Byram Hills Announces Superintendent Retirement, Replacement

ARMONK, NY — Byram Hills Superintendent of Schools William Donohue will retire at the end of the school year and Jennifer Lamia, the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, will succeed him, district officials announced Friday.

Lamia, who joined the Byram Hills schools as an English teacher in 1990, will take on the new position on July 1. The man she will replace, Dr. Donohue, is also a long-time Byram Hills educator, having started in the District the same year.

He has served as Superintendent since 2012.

“Bill Donohue has been an outstanding Superintendent, and we are grateful for his remarkable vision and contributions to the District,” Board President Brett Summers said. He added that Lamia’s selection as the next school’s chief followed the District’s practice of cultivating administrative leaders from within.

“The process for selecting Dr. Donohue’s successor couldn’t have gone smoother, and was made easier as a result of years of focus on leadership succession,” Summers said. “The Board was absolutely unanimous in this decision, and recognized Ms. Lamia’s outstanding intellect, demonstrated leadership, and deep commitment to the success and continued improvement of the District.”

The Board is scheduled to vote on the appointment at its next Board of Education meeting on Tuesday.

Lamia said she is looking forward to taking the Superintendent’s post in the 2,400-student district where she has served almost her entire career in education.

“What I love about this school community is that you can be the Superintendent and still remain connected to the kids,” she said. “The student perspective drives everything that we’re doing, so knowing a significant number of students in the District and watching them enjoy their learning motivates my leadership.”

She said her aim will be to maintain Byram Hills’ stature as a “high-performing, desirable District,” with an extremely talented faculty and staff.

Her appointment was supported enthusiastically by Byram Hills PTSA President Abby Woodworth.

"Jen Lamia is someone both parents and teachers highly respect,” Woodworth said. “Her history in Byram Hills and her leadership abilities in the education field make her the right choice for Superintendent. I cannot think of anyone better to lead Byram Hills into the future."

Longtime community resident and former Board of Education member Vince Greco considers Lamia’s appointment to be an “outstanding decision" by the Board.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Greco said. “The District is in excellent shape, both from a financial and educational perspective. Jen has a great deal of vision and demonstrated leadership, and I’m confident that the District will be in excellent hands.”

Lamia came to Byram Hills as an English teacher at H.C. Crittenden Middle School after teaching one year in Tuxedo, N.Y. In Byram Hills, she was struck by the “collaborative and forward-thinking approach, and the dedication to kids, first and foremost. There were also opportunities to grow. You can develop in many ways here and you will be supported.”

In 2003, she became chairperson of the English department for grades 6 through 12. Five years later, she became the assistant principal at Byram Hills High School, a position she held until 2010, when she, her husband and their two sons moved temporarily to Brazil.

When the family returned from South America in 2012, Lamia took the post of Assistant to the Superintendent in Byram Hills, and was later named Assistant Superintendent.

Looking back on her career thus far, she credits Crittenden Principal H. Evan Powderly with being one of the leaders who encouraged her to move into administration. He and another District leader – a former superintendent – suggested in 2002 that she enroll in a master’s program in educational administration at Fordham University. She received the degree from that program in 2005 and is now earning a Doctor of Education degree from the Johns Hopkins University.

She also credits Dr. Donohue as being a key mentor.

“Bill is an incredible leader and part of his leadership strength is in cultivating the strengths of the people around him,” she said. “For many years, I’ve been fortunate to work closely with him and to take part in decision making, which is effective preparation for this new position.”