October 2, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 3 Waldwick Levine steps down as president; Monaco elected Waldwick Board of Education President Patricia Levine resigned her leadership position last week but said she would complete the rest of her term on the board, which runs through Nov. 2015. The board immediately voted in board vice president Dawn Monaco to replace her, and elected Dr. Dominic Novelli as vice president. Levine, who was first elected to the board in 2003 and has served as president for the past seven years, said she believes that a board member without children in the school district should not have a leadership role. Her young- est daughter, Meredith, graduated from Waldwick High School in June. “It’s been a great, incredible life-changing experience for me. And it’s even been good for my resume. I got the job I have now because of my experiences here,” she said. She is the custom products specialist/design consultant for Calico Corners in Ramsey. Levine thanked the administrative and teaching staff and the mayor and council for having made it possible to accomplish so many goals during her tenure. Levine’s fellow trustees and members of the audience gave her an emotional send off. “It’s due to your inspiration, energy, and passion that things have happened. You’ve set a standard which is hard to live up to,” said trustee Claire McLafferty. “She is a true public servant. She’s dedicated her life in Waldwick to the children in the community. When I look at what she’s accomplished as a leader of this board, I rise and give her a standing ovation,” said Dr. Novelli. Levine said she was proud of having hired Dr. Patricia Raupers as superintendent and honored to have worked alongside of her. Dr. Raupers thanked the former president for her leadership role, “which had empowered the mem- bers of the board to exert leadership through the committee structure and she has sanctioned the leadership initiatives of the district administration,” including full day kinder- Newly-elected Vice President Dr. Dominic Novelli and Presi- dent Dawn Monaco. garten and many other educational, professional and tech- nological advances. Levine also singled out the relationship she had enjoyed with the Waldwick Education Association, with whom she had negotiated two contracts. “They’ve been terrific. Our relationship for so many years has been amicable, wonderful. That’s the way it should be,” Levine said. “We’ll continue to foster that relationship. It’s quite unusual and terrific for the district as a whole,” said Trap- hagen teacher Tracy Green, the WEA negotiations chair- man. Monaco, who acknowledged that she would have big shoes to fill, was first elected in 2007. She has been the board’s vice president for four years and heads the Spe- cial Education Committee. She received a bachelor of arts degree from Villanova University in 1985, and is a peer support partner for Family Support Organization of Bergen County and a family resource specialist and trainer for Statewide Parent Advocacy Network. Dr. Novelli has been a board member since 2007 and heads the buildings and grounds committee. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration – finance from Fordham University, a master of administrative sci- ence degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a doctor of public administration degree from the University of Baltimore. He is currently purchasing agent for the County of Bergen and is public agency compliance officer.