Advisory Board

District Wise has an Advisory Board composed of accomplished Superintendents, Central Office Assistant Superintendents, Deputy Superintendents, Principals, and University Professors whose sterling reputation and caliber stand as a testament to their achievements.

These advisors play a pivotal role in aiding us across recruitment endeavors, candidate and resume assessment, and offer essential leadership as transition coaches and mentors for incoming Superintendents. Their extensive network on both state and national levels, coupled with their wealth of experiences, holds immeasurable value.

Mr. Carl L. Albano

Carl Albano joined the Garrison Union Free School District in July 2020, bringing with him over 30 years of experience in public education. Among his notable achievements is his leadership in guiding the district through a comprehensive strategic coherence planning process. This initiative resulted in the alignment of curricula, increased academic rigor, and the establishment of a PK-8 environmental education program. Furthermore, Mr. Albano successfully spearheaded a $9,987,000 capital project, which led to the transformation of instructional spaces, the installation of an all-electric HVAC system, infrastructure repairs, and enhanced safety measures.

Prior to his role in Garrison, Mr. Albano served as the Superintendent of the Tuckahoe Union Free School District from 2016-2020. His career with Tuckahoe included positions as the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction & Pupil Personnel Services from 2012 to 2016, and Middle School Principal from 2003 to 2012. Earlier in his career, Mr. Albano held positions as an elementary assistant principal, high school assistant principal, and fifth grade teacher.

Mr. Albano earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Saint John’s University and a Master of Science in Education from Pace University. He continued his graduate studies in School Administration and Supervision at Iona College and Fordham University, holding permanent certification as a NYS School District Administrator.

Serving as an adjunct professor for Mercy College and The College of St. Rose, Mr. Albano taught courses in educational leadership. He has given back to his profession by mentoring several highly successful administrators serving in various public school districts. Mr. Albano is an active and contributing member of the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents (LHCOSS), and the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS).

Dr. Fino M. Celano

Dr. Fino M. Celano is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership at St. John’s University. He holds a B.A. degree in history from Marist College, an M.A. degree in Literacy Education from Manhattan College and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration from Hofstra University. He earned an Ed.D. in Educational Administration and Supervision from St. John’s University. In addition, Dr. Celano has participated in professional development at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. His research interests include new teacher mentoring programs, trust, and teacher efficacy. Other areas of interest include curriculum and instruction innovation, and professional development models.

Dr. Celano has over 30 years of experience as a public-school administrator in New York, which includes serving in leadership roles as Superintendent of Schools and building Principal. He has been the recipient of many honors and awards throughout his career, including the St. John’s University Leaders in Education Award (2013), St. John’s Distinguished Alumni Award (2017), and the New York State P.T.A. Distinguished Service Award.

Dr. Celano served as the Superintendent of the Herricks Public Schools in Nassau County, NY from 2015-2022. Prior to that, he served for 10 years as an Assistant Superintendent in the Garden City Public Schools. He began his career in education as a high school social studies teacher and was a middle school principal in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. Dr. Celano is a Past-President of the Long Island Association of School Personnel Administrators and the New York State Association of School Personnel Administrators. He currently serves as a member of the St. John’s University School of Education Dean's Advisory Board.

Dr. Ronald L. Friedman

Dr. Ronald Friedman began his career in education as a science teacher at a junior high school in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, which led to a position teaching physics at Lawrence High School on Long Island. Ron’s career in school administration began with his appointment to the position of assistant principal of Lawrence High School. He then held successively more responsible positions in various Long Island school districts. In 1999, Ron took the helm of the Long Beach schools as their Superintendent of Schools, serving for five years before being invited to assume the superintendency of the Great Neck Public Schools in August 2004. He retired from the Great Neck schools in the summer of 2009. Most recently, he served as interim superintendent of schools of the Syosset school district and a part-time Associate Professor of School Law and School Supervision at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University.

Ron has several post-superintendency careers. He completed a program at Cornell University in Labor Mediation and Arbitration and is a member of the American Arbitration Association’s Panel of Labor Mediators and Employment Investigations, as well as the New York State PERB Mediation and Fact-Finding panels. He provides his services as a mentor and facilitator to school districts in many areas and is a noted and requested speaker not only for school districts but for a myriad of diverse groups, providing keynotes, seminars, and talks on various educationally connected issues, all tailored to meet the group members’ differing needs. Ron has served twice as president of The New York State Association of School Personnel Administrators. He has edited several books and newsletters in school administration and school law, written articles for national journals, lectured extensively in seminars and workshops for school administrators in Nassau and Suffolk counties, and has received numerous awards and recognition for his professional and humanitarian activities on behalf of children as well as adults in our region’s schools and communities. He is a former president of the Nassau County Council of School Superintendents. While a superintendent, he served on the Advisory Committee to the New York State Commissioner of Education, was a member of the House of Delegates of the New York State Council of School Superintendents and was also a member of the Advisory Cabinet to the Long Island Regional Planning Council. In addition to his degree in Physics, Ron holds a Doctorate in Educational Administration from Hofstra University. Ron lives in Centerport with his wife, Shelley, a psychotherapist. He is a dedicated runner and regularly runs the New York City Marathon. 

Dr. Lorna R. Lewis

Dr. Lewis received her B.S. in Physics from Fordham University and went on to earn three master's degrees before completing her Doctorate in Science Education (Ed.D.) from Teachers College, Columbia University.

She began her teaching career at The Collegiate School, where she proudly sponsored a finalist in the Westinghouse competition. She taught all mathematics courses and AP Physics. She has served in various administrative capacities, including being a science chair at Rockville Centre UFSD, science director at Uniondale UFSD, Director of Curriculum and Assessment, and Deputy Superintendent in the Three Village Central School District.

Dr. Lewis currently serves as the Superintendent of Schools in the Malverne UFSD. She was previously the Superintendent of the East Williston UFSD and Plainview-Old Bethpage CSD. She is a Past-president of the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) and currently co-chairs their curriculum committee. As an active past president for the Nassau County Superintendents (NCCSS) and the Long Island Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (LIASCD), she has become a voice for educational issues in Nassau County.

Dr. Lewis has served as an adjunct professor at Hofstra University, where she was the instructor of graduate science methods courses. Serving under the auspices of Phi Delta Kappa, she has conducted curriculum audits in several states. She has presented a white paper to the Commissioner and the Board of Regents on the Proposed Graduation Rates on behalf of the Nassau County Superintendents as well as testified before the New York Senate on The State of Assessments. She has presented workshops at local Universities, School Board Associations, and BOCES on such topics as De-tracking Our Schools, Equity, and Access, Using Data to Improve Instruction, Deconstructing the Grades 3-8 Mathematics Assessment, Teaching for the Giftedness in All Children, Maintaining Excellence with Reduced Revenues and The Annual Professional Performance Appraisal (APPR). In 2015 she was the invited lecturer for the Adelphi University Robert Finkelstein Memorial lecture series, where she presented on the topic Digging Deeper to Ensure College Readiness. In 2019 she gave the Barbara L. Jackson lecture at the Fordham University School of Education and was the Keynote for LIASCD Conference.

The Freeport-Roosevelt branch of the NAACP named Dr. Lewis the recipient of the 2004 Education Award. She also received Educator of the Year Awards from The Korean Parents Association of Long Island, St John’s University Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, and The Long Island Black Educators Association. In 2014 she received the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Award from the Suffolk County Commission, and in 2015 she received a Nassau BOCES Education Partner Award. She was the Securing Justice Award winner for her incredible leadership as a Superintendent of the Anti-Defamation League in 2016. She received the NCBW Education award in 2018 and, in 2019, was recognized with an NAACP Legacy award. Erase Racism named her a pioneer leader for Equity in Public Education at their 2019 annual benefit.