Hamden Board Of Education Chairman To Resign For Town Job

HAMDEN, CT — Board of Education Chairman Adam Sendroff will resign from the board at the end of the school year to take a position with the town, officials announced. After he officially resigns, Sendroff will become Hamden’s Community Development Manager. Hamden Mayor Curt Balzano Leng said Sendroff has been appointed to the position “after much consideration.”

Leng also announced that new responsibilities have been added to the position, including oversight of Youth and Community Services. (To sign up for Hamden breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

“Adam has spent years serving and caring for our community,” Leng said in a press release. “His experience and demonstrated leadership on the Board of Education, especially his focus on families in need, give him the unique perspective and understanding, to serve our town well in this key role. I have great confidence that Mr. Sendroff, supported by the cooperation of our dedicated Youth & Community staff, will successfully achieve our goals of providing top-quality service delivery for youth and families and increasing our outreach to help those most in-need.”

Sendroff, who has served as a member of the Board of Education since 2007 and in the leadership roles of secretary from 2011-2015 and as chairperson since 2015, will remain in his current role until Hamden High School’s graduation in mid-June and then resign.

“Although I am sad to leave the Board of Education, I look forward to continuing to work towards making a positive difference in our community in this new role,” Sendroff said in a statement.

Leng said the reason for adding new responsibilities to the Community Development Manager position is “Our goal is to build greater collaboration with our partners, non-profits, faith groups, businesses, state departments, as well as other town departments and the Hamden Public Schools.”

“This collaboration has unlimited potential for helping Hamden families, youth and neighborhoods,” Leng said. “Our vision is that of a highly integrated, comprehensive, and holistic program to deliver enhanced services to our community, providing much-needed assistance to residents who find themselves in-need - taking real steps toward breaking the cycle of poverty.”

Sendroff, who grew up in Hamden and graduated from Hamden High School in 1989, holds a Bachelor’s in History from the University of Massachusetts, and has worked for more than 20 years in college-level academic publishing. He holds a wide range of personal and professional experience, including management, communications, budget development, civic engagement, marketing, project negotiations and more, according to Leng.

Sendroff is currently a member of the Church Street School Health Clinic Advisory Board, and is a former member of the Community Development Advisory Commission, the Hamden PTA Council, and the Connecticut Advisory Council for Teacher Professional Standards.

Legn said that throughout his time on the Board of Education, Sendroff has been instrumental in facilitating highly impactful projects and programs. According to the press release, Sendroff has worked to “expand preschool opportunities, to add a School-Based Health Clinic to Church Street Elementary School (the second of its kind in Hamden), and partnered with the non-profit CfAL (Concepts for Adaptive Learning) to help address the digital divide. He also worked diligently to maintain a strong Adult Education program at the Keefe Community Center and to implement an emotional intelligence program throughout the school district to help students address bullying, classroom misbehavior, and emotional issues.”

“These experiences and more exemplify Mr. Sendroff’s commitment, character and qualifications for the position of Community Development Manager, and line up well with the Administration’s desire to enhance and better inform residents of the many meaningful programs offered at the Keefe Community Center.”

Hamden Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler said it has been “an honor and a privilege” to serve under Sendroff.

“Mr. Sendroff is a consummate team player whose focus has always been on teaching and learning and the needs of all the children in our community,” Goeler said. “Adam has been the board’s staunchest advocate for energy conservation and green initiatives, promoting an ethic of stewardship and budgetary efficiencies. To those who have had the pleasure of working with Adam Sendroff in his board leadership roles, he is considered the ‘Soul of the Board,’ and he will be greatly missed. I couldn’t be happier to know his skills and his passion for our community will be put to great use as he assumes the position of Community Development Manager.”

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