BOE Hires Assistant Superintendent, Business Administrator

New Schools Supt. James Crisfield has filled out his administrative team with the hiring of a new assistant superintendent for curriculum and a new business administrator.

Christine Burton was named Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction and started her job on Monday. Steve DiGeronimo was appointed as school district business administrator and is expected to join the district in October. Robert Zeglarski, who has served as interim business administrator since retiring more than a year ago, will continue in the position until DiGeronimo joins the district.

The two officially were hired when the school board approved the personnel report during its last meeting on Aug. 17.

Crisfield said both will have a "calming influence" in their new positions. He also said he was pleased both could join the district because the market for people of their caliber is sure to dry up.

Both also will earn $150,000, which is the capped salary under Gov. Chris Christie's plan for school districts' top administrators. Crisfield said the two positions are capped at 85 percent of the cap for schools superintendents. For Millburn, the cap is slightly more than $150,000, he said, but they decided to make it an even number.

Burton comes to Millburn from the Montgomery Township School District, in Skillman where she has been the Director of Mathematics since 2001. She has been in public education for 21 years, as mathematics content specialist in the Hillsborough School District from 1997-2001 and prior to that, as a seventh grade mathematics, social studies and writing teacher in Hillsborough.

She received her Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Trenton State College. She has Master of Arts degree in education and her Doctorate in education leadership, management, and policy from Seton Hall University.

Crisfield said she is a good listener with a lot of experience. She also will push the district forward. "We just were named for the best high school in the state, but we can't rest on our laurels," he said. "We need to keep moving forward."

Burton started the same day the new teachers joined the district for new teacher orientation. Crisfield said it was important for her to start that day so she could learn about the district with the new teachers.

DiGeronimo comes to Millburn from the Pequannock Township School District where he has been School Business Administrator since 2004. He has served in the same capacity in East Rutherford (2000-04) and Essex Fells (1997-2000).

Prior to becoming a business administrator he was a teacher in public schools for over 25 years in Bloomfield, Roseland and Montclair.

DiGeronimo earned his Bachelor of Arts in physical education from Montclair State University. He has a Master of Science in the psychology of sports from the University of Rhode Island and earned his Certification for School Business Administration from Montclair State University.

Crisfield said DiGeronimo has a collaborative approach to his job and likes to keep everyone informed along the way. "He will be open as possible through things like the budget process," he said. "That's going to be critical in all districts."

DiGeronimo will replace Zeglarski, and Crisfield said he has big shoes to fill. DiGeronimo and Zeglarski know each other through their professional association, he said, and DiGeronimo knows what he's getting into.

Crisfield joked that with his past as a business administrator that perhaps he and DiGeronimo will be able to fill Zeglarski's shoes together.

DiGeronimo cannot leave his current district until he helps them find a replacement or interim business administrator, which is reasonable, Crisfield said. He guessed DiGeronimo may be able to join the Millburn district around Oct. 1. Zeglarski will stay on until then, which Crisfield said is a measure of his commitment to helping the district.