Suffolk Education Leader Honored for Life-Long Contributions

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Dr. John Cassese

ALBANY, NY (04/14/2015)(readMedia)-- ALBANY, NY – Dr. John Cassese, retired elementary principal from the Sachem Central School District, has been selected as the 2015 recipient of the Irving Schwartz Distinguished Retiree Award by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS).

Cassese has dedicated his professional life to public education and educational leadership. His steadfast commitment to the profession and this association is legendary among colleagues and the greater educational community on Long Island.

Cassese first served SAANYS as a member of its board of directors representing Long Island. After his retirement from Sachem he served as the association's deputy executive director for a number of years. Since retirement, he continues his work as a regional representative for SAANYS and a mentor to all. Commented colleague Susan Goltz, "John is the quintessential mentor. There is little he does not know, but in the rare instance he doesn't, he will find the information for you. It will be at your doorstep before you can reflect that you had asked him for it in the first place. It matters little that you are a student or parent, a teacher or a fellow administrator. He is a wonderfully generous fellow, who inspires us to educate, exemplifies the word "service," and continues to be one of the most ardent teachers."

Cassese has embraced his retirement years as enthusiastically as he approached his earlier career days. He has held many interim administrator assignments, including working as an assistant principal and summer school principal at Westhampton Beach Learning Center, a Western Suffolk BOCES school facility serving severely handicapped students. He has also formed the company Legacy Plus – its divisions involve everything from the development of teacher in-service programs for Dowling College to managing theatrical services for performance artists. A musical artist himself, Cassese performs weekly at Casa Basso in Westhampton. He is also a board member for the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts.

"John has demonstrated throughout his career a remarkable ability to build relationships, to touch people personally, to inspire, and to lead," said Thomas Payton, principal of Roanoke Elementary School. "I can think of no individual more deserving of the SAANYS Irving Schwartz Distinguished Retiree Award than Dr. John Casesse."

Irving Schwartz was a founding member of SAANYS. This award is given annually to a retired SAANYS member who, in retirement, has made significant contributions to the welfare of the association, education, and the greater community.

Casesse will be honored for his contributions at an awards ceremony on May 8 at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany, New York.

SAANYS represents nearly 7,300 school administrators, supervisors, and coordinators. As a professional association, SAANYS is committed to providing direction, service, and support to the membership in their efforts to improve the quality of education and leadership in New York State schools. SAANYS is affiliated with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

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