News

Longtime admin retiring; Riverhead principals switch

Joe Ogeka retires from Riverhead
BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | Joe Ogeka talks to Riverhead school officials on election night.

Longtime Riverhead School District assistant superintendent Joe Ogeka will retire at the end of this month after 30 years in the district.

Mr. Ogeka was not among the retirees announced at the Jun 11 school board meeting, when he was the one presenting plaques to the 31 district employees who are retiring at the end of this year, including another assistant superintendent, Lois Etzel.

But while rumors spread Wednesday that Mr. Ogeka was being forced out of the position, Superintendent Nancy Carney said this is not the case.

“Mr. Ogeka has been contemplating retiring for over a year,” she said. “He is retiring after many years of dedicated service.”

The retirements of two assistant superintendents has set off a change of other changes in district administrative positions.

Ms. Carney said current high school principal David Wicks will be replacing Ms. Etzel as the assistant superintendent for curriculum and insruction.

Assistant high school principal Charles Regan will replace Mr. Wicks as principal, and Sean O’Hara, who is the district’s director of fine arts and music, will replace Mr. Regan as assistant high school principal, according to Ms. Carney.

In addition, Stephen Hudson, who is the associate principal at the Phillips Avenue Elementary School, will take that same position at the Pulaski Street Elementary School, while Pulaski Street’s current assistant principal, Alison Conroy, will take that same position at Phillips Avenue, according to Ms. Carney.

“This is a mutually agreed upon opportunity to broaden their experiences,” she said of that switch.

The changes would take effect at the beginning of July, pending board of education approval.

The district has yet to name a replacement for Mr. Ogeka’s position of assistant superintendent for personnel and community service.

Mr. Ogeka is the district’s longest serving administrator, having been an associate high school principal prior to moving to the district office in 2003.

[email protected]