Region 14 BOE Chair: New Nonnewaug High School Principal A Great Fit

The Nonnewaug High School principal search is over.

The Region 14 Board of Education unanimously lent its support to Burlington resident Andrew T. O'Brien as the newly hired Nonnewaug High School principal, at a Monday, Nov. 14, special meeting.

O'Brien said he is excited to begin the job. Region 14 Superintendent Jody Goeler stated at a past board meeting that O'Brien can start the job right after Thanksgiving break.

Chuck Cosgriff, Region 14 BOE chairman, said he looks forward to working with O'Brien. He cited O'Brien's breadth of experience and said he will fit in well at the high school.

From July 2007 to present time, O'Brien served as assistant principal at Middletown High School.

There, as listed in his resume, he initiated the creation of a Men at School mentoring program that connected at-risk youth with male role models from the community, was advisor for a student leadership club and supervised an in-house alternative education program, among other tasks.

Cosgriff specifically noted that O'Brien's time as interim director and program administrator of Middletown High School's Regional Vocational Agriculture Center make him a great fit for NHS.

O'Brien served in that role from May 2003 to January 2004 and April 2005 through January 2006.

According to O'Brien's resume, his responsibilities included the program's budget, facility operations and coordination of program activities.

He obtained grant money for programs and technology upgrades and initiated the formation of a student leadership and diversity committee that was recognized by the National For the Future of Agriculture Organization as one of the top four H.O. Sargent Diversity in Agriculture projects in the United States for 2003-04.

O'Brien stated in his resume that he worked with students to develop an instructional program exploring diversity and agriculture in third world countries.

Before that, from 1994 to June 2007, O'Brien was a vocational agriculture teacher and natural resources advisor.

His awards include a 2002 Teacher of the Year Award from the Middlesex County Soil and Water Conservation District, 2007 Connecticut FFA Advisor of the Year Award and a 2010-11 United Way Coordinator of the Year award for increased campaign participation and giving.

O'Brien's educational background consists of a B.S. in biology from Southern Connecticut State University, a M.A. in teaching with a concentration in biology from Quinnipiac University and a sixth year degree in educational leadership from Central Connecticut State University.

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