Sonoma Valley honors retiring teachers

The Sonoma Valley Unified School District honored 22 campus faculty and staff members who are retiring at the end of the 2016-2017 school year at a party at Gunlach-Bundschu Winery on May 12.

Retiring from Adele Harrison Middle School is Deborah Stroski, a library media specialist, who has been with the district for nine years.

Retiring from Dunbar Elementary School is principal Melanie Blake, who has been with the district 34 years

Retiring from El Verano Elementary School is teacher Barbara Marek, who has been with the district for 19 years.

Retiring from Flowery Elementary School is teacher Nancy Tabor, who has been with the district 26 years.

Retiring from Sassarini Elementary School is teacher Victoria Monga, who has been with the district for 33 years.

Retiring from the maintenance and operations team is Richard Piskulic, who has been with the district 36 years

Retiring from Sonoma Valley High School is custodian Pedro Barragan-Magana, who has been with the district for 29 years.

Also retiring from SVHS is Elaine Giorgi, who has worked in food service for 30 years.

Jerome Klenow is retiring as a teacher at SVHS after three years.

Laura Kracke is retiring as an instructional assistant at SVHS after 17 years.

Donald Lyons is retiring from SVHS after having taught in Sonoma for 16 years.

Delores Messier is retiring as campus supervisor at SVHS after 19 years with the district.

Patricia Sempell is retiring from teaching from SVHS after teaching for 17 years.

William Sweek is retiring from SVHS after teaching for 10 years.

Wendell Adams is retiring after 26 years working for the district in maintenance and operations.

Robert Gossett is retiring after teaching in the district for 33 years.

Richard Holsworth is retiring from the district where he was an instructional assistant for 10 years.

Irma Yolanda Lopez-Davila is retiring from the district, where she served as a speech pathologist for the past 14 years.

Karla Conroy is retiring from the district after 31 years, having served in a number of capacities, most recently as director of curriculum and instruction.

Kathleen Geissinger is retiring as administrative secretary after 28 years working for the school district.

Two additional staffers are retiring after 18 and 32 years respectively, but they wish to remain anonymous.

“We are all so appreciative of their many years of dedication to our students and service to the district,” said SVUSD Superintendent Louann Carlomagno. “It is fun to see how excited they are to begin the next chapter of their lives enjoying their much-deserved retirement.”