Many staff members gathered for a heartfelt celebration at the annual Retiree and 25-Year Service Recognition Dinner at the end of May. The evening was a beautiful tribute to the educators and staff who have dedicated decades to transforming the lives of students in our community.
Superintendent Dr. Ben Collins opened the evening by acknowledging the profound impact of the retiring class. “You literally change kids’ lives. Not only through the things that you’re teaching them, but the moments that you share with them, and the things that you tell them about the world, and how glorious and beautiful it can all be,” he said.
The celebration had no shortage of moving speeches from colleagues and friends, who expressed their deep gratitude for all that the Class of 2026 has done. We wish our retirees a wonderful next chapter. Your contributions to our community, our children, and our future will never be forgotten.
We also took a moment to recognize those reaching a major milestone in their careers…25 years of dedicated service to D64! We thank these staff members for their steady hands and enduring commitment to our schools.
“At the end of the day, our children across all of our schools have everything they need because of you. We have the best staff in the United States of America." - Dr. Ben Collins
The Class of 2026 Retirees:
- Marie Anderson
- Lynn Barabasz
- Laura Campbell
- Linda Damianides
- Camille Derwin
- Michele Epifanio
- Annamarie Donato
- Heather Friese
- Julie Hamilton
- Renee Jurczak
- Debra Keehn
- Tara Marolt
- Elizabeth Martin
- Patty Mayer
- Jerry Mulvihill
- Laura Mulvihill
- Vince Pagano
- Eleni Pappas
- Ourania Prokos
- Mark Schalke
- Katherine Schneider
- Natalie Schuetz
- Sharon Stake
- Brett Verdun
- Krista Weil
- Pam Zasky
25-Year Service Honorees:
- Anthony Belmonte
- Rebecca Fallico
- Steven Kriho
- Sharon Corbett
- Julie Flyke
- Jennifer Loring
- Margaret Gorcik
- Kara Forrest
- Lisa Nelson
- Bessie Grosso
- Megan Komenda
- Melissa Walters
- Tara Marolt
- Rebecca Navez
- Lynn Zwik