Dr. Kevin McGowan has been the Superintendent of the Brighton Central School District since 2009. He began his career as an elementary teacher in the Starpoint Central School District before becoming a high school assistant principal at Iroquois High School and then an elementary principal at Wales Primary School. Prior to Brighton, Kevin was the Superintendent of the Warsaw Central School District in Wyoming County.  He has had the great gift and honor of working in rural and suburban settings and facilitating the development of curricular and financial solutions where capacity was at all ends of the spectrum. 

Kevin is a graduate of Canisius College with an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Supervision. Kevin completed his doctoral work in Educational Leadership and Policy at the University at Buffalo. His dissertation was selected for presentation at the graduate research conference at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

Kevin has previously served as the President of the Monroe County Council of School Superintendents. He is the President of the New York State Council of School Superintendents. Kevin is Past President of the Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation (LEAF). He is a member of the steering committee for the Levine Center, an anti-bias initiative of the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester, and the Jewish Life Advisory Board for the Farash Institute. He is a board member of Western New York Educational Service Council, Brighton Education Fund, Brighton Alumni Association and Brighton Chamber of Commerce. Kevin has been a member of several national, state and local committees including the College Board’s Superintendent Advisory Board, NYSCOSS legislative committee and the Commissioners Advisory Council. He also serves on the United Way Campaign Cabinet and the Jewish Family Services Basic Needs Advisory Board. Kevin also has the pleasure of being an adjunct professor in the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester where he teaches a course titled, “The Politics of Education.” Kevin is an adjunct instructor for NYSSBA and provides both leadership and board superintendent relationship workshops.

Most importantly, Kevin proudly holds the title of husband and dad in his Brighton household. Among his three children are two sons, both in high school, who constantly remind him of the need for more snow days, additional free periods and better school food. Kevin also has a daughter in second grade who seems to enjoy her Dad being in her classroom slightly more than her brothers. His children and exceptionally supportive wife, an educator herself, help him keep perspective and focus our most important priorities; the needs of each and every child and their families.