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Look to the
future with great expectations
Board President marks the beginning of a new era at HFM
BOCES
 When
HFM BOCES Board of Education President Robert Townsend
welcomed nearly 400 employees for the start of the 2010-11
school year, he emphasized that it was excellent work and
dedication to service by the entire BOCES family that
brought the organization to this point in its history.
“We have reached a great milestone for this BOCES, and you
should be proud,” Mr. Townsend said in his opening day
comments.
Referring to Commissioner of Education Dr. David Steiner’s
July letter that confirmed that HFM would remain independent
and authorized the search to begin for a new district
superintendent, Mr. Townsend stressed that much of the
credit belongs to the staff.
“It is each of you, and your day-to-day interaction with
parents, students and the community that define our
success,” Mr. Townsend said. “The Commissioner’s decision
was based on excellent support he received from our
component districts and neighboring BOCES as part of a state
survey.”
Mr. Townsend went on to say that every employee’s commitment
and effort of the past 15 years have made HFM BOCES “the
best BOCES in the state.”
Board establishes goals for 2010-11
As in previous years, the Board of Education has developed
specific goals to guide them in the new year. The top
priority will be selecting a new District Superintendent.
“The board understands that this is probably the most
important task we have,” Mr. Townsend said. “We are
committed to finding the very best candidate who will carry
the HFM BOCES mission forward.”
Mr. Townsend said that a new superintendent would mean new
relationships, new ideas, and a new leadership style.
However, he emphasized that service, commitment and
excellence would remain the cornerstone of HFM BOCES’
mission.
“Take this opportunity to renew your focus and dedication to
our mission and the students and staff we serve,” he urged
the audience.
The Board of Education goals for 2010-11 focus on three key
areas – the evolving identity of HFM BOCES, programs and
policies, and finances and operations.
According to Mr. Townsend, the board recognized that
marketing the programs and their success stories was
critical in these difficult times for maintaining enrollment
and the use of BOCES services.
“We will be looking at ways to improve internal and external
communication to promote our programs, our mission and our
values to all our customers,” Mr. Townsend said, again
pointing to staff as the “frontline of this organization in
building our reputation for effectiveness and commitment.”
The state’s scrutiny of school districts impelled the Board
to begin a comprehensive review of all HFM BOCES policies
and programs. Mr. Townsend said they must “look forward to
the future” while evaluating existing programs and
innovating new ones.
Along similar lines, Mr. Townsend emphasized the need for
the organization to “fully understand and embrace our
fiduciary responsibilities, with the focus on compliance to
our own policies, state regulations and corrective actions
from previous audits.”
Controlling escalating costs for health insurance and
contract negotiations would be critical issues for the Board
and major goals for the new District Superintendent.
Dr. Davis Memorial
Mr. Townsend announced that memorial plaques were being
designed to recognize the service and impact of Dr. Geoffrey
Davis. Dr. Davis served as HFM BOCES District Superintendent
for 14 years before succumbing to cancer in April. Plaques
will be installed at the main lobby entrance and at the
conference center entrance.
“We thank everyone for their input and thoughts about what
this institution should do to memorialize Dr. Davis,” Mr.
Townsend said.” Details of the unveiling of the memorials
will be announced in the coming weeks.
“We have a great history, but we must look to the future
with great expectations as we open a new era for HFM BOCES,”
Mr. Townsend told the audience. “I know we will continue to
work together the meet the challenges with the passion and
dedication that are the hallmark of this organization.”
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