Burke Elected As Stamford Board Of Education President

STAMFORD, CT — The majority of Stamford Board of Education members voted this week to elect Jennienne Burke as board president during their annual election of officers.

The vote took place during the board's virtual meeting Tuesday night. Burke will take over the position from Andy George, who has served as president for the past two years. (To sign up for Stamford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

Burke was nominated for the position by board member Fritz Chery, while Mike Altamura nominated Jackie Pioli. A tight vote followed, in which five of the nine board members ultimately voted for Burke: Daniel Dauplaise, Jackie Heftman, Chery and George, as well as Burke voting for herself.

After winning the majority of votes, Burke took over conducting the meeting from George, who congratulated her.

A majority of board members also selected Altamura and Dauplaise as vice president and secretary, respectively. Becky Hamman was named assistant secretary.

Before voting began, board member Nicola Tarzia noted he has been lobbying for a leadership role for five years, but to no avail.

"To me," Tarzia said, "that means there's something fundamentally wrong with the thinking of this Stamford Board of Education when it comes to fairness, respect and equal roles of leadership on this board."

He and Altamura both stressed that a member of the minority party on the board should serve in a leadership position, such as president or vice president.

On Friday, George said he was excited about Burke taking over the role of president.

"I have been her colleague for five years and feel she has the temperament and maturity to lead the district," George said. "She has served as chair on various committees and has demonstrated a passion for student success. She understands the value of relationships...I believe Jennienne will be a great fit for Stamford."

He also noted a change in leadership is healthy for the board, as it allows for a new set of eyes on problems and, possibly, new approaches to solutions.

According to George, the job of president is a "time-consuming and formidable" challenge, especially in the midst of issues like dealing with the coronavirus crisis and, to a lesser extent, mold issues in various school buildings.

"Serving as president requires strong interpersonal skills and a willingness to build relationships," George said. "A president must attend to the internal workings of the board, the relationship to the superintendent and administration, the interaction with the mayor, city administrators and other city boards, and the external interface with the community."

Managing all this is not easy, he noted, especially as it is set in a political environment.

"I leave the presidency with mixed emotion," George said, "happy for the many accomplishments, and wistful because there is much more to do."

Patch has reached out to Burke for further information.

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