Dr. Shea has been an assistant professor and the coordinator for the school building leader and school district business leader programs at Saint Rose since 2018, and has been an assistant professor at The Sage Colleges since 2014. She has worked as an assistant superintendent, director of curriculum and instruction for grades K-12 and K-5, and principal at various school districts in the Capital Region and Central New York since 1992. Her teaching interests include organizational systems, change theory in organizations, social capital, and leadership theory and practices, and she has conducted research on teacher leadership and building social capital.
Dr. Chris Abdoo who now teaches in the Business Official program, will also teach EDA 550 Finance for School Building Leaders in Summer I. Chris was a social studies teacher before moving into his role as Assistant Superintendent of Support Services in the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School District. Chris understands the role principals and other instructional leaders have in budget development.
Dr. Jennifer Avery is an Associate Professor in the Educational Leadership Program at The College of Saint Rose. She is currently teaching EDA 591: Critical Issues in School Business Leadership.
Dr. Avery has served the Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES as the Deputy Superintendent for the last nine years. Before this role, she was the Assistant Superintendent for Management Services for five years. Bolton also spent three years as the Director of Finance at Erie 2CC BOCES in Western New York and three years as the District Treasurer for the Cold Spring Harbor School District on Long Island.
In addition to her work for the BOCES, Jennifer Avery has taken on several leadership roles with organizations in the school finance world. She participated in the creation of the SBDL certification exam and Part 83 panel for the State Education Department. In 2016, she received a National Award for her work with data analytics from the Forecast5 organization. Dr. Avery also served on the NYSASBO Board of Directors for seven years and was president of the state organization in 2010. She went on to serve on the ASBO international board for four years, making many visits to see the workings of school finance in states across the country. Dr. Avery now services on both the New York Liquid Asset Fund Board of Directors and the NYSIR Board of Governors. She is still actively involved in NYSASBO, having been asked to lead the membership committee, serve on the government relations committee, coordinate the BOCES strand at the SBMW and teach in the NYSASBO Leadership Academy each year.
Dr. Avery is a graduate of the School of Management at the University at Buffalo. She received her SBA from Long Island University and her Doctorate from Dowling College in 2005. Her research was focused on the relationship between the use of technology by the school business official and the financial efficiency of the school district.
Dr. Roger P. Catania served as Superintendent of Schools with the Lake Placid Central School District, starting in 2013 and retiring in 2021. He held previous positions as a teaching assistant, a coach, a social studies teacher, a school counselor, and as a college and university instructor teaching undergraduate and graduate education students. As Superintendent he led his district through the approval of 8 school budgets, 6 successful union contract agreements, and a capital building project. Recently he was appointed to the New York State Board of Regents where he represents the 4th judicial district.
Dr. Catania has earned degrees from SUNY Binghamton, Manhattanville College, Oregon State University, Niagara University, and the University of Virginia. His
scholarly interests include examining important questions regarding educational purpose, pedagogical innovation, school reform, and social reform. His research and writing inform his work, helping him to consider the ways theory meets practice and past meets present (and future). He and his wife Amy have two sons, Louis age 21, and James age 18. Dr. Catania lives in Saranac Lake, NY.
Dr. Catania will be supporting the School District Business Leader program and teaching EDA 506 and the Internship courses.
Dr. Shea has been an assistant professor and the coordinator for the school building leader and school district business leader programs at Saint Rose since 2018, and has been an assistant professor at The Sage Colleges since 2014. She has worked as an assistant superintendent, director of curriculum and instruction for grades K-12 and K-5, and principal at various school districts in the Capital Region and Central New York since 1992. Her teaching interests include organizational systems, change theory in organizations, social capital, and leadership theory and practices, and she has conducted research on teacher leadership and building social capital.
Dr. Chris Abdoo who now teaches in the Business Official program, will also teach EDA 550 Finance for School Building Leaders in Summer I. Chris was a social studies teacher before moving into his role as Assistant Superintendent of Support Services in the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School District. Chris understands the role principals and other instructional leaders have in budget development.
Dr. Jennifer Avery is an Associate Professor in the Educational Leadership Program at The College of Saint Rose. She is currently teaching EDA 591: Critical Issues in School Business Leadership.
Dr. Avery has served the Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES as the Deputy Superintendent for the last nine years. Before this role, she was the Assistant Superintendent for Management Services for five years. Bolton also spent three years as the Director of Finance at Erie 2CC BOCES in Western New York and three years as the District Treasurer for the Cold Spring Harbor School District on Long Island.
In addition to her work for the BOCES, Jennifer Avery has taken on several leadership roles with organizations in the school finance world. She participated in the creation of the SBDL certification exam and Part 83 panel for the State Education Department. In 2016, she received a National Award for her work with data analytics from the Forecast5 organization. Dr. Avery also served on the NYSASBO Board of Directors for seven years and was president of the state organization in 2010. She went on to serve on the ASBO international board for four years, making many visits to see the workings of school finance in states across the country. Dr. Avery now services on both the New York Liquid Asset Fund Board of Directors and the NYSIR Board of Governors. She is still actively involved in NYSASBO, having been asked to lead the membership committee, serve on the government relations committee, coordinate the BOCES strand at the SBMW and teach in the NYSASBO Leadership Academy each year.
Dr. Avery is a graduate of the School of Management at the University at Buffalo. She received her SBA from Long Island University and her Doctorate from Dowling College in 2005. Her research was focused on the relationship between the use of technology by the school business official and the financial efficiency of the school district.
Dr. Roger P. Catania served as Superintendent of Schools with the Lake Placid Central School District, starting in 2013 and retiring in 2021. He held previous positions as a teaching assistant, a coach, a social studies teacher, a school counselor, and as a college and university instructor teaching undergraduate and graduate education students. As Superintendent he led his district through the approval of 8 school budgets, 6 successful union contract agreements, and a capital building project. Recently he was appointed to the New York State Board of Regents where he represents the 4th judicial district.
Dr. Catania has earned degrees from SUNY Binghamton, Manhattanville College, Oregon State University, Niagara University, and the University of Virginia. His
scholarly interests include examining important questions regarding educational purpose, pedagogical innovation, school reform, and social reform. His research and writing inform his work, helping him to consider the ways theory meets practice and past meets present (and future). He and his wife Amy have two sons, Louis age 21, and James age 18. Dr. Catania lives in Saranac Lake, NY.
Dr. Catania will be supporting the School District Business Leader program and teaching EDA 506 and the Internship courses.
Joe Greco, Director of Budget and Program Integration has over 20 years of experience in K-12 curriculum and instruction, serving in such roles as science teacher, building administrator, and K-12 STEM Curriculum Director. In 2018, Dr. Greco began working exclusively with the business office to help bridge the communication gap that often exists between instructional programing and budget development.
Dr. Greco has a Ph.D., C.A.S. and M.S. from the University at Albany in Educational Administration & Policy Studies. He is also a graduate of the NYS Superintendent Development Program at SUNY Oswego, and the Certificate of Education Finance Program at Georgetown University. Dr. Greco’s current research focus is on the use of Academic Return on Investment (A-RoI) to drive budget development decisions.
Tim Hilker, Assistant Superintendent for Business in the Saratoga Springs School District will co-teach EDA 551 in Summer II with his colleague, Joe Greco. Tim has been working in school business for 13 years. He came to the profession from a public accounting and purchasing background. His undergraduate work was completed at the University at Buffalo. His MBA and SDBL were earned from Niagara University, and he has a Certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University.
Chris Honeywell, attorney with the Honeywell Law Firm, will be teaching EDA 541 during the Summer II SDBL program. Christopher Honeywell is a Shareholder at Honeywell Law Firm and focuses his practice almost exclusively on representing K-12 public school districts in New York State in the areas of Education Law, Labor and Employment Law, and Construction Law. Chris has litigation experience in State and Federal Court, at both the Trial and Appellate levels. He enjoys providing trainings and professional development to school districts to assist in their day to day needs.
Erin Morris, attorney with the law firm of Girvin & Ferlazzo, will be teaching EDA 541 in the spring for the SDBL program and EDA 540 in Summer II for the SBL program. Erin is a New York State licensed Attorney and Shareholder with Girvin and Ferlazzo, P.C. Erin has over fifteen years of experience in Education Law, Labor and Employment Law, Litigation, and Real Estate, provides daily assistance to superintendents, business officials, and administrators in union free, central, and city school districts and BOCES on day-to-day issues and any litigation that arises, and frequently presents on legal issues school districts face.
Joe Greco, Director of Budget and Program Integration has over 20 years of experience in K-12 curriculum and instruction, serving in such roles as science teacher, building administrator, and K-12 STEM Curriculum Director. In 2018, Dr. Greco began working exclusively with the business office to help bridge the communication gap that often exists between instructional programing and budget development.
Dr. Greco has a Ph.D., C.A.S. and M.S. from the University at Albany in Educational Administration & Policy Studies. He is also a graduate of the NYS Superintendent Development Program at SUNY Oswego, and the Certificate of Education Finance Program at Georgetown University. Dr. Greco’s current research focus is on the use of Academic Return on Investment (A-RoI) to drive budget development decisions.
Tim Hilker, Assistant Superintendent for Business in the Saratoga Springs School District will co-teach EDA 551 in Summer II with his colleague, Joe Greco. Tim has been working in school business for 13 years. He came to the profession from a public accounting and purchasing background. His undergraduate work was completed at the University at Buffalo. His MBA and SDBL were earned from Niagara University, and he has a Certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University.
Chris Honeywell, attorney with the Honeywell Law Firm, will be teaching EDA 541 during the Summer II SDBL program. Christopher Honeywell is a Shareholder at Honeywell Law Firm and focuses his practice almost exclusively on representing K-12 public school districts in New York State in the areas of Education Law, Labor and Employment Law, and Construction Law. Chris has litigation experience in State and Federal Court, at both the Trial and Appellate levels. He enjoys providing trainings and professional development to school districts to assist in their day to day needs.
Erin Morris, attorney with the law firm of Girvin & Ferlazzo, will be teaching EDA 541 in the spring for the SDBL program and EDA 540 in Summer II for the SBL program. Erin is a New York State licensed Attorney and Shareholder with Girvin and Ferlazzo, P.C. Erin has over fifteen years of experience in Education Law, Labor and Employment Law, Litigation, and Real Estate, provides daily assistance to superintendents, business officials, and administrators in union free, central, and city school districts and BOCES on day-to-day issues and any litigation that arises, and frequently presents on legal issues school districts face.
Instructor Michael Vespi, who has taught at Saint Rose since 2018, is a senior analytics advisor with Forecast5 Analytics, working with school districts all over New York State, assisting with long-range financial planning and data analytics. Vespi has also taught for LeMoyne College and has over 20 years of experience working in public education, serving as an assistant superintendent for business services and as a teacher in the Syracuse area.
He holds a B.S. in Business/Public Management from SUNY Polytechnic Institute Utica/Rome, M.S. in Special Education from Syracuse University, and a CAS in Educational Administration from Oswego State University of New York.
Instructor Michael Vespi, who has taught at Saint Rose since 2018, is a senior analytics advisor with Forecast5 Analytics, working with school districts all over New York State, assisting with long-range financial planning and data analytics. Vespi has also taught for LeMoyne College and has over 20 years of experience working in public education, serving as an assistant superintendent for business services and as a teacher in the Syracuse area.
He holds a B.S. in Business/Public Management from SUNY Polytechnic Institute Utica/Rome, M.S. in Special Education from Syracuse University, and a CAS in Educational Administration from Oswego State University of New York.
