Meet The Leadership Team
Heidi T. Riccio, Ed.D., Superintendent-Director
Heidi Riccio has been with Essex North Shore since July 2017 serving as one of the directors for career and technical education programs. During her time here, Dr. Riccio not only has been successful in her role as a CTE director, but she also extended her leadership to improving many school programs such as safety, competitive grant funding, preparing to open new programs, advancements and enhancements to the curricula, efforts in school branding and social media outlets, and opening additional community programs such as the school farm stand. Dr. Riccio comes to the Superintendent-Director position with high recommendations from current staff, faculty, and students. Additionally, Dr. Riccio is highly regarded by her previous mentoring Superintendents, community members, and colleagues where she worked tirelessly on numerous initiatives and projects.
Dr. Riccio began her educational career in the hospitality industry as a sales manager for the Marriott Corporation. In 1997, she started her career in vocational-technical education teaching hospitality at Greater Lawrence Technical School. Dr. Riccio advanced her career at GLTS earning a variety of leadership roles including department chairperson, academy supervisor, and CTE Director. In 2013, she became the Principal/Director of Medford Vocational Technical High School. While there, Dr. Riccio opened 9 new Chapter 74 programs, wrote over $1M in competitive grant funding and worked collaboratively with the comprehensive high school to bring rigorous academic courses to vocational school students. Dr. Riccio also offered CTE courses to traditional high school students. During her time in Medford, Dr. Riccio has been actively involved in community-based projects, adult education programming, increased enrollment for incoming ninth grade students, and began a partnership with the City of Everett to provide vocational opportunities to their high school students.
Dr. Riccio has a Doctorate in Education from Nova Southeastern University, a CAGS in Educational Leadership from Salem State University, a Master’s degree in Occupational Education from Fitchburg State University; and a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Sales and Meeting Management from Johnson & Wales University. In addition, Heidi is a member of ASCD, MAVA, and ACTE.
Shannon Donnelly, Principal
Shannon Donnelly, an educator for 15 years prior to becoming an administrator, is the Principal of Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School. Ms. Donnelly has been on the administrative team at Essex North Shore since the school’s opening in 2014, most recently serving as the Assistant Principal of the Freshman Academy and as the Admissions Coordinator for the school. Mrs. Donnelly’s played an integral role in working on the policies and procedures as well as the configuration of the academies in preparation for Essex North Shore. Additionally, Mrs. Donnelly’s teaching experience, educational background, and leadership experience make her ideal for her role as Interim Principal.
Ms. Donnelly holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science, from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and an M.A.T. in Biology from Salem State University. In addition to her Professional teaching license (9-12) in Biology, Mrs. Donnelly is a licensed Principal/Assistant Principal and Vocational-Technical Principal/Assistant Principal. She is a member of ASCD and NASSP.
Thomas O’Toole, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment
As Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment for Essex North Shore, Tom O’Toole brings more than 25 years of experience as a teacher, counselor, and content director. Tom served as the ELA Lead Developer for all the MCAS English Language Arts tests for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and as a Director of School Partnerships for Project PACE [Performance Assessment Collaboratives for Education] at the Harvard Graduate School of Education responsible for offering PreK-12 teacher training in all content areas through the Massachusetts Performance Assessment Program. He served as Chief Reader for the MCAS ELA Composition Scoring Institutes throughout the state. He has provided content and pedagogy training, workshop facilitation, and graduate instruction to counselors, including his current work with Writing With Colors, an award-winning writing development program that benefits students of all ability levels. At Essex North Shore, Tom directs the teachers and curriculum and assessment development for all academic programs and ensures that school curricula are aligned to the respective Massachusetts curriculum frameworks.
Prior to working at Essex North Shore, Tom was the K-12 Director of English and Drama for the Waltham Public Schools. In addition, Tom taught English and writing at Phillips Andover Academy, Boston College High School, Haverford School, and worked with special education students at The Holden School in Charlestown, MA, where he also served as a counselor. At Waltham High School, Tom co-taught screenwriting. Tom O’Toole holds a doctorate in writing development theory from Northeastern University, along with two master’s degrees: a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Boston College and a Master of Arts in Teaching, English from Brown University, where he was named a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in English at Boston College. He is a member of the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, the National Council of Teachers of English, American Psychological Association, and the Massachusetts Council for Social Studies.
Kathleen Holman, Director of Human Resources
Ms. Kathleen Holman, Director of Human Resource, brings a wealth of experience to her position. As the Director of Career and Technical Education for the Life and Natural Sciences and Construction Academies, Ms. Holman was instrumental in opening and developing high-quality Chapter 74 programs. In addition, she established our first CTE Expansion Program through her work within the district and partnering with external labor organizations.
Prior to her administrative role, Ms. Holman was a Health Assisting Instructor and School Nurse for over 15 years at North Shore Technical High School.
Her nursing experience includes adult and pediatric medicine, surgery, Hematology and Oncology at Madigan Army Medical Center Ft. Lewis Washington (Civil Service) and Naval Hospital San Diego (Active Duty) and Geriatric Nursing experience at skilled nursing facilities on the North Shore.
Ms. Holman holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Curry College and a Master of Science in Nursing/Nursing Education from Salem State University. She is a member of the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA) as well as a graduate of the MAVA Leadership Academies 1 and 2.
Ms. Holman is a is a Registered Nurse (Massachusetts) and is licensed as a Health Assisting Instructor, School Nurse, Cooperative Education Coordinator, and Supervisor Director.
Marie Znamierowski, Director of Business Operations
Ms. Marie Znamierowski is the Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School District’s Director of Business Operations. In her role, Ms. Znamierowski manages the district budget and all financial and accounting operations, as well as the financial system for Essex North Shore. She has had this role since joining North Shore Regional Vocational School District more than 20 years ago. Prior to her Business Manager’s position, Ms. Znamierowski worked as an auditor and a staff accountant for six years in private industry.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from Merrimack College, North Andover, MA, and holds a Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary School Business Official License.
Bonnie Carr, Director of Workforce Development and Adult Education
Ms. Carr began her career as a financial analyst after graduating from St. Michael’s College. She started her teaching career at Greater Lawrence Technical School in the Office Technology (Business Technology) program. She left Greater Lawrence in 2009 to become the Cooperative Education Coordinator at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute. Bonnie has held various leadership positions including Lead Teacher, Cooperative Education, and Workforce Development. She has written several competitive grants and has extensive knowledge in building partnerships.
Ms. Carr holds a Master of Educational Leadership from Salem State University and has completed the MAVA Leadership Academy.
Donald Ducharme, Director of Career, Technical and Agricultural Education
Don Ducharme brings 15 years of experience with him from Greater Lowell Technical High School. Don began as a masonry instructor where he taught Freshman Exploratory, Masonry Related and Sophomore Shop for seven years.
Don has spent the last eight years as the Transportation and Manufacturing Cluster Chairperson overseeing Automotive Technology, Automotive Collision, Machine Technology, Metal Fabrication and Joining, Electronics, CAD, and Engineering.
Mr. Ducharme is a graduate of UMass Lowell with a BS in Medical Technology. He also holds a Master’s degree in Education Administration from American International College. Don is licensed as a Supervisor Director (9-14), as well as Vocational Assistant Superintendent/Superintendent-Director.
Jill Sawyer, Director of Career, Technical and Agricultural Education
Jill Sawyer joins the Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School Team bringing a widespread background in guidance and career technical education.
In her prior role at Medford Vocational Technical High School as the Associate Director/Assistant Principal, she assisted in all aspects of safety planning and created an in-house suspension model. Further, Jill assisted in opening 9 new Chapter 74 programs and increased PAC memberships for the CTE programs. She was responsible for Perkins state reporting and improvement plans, assisted in the rewriting of the student handbook to improve progressive discipline for students and also assisted in writing numerous competitive grants.
Most recently, Jill was responsible for all Cooperative Education in Medford and has an OSHA General Industry Train the Trainer certification.
Jill holds a Master of School Counseling from Suffolk University and completed the Principal Leadership Program through the Northeast Consortium for Staff Development.
Susan Stevens, Director of Special Education
Susan Stevens, Director of Special Education, is joining the Essex North Shore Leadership team in 2019 after having worked as the Special Education Coordinator for the school since its inception in 2014. Prior to that, Sue worked as the Special Education Coordinator at North Shore Technical High School and at Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District as a middle school Special Education Teacher.
Sue’s education includes a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Lowell, a Master of Education from Lesley College, in Special Education, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in American International College in School Leadership. In addition, Sue is a member of the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA) and the Council for Exceptional Children.
Sandra Goldstein, Director of School Counseling
Sandra Goldstein joined the District in 2014 as the freshman guidance and admissions counselor. The following year, Ms. Goldstein was appointed to Director of School Counseling. Ms. Goldstein brings a wealth of guidance and school counseling experience to the District.
Prior to joining Essex North Shore, Ms. Goldstein served as a school adjustment and guidance counselor for Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School. Ms. Goldstein also served as her previous District’s curriculum and testing coordinator.
Ms. Goldstein earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Government from Colby College and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Salem State University. Additionally, she holds several Massachusetts education certifications and licenses. Her professional memberships include the Massachusetts School Counselors Association (MASCA), Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA) where she was a Leadership Academy I graduate in 2012, North Shore Guidance Directors Association (NSGDA), National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and American School Counselor Association (ASCA).
Tony DiLuna, Ph.D., STEAM Supervisor (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math)
Tony DiLuna joins the Essex North Shore Leadership Team bringing over 20 years of STEM education experience with him. After a stint as a senior scientist at Serono Reproductive Biology Institute (now EMD Serono), Tony started his career in education at Woburn Memorial High School where he served as a science teacher, coach, and Director of New Teacher Induction and Retention. He taught mainly biology, chemistry, and occasionally physics for 12 years before transitioning into an administrative role. Tony served the next nine years as the Curriculum Coordinator for STEM in Billerica Public Schools. There he oversaw curricula revisions that led to over 90% of Billerica students scoring proficient on MCAS in both math and Biology.
Committed to authentic assessments and project-based learning, Tony procured over $500K in competitive grants to introduce Project Lead The Way pathways in engineering, biomedical science, and computer science to Billerica Memorial High School. He oversaw the creation of a FIRST Robotics team, a Science and Engineering Fair, and a Lamelson MIT InvenTeam to name a few.
Over the past 17 years, Tony has been active at the state level through DESE. He served on the Biology and Chemistry Assessment Development Committees to create the MCAS in those subjects. He sat on the committees that revised the science standards in 2005 and 2015 and wrote model curriculum units for the new standards. He conducts monthly curriculum appeals for MCAS and serves as an alternate assessment reviewer.
Tony holds a B.S. in Biology and Religion from Bates College, an M.S. in Toxicology and Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Kentucky, a Graduate Certificate in Teaching Biology from Salem State University, and is wrapping up an Ed.D in Math and Science Education from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. In October of 2019, Tony was inducted into the Massachusetts Hall of Fame for Science Educators for his “extraordinary contributions to the advancement of education in the sciences over a long and distinguished career”.
Joseph V. Marino, Director of Technology
Joseph Marino is joining the Essex North Shore Leadership Team as the Director of Technology. Prior to this role, Joseph has worked in the technology department since 2009 in several roles, most recently as the IT & Network Administrator. In his current role, Joseph manages all educational and information technology-related resources and operations. Joseph brings many years of educational technology experience and a true passion for career technical and vocational education to the team. He first started as a part-time computer technician in the Gloucester Public Schools as a high school freshman in 2007. In his junior year, he began placement in a cooperative education job at North Shore Technical High School as a Technology Intern. Through the years, he has worked his way up through the department from the Technology Intern position to his current position as the Director of Technology.
As a graduate of North Shore Technical School in 2011, Joseph was the recipient of the two most prestigious awards in Career Technical Education: The Outstanding Vocational Student Award and the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators Award. In 2014 he also was honored to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award. Joseph also holds industry-recognized certifications including the CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, and WITS Wi-Fi Foundations. In addition, he is a G-Suite, Frontline Education, and JAMF Certified Administrator.
Joseph serves as the co-chair of the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA) Technology Director’s Group and as a member of the Massachusetts Educational Technology Administrators Association (METAA), and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN).
Ryan Monks, Director of Facilities, Farm, and Grounds
Mr. Ryan Monks, the Director of Facilities, Farm, and Grounds, brings over 15 years of professional experience to the Facilities, Farm, and Grounds Department. Prior to joining Essex North Shore Leadership Team in July of 2021, Mr. Monks was the Director of Buildings and Grounds for Salem Public Schools for 3 years and the Supervisor of Custodial and Maintenance for the City of Lynn for 4 years.
Ryan holds a Master of Science Degree in Facilities Management and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Project Management from Wentworth Institute of Technology. In addition, he is a licensed Massachusetts Construction Superior, a Certified Facilities Manager from the International Facilities Management Association, and a Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official through the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General.
Mr. Monks aims to remove facility-related hurdles, allowing our staff and students to teach and learn at their full potential.
Jennifer Skane, Assistant Principal
Jennifer Dawe-Skane, Assistant Principal, brings a life-long career of agricultural and technical education and administration to Essex North Shore. Prior to her appointment in an administrative role, she taught Animal Science classes at the Essex Agricultural & Technical High School for 11 years before becoming a guidance counselor there. She continued her work in the Guidance department, serving as Coordinator for 3 years, before assuming the Assistant Principal position at Essex Aggie for one year prior to the merger with North Shore Tech in 2014.
Mrs. Skane’s professional commitment embodies the value and excellence of agricultural and vocational education. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Masters of Education with a concentration in School Counseling from Salem State University. In addition to her professional teaching license (9-12) in Animal Science, Mrs. Skane is a licensed School Guidance Counselor (5-12) and Vocational-Technical Principal/Assistant Principal. She is a member of ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), MAVA (Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators), Massachusetts and National FFA Organization/Alumni, and NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals). She also is a recipient of an American FFA Degree, awarded to members who have demonstrated the highest level of commitment to FFA, and an inducted member of Pi Lambda Theta, an honor society and professional association for educators.
Joel Spruance, Assistant Principal
Joel Spruance, Assistant Principal, joined the Essex North Shore leadership team in July of 2018 as the Grade 9 Assistant Principal & Admissions Coordinator. Prior to that role, Mr. Spruance developed and led Essex North Shore’s Teacher Induction Program and was a History and Social Sciences teacher. He has coached in the Boys Soccer, Boys Basketball, and Softball programs over his time at Essex North Shore.
Joel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Master’s degree in Education from Gordon College. He is licensed as a Principal/Assistant Principal (9-12) and a Vocational Principal/Assistant Principal (9-12).
Sean Emberley, Assistant Principal
Sean Emberley is joining the Essex North Shore leadership team as Assistant Principal. Prior to this role, Sean worked as an administrator and faculty member in the Danvers and Lynn Public Schools. Sean brings many years of educational experience and a passion to inspire students to be the best version of themselves.
Sean grew up in Lynn and graduated from St. John’s Prep. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and Communications from Assumption College, a master’s degree in Education in Counseling Psychology from Cambridge College, and a CAGS in Educational Leadership from UMass Lowell.
Mr. Embrey has been a presenter at the October 2019 MA DESE Leap (Leading Educational Access Project ) conference, a Presenter for Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. conferences on restorative justice practices.
Lisa Berube, Assistant Director of Workforce Development
Lisa Berube, our Assistant Director of Workforce Development, joined the Essex North Shore Leadership Team in August of 2017. Prior to assuming this position, Ms. Berube began teaching Office & Business Technology at her alma mater, Greater Lawrence Technical School, in 1995. In 2008 she transitioned to the Career Counselor role, then in 2009, she became the school’s Cooperative Education Coordinator. From 2015 through 2017, Ms. Berube was the Cooperative Education Coordinator at Medford Vocational Technical High School.
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Education from Southern New Hampshire University and is a certified Cooperative Education Coordinator, Supervisor/Director, and Marketing and Business Technology Teacher through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Ms. Berube has been a life-long trainer of others regardless of the position she held, which ultimately led her to become an educator. Lisa strongly believes in the importance of learning-by-doing and aims to give as many students as possible the opportunity to learn while working in their cooperative education placement.
Michael Murphy, Coordinator of Athletics, Wellness, and Health Services
Michael Murphy is joining the Essex North Shore Leadership Team as the Coordinator of Athletics, Wellness, and Health Services. Mr. Murphy originally joined the school in 2015 and served one year as a Student Supervisor before becoming a Wellness Teacher; during this time he also coached football and basketball for the Hawks. Mike holds a Master of Education in Athletic Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education Exercise Science from Endicott College. In addition, he is a graduate of the MAVA Leadership Academy I program and holds an Initial Supervisor / Director License, an Initial Teacher Licensure in Physical Education 5-12, and an Initial Teacher Licensure: Health / Family Consumer Sciences K-12.
Mr. Murphy remarks that he was drawn to the field of Education because his biggest role models and influencers growing up, aside from his parents, were his coaches and teachers. As an educator and coach, Mike aims to also act as a role model and influencer for all students at Essex North Shore.
As the Coordinator of Athletics, Wellness, and Health Services, Mr. Murphy’s goals are to provide meaningful and rich athletic opportunities and offerings for student-athletes, provide all students with access to quality wellness education, and coordinate high-caliber health services for Essex North Shore.
Kathleen Russo, Manager of Transportation
Kathleen Russo, Manager of Transportation for the district, joined the Essex North Shore Leadership team in the fall of 2018. Prior to becoming the Transportation Manager, Kathy was the Transportation Dispatcher and school bus trainer for 12 years, and a School Bus Driver for the district prior to that. Ms. Russo is a Licensed Commercial Driver’s License Instructor, a Massachusetts Notary Public, and holds School Bus and Passenger endorsements. Kathy’s aim for the transportation department is to provide safe, reliable, and accessible transportation options for all our students to and from school.
Christopher Lounsbury, Manager of Farm and Grounds
Christopher Lounsbury is the Manager of Farm and Grounds. Chris grew up on his family farm in Northwood New Hampshire where the family specialized in the production of commercial wool as well as custom spinning and a commercial haying operation. In addition to the flock of sheep the farm-raised pigs and processed and sold meat directly to customers. The farm at one time also owned horses.
Chris is an Eagle Scout recipient and a graduate of Franklin Pierce University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management.
He joined the New Hampshire Department of Corrections in 2000 and from 2004-2022 was assigned to the Prison Farm. As the Prison Manager/Forestry Manager, Chris was responsible for the 126-acre agricultural facility and supervision of staff and resident workers. He has experience in the operation, maintenance, and training of industry-related equipment consistent with OSHA guidelines. The Prison Farm operation included commercial row crops, a greenhouse program, firewood operations, and haying operations. The Prison Farm at one time provided over 100,000 pounds of food a year to New Hampshire State Prisons and New Hampshire Food Bank.
Nicole Dresser, Freshman Academy Supervisor
Nicole Dresser is joining the Essex North Shore Leadership Team as the Freshman Academy Supervisor. Prior to this position, Nicole was one of the Dental Assisting Instructors here at Essex North Shore. She is a team player who helped the Dental Assisting program blossom into what it is now by developing a consistent curriculum, helping students go out on Cooperative Education, teaching 11th graders, and co-teaching 9th and 10th graders. Nicole has also helped the Essex North Shore Community by being part of the New Teacher Academy where she showed incoming teachers ways to incorporate a variety of teaching strategies into their CTAE areas.
Nicole’s education is vast, having an Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene, a Bachelors of Science in Health Science, and a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Teaching. Her licenses and certifications include Dental Assisting Professional Vocational Teacher License, Vocational Technical Supervisor/Director License, Level 1 Certified in the Massachusetts General Hospital Collaborative Problem Solving, OSHA 10 Certified, and CPR Certified. She has over 20 years of experience in the dental field from being a Dental Assistant to a Hygienist, then a Dental Assisting Educator.
Nicole’s goal as the Freshman Academy Supervisor is to facilitate a smooth transition for incoming students to Essex North Shore and help guide them through their exploratory weeks and the CTAE area selection process. She also plans to aid exploratory teachers so that they feel supported and ensure the exploratory process is fair and equitable to all students.
Brian Shaw, Manager of Food Services
Brian Shaw is joining the Essex North Shore Leadership Team as the Manager of Food Services. Before joining the ENSATS Community, Brian most recently managed on-site and traveling Corporate Chefs. Prior to that, Mr. Shaw was a Sous Chef, Prep Cook, Line Cook, and Caterer. He has an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts and Sciences from Newbury College and is also ServSafe certified, Allergy Awareness certified, and Choke Safe certified.
Mr. Shaw credits his passion for Culinary and Hospitality to Minuteman Technical Vocational High School, of which he is a graduate. During his time there, he was given a Cooperative Education opportunity at the Sheraton Hotel in Lexington as a prep and line cook, which introduced him to the fast-paced field first-hand. From there, Brian found his real passion in corporate dining where he eventually led his own team of line cooks and prep cooks.
Brian is a resident of our local community, currently living in the Merrimack Valley with his two sons, wife, and dog. He is an avid sports fan that loves watching and coaching his sons in lacrosse.
Mr. Shaw’s goal as the Manager of Food Services is to grow the cafeteria to not only meet but exceed the dining needs of all the students at Essex North Shore. He will do this by leading his staff to do their best and give them everything they need to be successful, ultimately resulting in phenomenal meals for our students.
Luis A Sanchez Smith, Assistant Manager of Food Services
Luis A. Sanchez Smith is joining the Essex North Shore Food Service team as the Assistant Manager of Food Services. Before joining Essex Tech, Luis had worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years. He worked his way up from a banquet server and bartender to Restaurant Supervisor; then he transitioned to the back of the house to become a cook, kitchen manager, and finally a Sous Chef. Most recently, Luis was Sous Chef at Yella Grille and Cook at Winchester Hospital.
Luis has an Associate Degree in Hospitality from UTESA in the Dominican Republic and is Servsafe certified. In his many years of food and hospitality experience, he has received an Award for 5 years of Exceptional Service at Marriott Hotels.
Luis was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and moved to Massachusetts almost a decade ago. He is a family man who is married and has five daughters.
Mr. Sanchez Smith’s main goal as Assistant Manager of Food Services is to bring new and creative menu ideas for the students to enjoy.