Mrs. Alyse Middendorf President Alyse Middendorf and her husband, Arlington, have spent their entire lives in theNorth Merrick community. Both attendedNorth Merrick Schools and graduated from Calhoun High School. All three of their children, ages twenty-eight, twenty-five, and twenty have also been educated in theNorth Merrick Schools. In addition to devoting her time to nurturing her family, Mrs. Middendorf has been very involved in the community, and was determined to give something back to the community she valued. Therefore, she became aNorth Merrick Board trustee seventeen years ago and has remained on the Board since that time. Additionally, she has been a member of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District Board of Education seven years, and has served as President on both Boards of Education. Alyse, a certified social worker, is the Director of Educational Programs at Kulanu, a private special education school system consisting of a middle school, high school and 18-21 year old functional academic/vocational education program for students transitioning to adulthood. Mrs. Middendorf was the Executive Director of Long Island Advocates, Inc., a private nonprofit agency dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities living on Long Island. She has coordinated the Protection and Advocacy Program for individuals with developmental disabilities on Long Island, funded through the New York State Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled, since 1992. Mrs. Middendorf has been a SETRC (Special Education Training and Resource Center) Consultant since 1992, and provided hundreds of training seminars, lectures, etc., throughout Long Island, and in Albany. In 2006 Mrs. Middendorf received the New York State Senate Woman of Distinction Award. She has also been actively involved on both the state and federal level, and has been appointed to serve on a variety of committees and panels representing individuals with disabilities. Mrs.Middendorf was appointed by the Commissioner of Education to serve on the Commissioner’s Advisory Panel for Special Education, and has served as Chair and Vice Chair of this panel in Albany. Recently, Mrs. Middendorf was also appointed by the Commissioner of Education to serve on New York State’s Committee of Practitioners (No Child Left Behind). She is a staunch advocate for individuals with disabilities and was the co-founder and president ofNorth Merrick’s first SEPTA. Mrs. Middendorf is currently completing Stonybrook University's Educational District Leadership Advanced Certificate Program. Mrs. Middendorf also has a private practice (Counseling Solutions), where she works as a therapist, providing individual, family and group counseling in her office in Bellmore.	Mrs. Alyse Middendorf
Mr. Neil Brown Vice President Neil Brown and his wife, Karen, have lived in North Merrick for over 18 years. They have two children, Kurt, a sophomore at Calhoun High School, and Dana, a fifth grade student at Camp Avenue Elementary. Mr. Brown is an active volunteer in Merrick’s youth sports organizations as a baseball director withMerrick PAL, boys' basketball coordinator and board member for Cure of Ars CYO, as well as coach for many of his children’s teams. He is also a member of the Camp Avenue PTA and the Calhoun Sports Boosters. Mr. Brown has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is employed as the Site Manager with the Dow Chemical Company in Freeport. He has been with the company over twenty years and, prior to his current position, was research and development manager in Dow’s Electronic Materials division. Since its inception 3 years ago, Mr. Brown has served on the policy board of theNorth Merrick Teachers' Center and helped it grow into a valuable asset to the teachers and students of our district. He has also served as a member of the North Merrick school district’s lay budget committee for the last 8 years.	Mr. Neil Brown
Mr. Jonathan Butler Trustee Jonathan Butler and his wife, Cheryl, have been residents of North Merrick for the past twenty-eight years. They have two children, Paige and Adam, as well as an adorable golden retriever named Buddy. Mr. Butler is a trained and practicing educator. His degrees include a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, a Master’s Degree in Special Education, and a Professional Diploma in Educational Administration and Supervision. He has been employed by the New York City Department of Education for the past thirty-one years, having taught elementary as well as special education classes. Mr. Butler became a Board trustee in 1996 and has served on many committees since then—the Special Education, School/Community Relations, and Finance Committees. He is a member of the North Merrick SEPTA, the Camp Avenue, Fayette and Old Mill Road PTAs, as well as the Merrick Avenue and Calhoun High School PTAs. He is also a member of the Community Wellness Council, and served as President of the Kiwanis Club of Merrick. His community spirit is reflected in his comment: “I try to attend every school and community event, and really enjoy representing and working for the children and residents of North Merrick, and consider it a privilege to do so.”	Mr. Jonathan Butler
Mrs. Linda Fuller Trustee Linda Fuller, a life long community resident, has been a Board trustee since 1999, serving as President in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Mrs. Fuller and her husband, Kevin, are involved in many local activities, and their daughter, Beth, currently in college, attended the local schools. In addition to being a volunteer in many community organizations, including membership in the North Merrick Community Association, and serving as PTA President, Girl Scout leader, and Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Fuller was employed as Assistant Vice President of Internal Auditing for a major investment brokerage firm, and also held the position of Senior Bank Examiner. Subsequently, Mrs. Fuller pursued a Master’s Degree in elementary education, and is currently working as an elementary school teacher. Reflecting upon her life, Mrs. Fuller said: “I have found that my prior work experiences as well as my love for community service have prepared me for the challenges faced by the Board of Education. My multiple roles—taxpayer, educator, parent, former North Merrick student, and community member, have given me a broad perspective for my work on the Board." Mrs. Fuller and her family are die hard Islander fans!	Mrs. Linda Fuller
Mrs. Wendy Gargiulo Trustee	Mrs. Wendy Gargiulo
Mr. George "Skip" Haile Trustee Skip Haile is a product of the North Merrick School system and the Bellmore Merrick Central High School district, graduating from Camp Ave, Brookside Junior High School and Sanford H. Calhoun. In his years attending the North Merrick Schools he enjoyed and benefited from all it has to offer, participating in the arts and school athletics. In 1994, Skip Haile purchased the house he grew up in with his wife, Sheila. Skip and Sheila have two children, Nicholas, a junior at Sanford H. Calhoun and Cole Haile 6th grader at Camp Ave. Skip is an active volunteer in Merrick’s youth sports organizations, acting as soccer commissioner for both the PAL Travel and Developmental Programs as well as coaching numerous teams throughout his 10 years within the Merrick PAL system. Skip attended Manhattanville College where he earned a degree in Business Administration. Skip is currently a CME Program Manager at Reed Medical Education, a subsidiary of Reed Elsevier, the largest producer of medical journals and literature in the US. His position includes budget management, securing grant funding both at a national and local level as well as trade show management. Skip’s love for the community lead him to the North Merrick School board, allowing him the opportunity to bring his passion for the growth and development of Merrick’s children to a higher level.	Mr. George "Skip" Haile
Dr. Matthew Kuschner Trustee Dr. Matt Kuschner joined the North Merrick Board fourteen years ago, spurred by his “love for kids,” and his “commitment to the community,” in which he has lived for thirty-eight years. Matt stated, “My involvement on the Board enables me to stay current with the latest educational trends. Having three children attend schools in the District, I have a vested interest in ensuring quality education for all of our children." He has served as a Board member to the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District for the past six. Dr. Kuschner is a retired chiropractor, who currently works for Travelers Insurance as a medical investigator. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Bellmore-Merrick Wellness Council, the Policy Board of the North Merrick Teachers Center, and is an active member of the Camp Avenue PTA. He is a football enthusiast, and serves as a football official for L.I.A.F.O. His precious spare time is spent with his family. His wife Sheila, a teacher, is also a longtime area resident. The Kuschners have three sons, Jarred, age twenty one, attending SUNY Farmingdale; Billy, age eighteen, attending Nassau Community College; and Alex, age eleven, attending Camp Avenue School.	Dr. Matthew Kuschner
Contacting the Board of Education Email: NMBOE@nmerrick.org Written communications can also be sent to: North Merrick Board of Education 1057 Merrick Avenue North Merrick, NY 11566

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