Ossining Superintendent Receives Distinguished Service Award

The Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents has awarded its 2020 Distinguished Service Award to Ossining Superintendent Raymond Sanchez, current and past president of the group.

Dobbs Ferry Superintendent Lisa Brady, who received the award last year, presented it to Dr. Sanchez during a virtual meeting on May 10. She thanked him on behalf of the LHCOSS for his leadership and service.

“You represent the LHCOSS with dignity, passion for kids, schools and communities, and with a relentless emphasis on the moral obligations that we – as superintendents – have to our schools and communities,” Dr. Brady said. “Every one of us here this morning salutes you. And together, we proudly present you with this – our highest recognition.”

Dr. Brady complimented Dr. Sanchez for leading “with a calm, steady hand” in stressing the need for the interim state education commissioner and Board of Regents chancellor to meet with the council’s members face to face earlier this year. LHCOSS is a group of 75 school districts and four BOCES from Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties.

“Your grace and poise help to engender collaboration, even when the will for collaboration might not normally exist,” she said. “Your strength, skill and compassionate leadership have been the pivot around which many of our elected leaders have come to the table.

The council has given out the Distinguished Service Award annually since 1992. The criteria for the honor include contribution/service to the council; commitment and support of public education; actions, comments and written statements for the betterment of children’s educational opportunities; interest in children’s welfare; and support of and leadership within local, state and national educational organizations.

Dr. Sanchez, who has been Ossining superintendent since 2013, also led the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents in 2017-18. He is a past president of the Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Curriculum Council, a past liaison for the New York State Association of Bilingual Educators, and past president of the Lower Hudson Council of School Personnel Administrators. He serves on various boards and councils, including Feeding Westchester, Jacob Burns Film Center, and the Westchester Medical Center Health Network Hudson Valley Food for Life Council.

The superintendent has received numerous national, state and local awards. Among them are the New York State Association of School Superintendents’ Raymond Delaney Award; a 2017-18 “Superintendent to Watch” award from the National School Public Relations Association; the 2017 Champions for Children award from the Child Care Council of Westchester; and the 2017 Partnership Award from Pace University.