Careers Parents Students Staff

Board member biographies

Sandra H. Ruffo, board president

Sandra H. Ruffo has been a member of the Broome-Tioga BOCES Board of Education since 1995, serving as its president since 2005. She was a member of the Susquehanna Valley Board of Education from 1985-2003, serving as its president for 15 years.

Originally from western New York, Ruffo has been a resident of the Southern Tier since 1967. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Binghamton University (formerly Harpur College) and a degree in registered nursing from SUNY Broome. Prior to retiring in 2003, she served as the clinical coordinator/interim executive director for the Lourdes Hospice program in Binghamton.

Ruffo is a member and past president/vice president of the Broome-Tioga School Boards Association and is a frequent presenter at its annual “Aspiring and Newly Elected Board Member” workshops. Shecurrently serves as president of NYSSBA and formerly served as Area 4 Director for 9 years.

Ruffo and her husband, Sam, have been married for 53 years, have raised five children and have been blessed with 14 grandchildren. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening and spending time with her grandchildren.

Ruffo is a strong advocate for fair and equitable educational opportunities for all children irrespective of where they live. She also promotes ongoing board development for all school board members in order that they can understand and best perform the duties required of them.

Contact: [email protected]

David Hawley - vice president

Dave Hawley has been a member of the Broome-Tioga BOCES Board of Trustees since July 2012, its vice president since 2018. He has also served on the Binghamton City School District Board of Education since 1996, much of that time as president or vice president.

Hawley has also been, for several years, a member of the Broome-Tioga School Board Association Legislative Committee, the New York State School Board Association’s State Legislative Network and has served as our area representative to the Federal Relations Network. He also served on the Litigation Steering Committee of the New York State Association of Small City School Districts and is a recipient of the NYSSBA Master of Boardsmanship Award.

Hawley is a graduate of Maine-Endwell High School and SUNY Binghamton. He was employed by the Social Security Administration for 32 years prior to his retirement. He is also retired from the U.S. Army, with a combined 28 years of active duty and National Guard Service, including a tour in Vietnam.

Hawley and his wife, Carol, have lived in the same house on Binghamton’s Southside since 1978. They have two adult children and three grandchildren. He and his wife have been very involved in their church and community. They have both served for many years as Odyssey of the Mind judges at both the regional and state levels. They also were very active in the “Southern Tier Celebrates” organization from its inception until it disbanded, and have been active members of the Preservation Association of the Southern Tier (PAST), where Dave served two years as president. Dave and Carol have also been a very active members of the Southside Neighborhood Assembly.

Hawley has for years been a staunch advocate for equitable funding for schools and believes that all students can succeed if given adequate support.

Contacts: [email protected] , 607-722-9336

Nicholas Matyas

Nick Matyas has been on the Broome-Tioga BOCES Board of Education since August 2020. He currently serves on the facilities committee in addition to being the board liaison for the CTE and New Visions programs. He has also served on the board of education at the Johnson City School District since 2007, currently as vice president, and has been on numerous committees, including budget, audit, negotiations, school culture/climate, instruction and curriculum as well as being the legislative representative to the Broome-Tioga School Boards Association.

Matyas is a lifelong resident of the area and a Binghamton University graduate. He is currently employed as an academic counselor with the Binghamton University Liberty Partnerships program, a NYSED Opportunity program that provides a comprehensive support system to area students to prepare them for higher education, career planning and adult life. He has been involved in many community activities and events, including the Broome-Tioga Special Olympics and St Michael's Church.

Matyas has been committed to the growth and success of the local community through supporting our students with quality and engaging instructional programs and opportunities that support their growth, development and success while also remaining fiscally responsible to the community we serve.

Peter Nowacki

Pete Nowacki has been a member of the Broome-Tioga BOCES Board of Trustees since 2006. A Windsor resident, he has been or is currently serving as a member of the board’s Component Relations Committee, Legislative Delegation, Audit Committee, and has served as the vice president and president of the Broome-Tioga School Boards Association. He has been a member of the Windsor Central School District Board of Education since 2001 and is currently in his fifteenth year as president of that board. Starting in 2023, Pete began service as the NYS School Board Association Area 4 Director.

After graduating from high school, Nowacki served a stint in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer. Upon completion of service, he entered Buffalo State College, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Education. He went on to obtain a Master of Science in Education at Binghamton University and earned his Advanced Graduate Certificate in Educational Administration from the University of Scranton.

Nowacki and his family moved to Windsor from the Buffalo area in 1993, when he took a teaching position in the Hancock Central School District. From there he went on to become the technology coordinator for the Sherburne-Earlville Central School District in 1996. The technology boom of the late 90’s called him away from the field of education to take a position with the court system as a technologist, where he has been since 1998. Currently, he is a network/systems engineer for the Unified Court System’s Division of Technology.

His personal philosophy for educational leadership is that of providing high expectations as well as high levels of support in order to develop a passion for excellence at all levels of the educational continuum.

Contacts: Email: [email protected] Phone: 607-752-1562

Michon Stuart

Michon Stuart, of Vestal, has been a member of the Broome-Tioga BOCES Board of Education since July 2020. Born in Endicott, he is a life-long resident of Broome County. His family "moved across the river" to Vestal and he graduated from Vestal High School. He graduated from SUC Fredonia and taught elementary school in the Vestal School District for 33 years. Upon retirement from Vestal, he served as a court attendant in Broome County family, supreme and county courts for 7 1/2 years. He also substituted in Tioga County Court when called upon during those 7 1/2 years.

From 2005-2011 and 2013-2019 Stuart served on the Vestal School Board of Education; six years as president. He was Vestal's representative to the Broome-Tioga School Boards Association's Legislative Committee and as delegate to the Broome-Tioga Delaware Health Consortium. He served as president and vice-president of the Broome-Tioga School Boards Association for many years. He also served as a presenter/panelist in BTSBA's Prospective Board Members workshop and New School Board Members Orientation events.

Stuart was listed in Who's Who Among America's Teachers in 1990, 2000, 2005 and 2006. He received the PTA Honoree Life Membership from the Vestal Hills PTA. He received the Vestal District Council Lifetime Honoree Award in 2019. He is a current Vice-President and past president of the Vestal Historical Society. In 2023, Michon received the Vestal Historical Society Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the past president and board member of the Literacy Volunteers of Broome and Tioga Counties and also a past board member of the Samaritan Counseling Center. He currently is a member of the Town of Vestal Planning Board.

He and his wife, Elaine, have one daughter who works in the fashion industry in New York City.

Contacts: Email: [email protected] Phone: 607.754.3024

Linda Gretz

It is an honor and privilege to serve on the Broome Tioga BOCES Board of Trustees and Owego Apalachin Board of Education. At OACSD, I served as the Board’s vice president for seven years since my initial election in 2016. I am a retired 32-year veteran educator, with 12 years of experience in building and central office administration and 20 years in teaching. I believe these experiences and my long-term commitment to and involvement in our Broome/Tioga communities have served me well as a school board member for the Owego Apalachin Central School District. In this capacity I have focused on maintaining and enhancing the quality of education in the Owego Apalachin school district in a fiscally responsible manner. I look forward to doing the same for a more global population of students and staff members.

I began my career in the fall of 1983 as a science teacher for the Owego Apalachin Central School District. I taught all levels of high school biology and middle school science until 2002. I have experience as a science department chair, mentor for new teachers, athletic coach, and class advisor. I hold a Bachelors of Science in Biology and Masters of Arts in Teaching from Binghamton University, and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in School District Administration from SUNY Cortland. In August of 2004, I was appointed as a central office administrator for the Binghamton City School District as the Director of Personnel. Prior to that appointment, I was a building level administrator for Chenango Forks High School, BT-BOCES summer school principal for grades 7-12 and summer enrichment principal for Owego Apalachin children grades K-8.

As the Vice President of the Owego Apalachin Central School Board of Education, I have taken the responsibility to build consensus among stakeholders. I am a good listener and capable of making decisions that can support group decision-making. I am excited to confront the tough challenges facing our component districts and will work collegially to rise above them and help our students in our BT-BOCES community succeed. I have attended New York State School Boards Association annual conventions and seminars on a regular basis since 2016. Also, as a board representative, I have participated on several district and BT-BOCES committees. My talents and experience lend to these tasks.

My primary goal will always be to foster a positive relationship between all stakeholders and to make a difference in the lives and the futures of BT-BOCES students. As a long time resident of OA, I have always had a vested interest in OA district and have supported initiatives that have created positive learning environments. As a BT-BOCES Board trustee, I pledge to work continuously to serve the needs of all students, not only as a local representative, but also in my state role. I look forward to expanding my vested interests in our BT-BOCES community and attending BT-BOCES school functions and meeting people.

My husband Walt and I have been Owego residents for 47 years. My husband is retired from Lockheed Martin after 40 years of service and is a 1972 Owego Free Academy graduate. Our daughters, Melissa, a former elementary teacher who is currently a Doctor in Chiropractic Medicine, and Stacy, an ICU Cardiac nurse at UHS Wilson, are also OFA graduates. I believe their success is due in part to the quality of education they received during their years in the Owego Apalachin Central District.

Michelle Noyes

My name is Michelle Noyes, and I have been a proud resident of the Harpursville Central School District (HCS) for nearly 20 years. I am deeply committed to my community and district, with a vested interest in the continued success of our regional educational programs.

I am a former employee of HCS, where I held multiple roles across all grade levels, concluding my service as a school bus driver. After moving on to a new opportunity, a vacancy opened on the school board. I ran for election and have had the honor of serving for the past nine years, including the last three as board president. During this time, I’ve been an active member of several key committees, including the Policy Committee, Legislative Committee, and the Health Insurance Consortium Committee. I also serve as HCS’s NYSSBA voting delegate at annual business meetings, where I advocate for policies that support students, educators, and our broader school community. Additionally, I’m an engaged member of the Broome-Tioga School Boards Association, collaborating with fellow board members to address shared challenges and advance common goals throughout the region.

I am currently employed as the office manager at Winsor Acres, a large dairy farm in Harpursville. In this role, I oversee numerous aspects of daily operations and enjoy engaging with the public by providing farm tours. Through these tours, I help raise awareness about the wide range of career opportunities in agriculture and the critical role the industry plays in our local economy and community. Winsor Acres is a proud advocate for agricultural education for learners of all ages.

On a personal note, I was born and raised in Waverly, NY. I am a graduated of the Class of 1988 from Waverly Central School District. I moved to Harpursville when I married my husband Larry 20 years ago. Larry is a graduate of HCS and has dedicated over 30 years of employment to Winsor Acres. Together, we have a beautifully blended family with three children—Jordan, Cassie, and Christian—all graduates of Harpursville. I am incredibly proud of each of them: Jordan is a parts manager for a large agricultural equipment company, Cassie is an elementary special education teacher, and Christian works in retail management.

I am excited about the opportunity to bring my experience, knowledge, and passion for education to the BOCES Board of Education. I look forward to helping shape policies and programs that benefit students across our region. It is an honor to serve and to contribute to our collective commitment to educational excellence.

Thank you to the BT BOCES districts for the opportunity to have a seat at the table.

Douglas Drake

Douglas Drake is a student at Susquehanna Valley Central School District and is also in the PALS Program at BT BOCES. Douglas is employed part-time at the CHOW Warehouse in Binghamton and serves as a volunteer firefighter in his community. Douglas wants to represent the students at Broome-Tioga BOCES by making sure every student is able to have their ideas heard throughout the school year, especially when it comes to helping them increase their learning ability. Drake is passionate about education and wants to help as many students as he can.

Kylie Loomis

Kylie Loomis is a student at Binghamton City School District and is enrolled in the P-TECH Health Studies Pathway. She is passionate about her education and is a dedicated member of the Binghamton High School chorus and a proud performer in their annual musical productions. Through these avenues, she has developed strong teamwork, public speaking skills, and has become a creative problem-solver. Kylie is working toward her AAS Degree in Health Studies at SUNY Broome through the P-TECH Program. She loves balancing the technical focus of her academic studies with the collaborative energy of the stage and is looking forward to serving as a voice for students across BOCES while serving on the School Board.