The district announced numerous administrative appointments as the 2021-22 school year began in July. While some of these individuals are longtime members of the administration and faculty, others are new to Long Beach and have been met with a warm welcome.
Dr. Jennifer Pullara, who has been in the district since 2007, now leads Lindell Elementary School as principal and will continue the work of Karen Sauter. During the past four years as the building’s assistant principal, she has contributed to Lindell’s caring and nurturing environment by supporting students and their needs, supervising staff members, reviewing curriculum planning, and managing safety, learning and social-emotional initiatives. Dr. Pullara has a strong background in education, particularly in the area of literacy, having also held roles as a literacy coach and reading teacher in the district. Prior to her work in Long Beach, she taught in Philadelphia and the Bronx.
A member of numerous district committees, Dr. Pullara has led presentations to parents as well as faculty members and initiated professional development trainings. She earned her Doctor of Education, Ed.D. and Master of Science degree from Hofstra University, Advanced Certificate in school administration from Stony Brook University and Bachelor of Science in elementary education from the University of Scranton.
Anna McGovern fills Dr. Pullara’s previous post as Lindell’s assistant principal. She joins Long Beach from the Oceanside Union Free School District, where she served as director of early childhood special education and provided guidance to staff members while ensuring that instruction supported goals for student learning. Earlier on, she was an assistant principal at P.S. 723X in the Bronx, where she also spent many years as a teacher.
In her most recent role, Ms. McGovern supervised faculty members, managed out-of-district placements and prepared families for the transition to kindergarten, among other responsibilities. She is a member of the Long Island Association of Special Education Administrators and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and holds a Master of Science degree and Bachelor of Science degree from Manhattan College and an Advanced Certificate in Educational Leadership from the College of Saint Rose.
Christopher Webel, who has held many roles in the district since 2010, moved to Lido Elementary School to take on Sharon Weiss’ former role as assistant principal. He brings leadership in the coordination of instructional practices, social-emotional programs, equity and professional development, among other areas.
Mr. Webel spent the last school year as interim vice principal of Long Beach Middle School, where he collaborated with the administrative teams and departments. Prior to fall 2020, he was coordinator of alternative education programs and a high school guidance counselor. He earned his Master of Science degree from Hofstra University, Bachelor of Arts degree from University at Albany and Educational Leadership Advanced Certificate from Stony Brook University.
Donald Kramer replaced Steve Lahey as director of facilities. He most recently served as site safety manager for Ameresco and oversaw many construction activities. He developed a safety plan, led meetings, reviewed analyses from subcontractors, implemented COVID-19 protocols and much more.
Mr. Kramer has also served as a site safety health officer and safety manager for safety consulting firms and has many years of experience in the construction industry going back to 1983. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from SUNY Maritime College and has obtained many certifications related to facilities projects and safety.