On August 29, the Board of Education approved the hire of Gregory Kern as Interim School Business Administrator, effective September 12, 2022.
Kern possesses extensive, senior-level administrative experience earned through 19 years of leading school business operations in New York State districts. He has served as Assistant Superintendent for Business in the City School District of New Rochelle, Assistant Superintendent for Finance in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District, Assistant Superintendent for Administration in the Enlarged City School District of Middletown and Assistant Superintendent for Business at the Washingtonville Central School District. Kern has also held administrative positions with the Greater Southern Tier BOCES/Elmira Central School District, Amherst Central School District, Newark Central School District and Medina Central School District.
A veteran administrator, Kern has been responsible for directing all aspects of financial management for several school districts with general fund budgets exceeding $100 million, as well as providing oversight for facilities, transportation, safety and security, facilities and food service. He has overseen capital construction in several districts, including a $99 million project for the Elmira Central School District. Prior to entering public education, Kern spent over 25 years working as a finance industry professional in the private sector.
Kern will succeed Michael Vespi, who resigned from SOCSD to accept an assistant superintendent position upstate. Over the next two weeks, Kern is scheduled to participate in several, on-site transition meetings with the Business Office team and administrative leadership before Vespi’s September 9 departure.
With the District’s superintendent search in progress, this vacancy was designated as an interim, one-year position to allow a new superintendent the opportunity to participate in the selection of a permanent school business official.
