August 2026 Department Recognition

For the August Board of Education meeting, each district department is asked to identify one outstanding member of its staff to be invited to be celebrated for their work. These individuals represent the incredible work that takes place behind the scenes that has a tremendous impact on our students.

Adult & Community Education Department: Paula Gardner

Paula's work often happens behind the scenes, but its importance is felt throughout the entire department. Paula is known for her remarkable attention to detail and ability to anticipate challenges before they become problems. Whether navigating complex reporting requirements, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of data, or identifying solutions to issues before they affect our programming, she approaches every task with professionalism, precision, and a commitment to excellence. Her deep knowledge of funding requirements, accountability measures, and reporting benchmarks has been an invaluable resource to our program. Beyond her technical expertise, Paula is always willing to share her knowledge, answer questions, and provide thoughtful guidance, helping others understand increasingly complex data systems and state requirements.

Athletics: Laura Ranieri

Laura serves as the Athletic Trainer for Kenmore West High School, where she plays a vital role in keeping Blue Devil student-athletes healthy, safe, and performing at their best. She provides injury prevention, evaluation, treatment, rehabilitation, and game-day medical coverage while working closely with coaches and families to support the well-being of every athlete. Laura's dedication, professionalism, and commitment to student-athlete care make her an essential member of the Ken-Ton Athletics team.

Buildings & Grounds Department: Alexander Rodriguez

Alex began his career in Ken-Ton as a cleaner a little over one year ago and he now serves as the Head Custodian at Hamilton Elementary School, home to our thriving Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program. There, he has been doing a fantastic job keeping the building clean and safe for our youngest learners. Alex is known as a terrific communicator who works extremely well with not just the YMCA staff who operate the UPK program but also our Central Registration Department and agencies that provide services such as OT and PT for eligible students through Erie County. Alex is known for going out of his way to support the UPK Program and is always focused on creating the best possible environment for our UPK students.

Family Support Center: Alicia Wieczorek

Alicia has been working at the Family Support Center for the past 23 years and counting, and she was the first licensed mental health professional to join the team. Alicia devotes every Thursday evening to working with families in addition to her full-time position as Vice President of Professional Development and Safety overseeing New Directions Youth & Family Services and Gateway-Longview under the parent affiliate organization New View Alliance. Alicia is warm, caring, and dedicated and she always does her best to support our families.

Finance & Human Resources Office: Ann Milazzo

Ann is a member of the Human Resources and Finance team who leads payroll operations for the district. For an organization with approximately 1,500 employees, this is a tremendous undertaking, but it has been especially challenging over the past few months as the department remained short-staffed. Ann truly stepped up during this time, ensuring that vital payroll operations always went smoothly. Ann has always been known for her patience, thoroughness, responsiveness, and professionalism and is always ready to help any employee with questions or requests.

Food Service Department: Kristin Kryszczuk

Behind every breakfast and lunch served in our schools is a tremendous amount of planning and coordination. As Assistant Director of Food Service, Kristin plays a vital role in supporting the day-to-day operations of Ken-Ton’s Food Service Department which consists of approximately 60 employees responsible for serving lunch to 4,000 students and breakfast to 2,500 students each and every day. Ken-Ton is known for its exceptional breakfast/lunch program and that wouldn’t be possible without Kristin’s tireless dedication and support. Thanks to her efforts, no student has to go hungry.

Instruction: Kari Pernick

After many years of dedicated service in the purchasing department, Kari took on a new role last summer in the Curriculum, Leadership & Instruction Office and, in just one year, has had a tremendous impact on the department. She stepped into her new role seamlessly with poise, drive, and exceptional capability. Never one to wait for direction, she routinely takes the initiative to refine procedures and elevate everyday workflows. Kari approaches every new responsibility with an eager, standard-setting work ethic, consistently delivering work of the absolute highest caliber. Her rare blend of sharp efficiency, proactive problem-solving, and uplifting team presence has made her completely indispensable.

Staff Development Center: Kevin Kruger

In addition to his role as Principal of Kenmore Junior/Senior High School, Kevin serves as Co-Chair of the Staff Development Policy Board, a role he has held since 2019. Kevin has been a steady and trusted leader through some of the Center's most significant milestones including moving to a new facility, implementing new programming systems, navigating professional learning during the pandemic, and welcoming new leadership — all while fostering innovation, collaboration, and growth. Beyond his service to the Board, Kevin continues to participate in professional development workshops each year, learning alongside colleagues and modeling the lifelong learning we hope to inspire in every educator and administrator. His commitment to partnering with teachers, administrators, and staff reflects the mission of the Staff Development Center and has strengthened professional learning opportunities across our district. Kevin's deep appreciation for the center’s history, combined with his vision for its future and his remarkable sense of humor, have made him an invaluable colleague and friend.

Student Services Office: Kathleen Talty

Kathy serves as a senior clerk typist in the Student Services Department and is known for always going above and beyond for the students, families, and staff members she supports. She is known for her kindness and generosity with her time and energy. Kathy's thoroughness and attention to detail, combined with her positive "can-do" attitude, exemplify what it means to be an employee of Ken-Ton Schools. Furthermore, her ability to manage and navigate highly technical and complex processes have made her an invaluable asset to the Student Services Department.

Technology Department: Bill Steffen

Bill has worked in the Technology Services Department full-time since July of 2012 and is our lead for everything related to Google services, server management, device imaging, backups, and network design. He offers invaluable support to our team for practically every issue that arises and has automated many of the processes to make the department much more efficient. Bill is always willing to lend a hand to any person in any department and is often the first person people reach out to. Ken-Ton’s technology infrastructure would not be as advanced as it is without his expertise and willingness to constantly keep learning and trying new technology.

Transportation Department: Daniel Crangle

Dan has been a bus driver for Ken-Ton Schools for 29 years in addition to being extremely involved in the community. For example, Dan served 19 years as a Councilman for the Town of Tonawanda, has been a long-time advocate and cheerleader for the town’s youth, parks, and recreation programs, and has spent more than 50 years involved in the Town of Tonawanda's Football Association. As a bus driver, Dan does a fantastic job engaging students and getting them to and from school safely each and every day. He is known for always being willing to go above and beyond and accept extra work to serve our students.