Butler Business Administrator Ready to Be 'Full-Time Mom'

The bid a bittersweet farewell to its School Business Administrator and Secretary Debra Naley-Minenna on Monday night, giving the administrator a sendoff into retirement after 19 years in the district.

Naley-Minenna’s retirement comes after a decision by the board last month to outsource business office functions.

“We’re in a place where we looked at outsourcing and are in a position to do that,” Superintendent of Schools Mario Cardinale said.

There was little focus on the business end of the decision on Monday night, though, as Cardinale and the board celebrated the productive tenure of Naley-Minenna, one which has taken the district to new heights.

“I want to say that Debbie’s worked hard to bring the district to a place where we’re in a good financial situation,” Cardinale said. “We passed our last budget that was voted on, completed a referendum and are beginning to move forward in terms of a schedule of maintenance on our fields.”

Added board member Cynthia Sokoloff, “She has done her best to keep us on the straight and narrow, sometimes kicking and screaming. I think that she has always been motivated by her belief that what she was doing was not only the legal thing to do, but the right thing to do.”

Naley-Minenna herself was emotional when it came time for her to speak.

“I am very sad to leave my position. I’ve told board members over the years that I love my job,” Naley-Minenna said. “I love what I do and I do it well because I love who I do it for—the community, for the board and for the children.”

However, the retiring administrator is excited for what the next stage of life brings—including a greater ability to focus on her family.

“As much as I love what I do, I have such a full life ahead. My children cannot wait for me to walk out this door,” Naley-Minenna said. “At 4 o’clock on this Friday the 29th, I will finally become the full-time mom that I’ve always wanted to be.”