership role, who also declined to seek re-election this year.

Other major leadership changes include Eric Byrne taking over as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, the position that McKay had before taking the top administrative job. Byrne previously served as principal at Roaring Brook Elementary School, and his former job will be filled, on an interim basis for 2011-12, by Peter Berendt. He had previously served as an interim assistant principal at the same school, according to Byrne.

Also filling in on an interim basis is Paul Citarella, who will assume the role of Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources for 2011-12. He is replacing , who passed away in April.