School Board Election 2022: Meet the Board Candidates

The order of the candidates is the order in which they will appear on the ballot. Three seats on the Board of Education for three-year terms are up for election. The three candidates who receive the three highest vote totals will be elected to the three-year terms. Below are the photos and biographies that each candidate submitted for this newsletter. On Tuesday, May 10, 2022 the District is hosting a Meet the Candidates session at 6:30 p.m. followed by the 7:00 p.m. Public Budget Hearing. Both will be held at the Transportation Center, which is located at 2810 W. Entry Road in Baldwinsville. The meeting will also be live-streamed on the District’s website.

Luke Gasowski	Robert Duke	Claudine Holtman
Tanya Rosado-Barringer	Denise Falso	Sam (Sherry) Schraven
Lyndsey Hodkinson	Wayne Davison Jr.

Luke Gasowski

In 2016, my wife (a teacher), along with our two children, moved to Baldwinsville.  We came to the district because of the exemplary and outstanding education the school district offered, along with its inclusive Special Education Program.

I was born and raised in Central New York. In high school I became an Eagle Scout and participated on the varsity swim team while working as a lifeguard, swim instructor, and pre-competitive swim coach. During high school, through college, and after, I also worked as a lighting designer and a technical theater manager for their theater programs.

I have a Bachelors in Science in Biology from SUNY Geneseo and a Bachelors in Science in Respiratory Care from SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Professionally, I am a Critical Care Flight Paramedic Respiratory Therapist and Clinical Base Supervisor. I have worked in Emergency Medical Services as a provider, educator, and management leader for the past 20 years.

I served on the Jowonio School Board as the Treasurer, financial committee chair, and personnel committee member as well as was a member of the executive committee during my daughter’s preschool years. During my time on the board, I worked with a multitude of people, resources, and talent to accomplish tremendous growth and support to the students, staff, and school. I collaboratively worked to develop a successful budget that met the needs of the students, staff, and school. 

I am very supportive of our district’s academics and vested in Baldwinsville’s special education program, as those with special needs hold a special place in my heart. I have overcome many challenges and critical situations throughout my life and career.  I have been able to manage these situations with critical thinking, thinking strategically, as well as creating realistic and actionable plans to solve or capitalize on the opportunities presented. I look forward to continuing the success of the Baldwinsville School District with the opportunity to join the School Board.  My knowledge, commitment, and experiences can provide a beneficial and meaningful contribution to the school board.

Tanya Rosado-Barringer

Tanya Rosado-Barringer is a proud Baldwinsville resident and an active member of the community. She moved to Baldwinsville with her husband, Jim, because of the tremendous educational and extracurricular opportunities the district could offer her daughter who attends Elden.  

Tanya is running for school board to help be a voice for all our kids and support their education. She believes that Baldwinsville students are extraordinary. They have accomplished extraordinary things and when supported, can continue to accomplish so much for generations to come.

Tanya currently serves as the Executive Director and Coordinator for the Mid-State Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network (RBERN). Over the past eight years, she has prioritized developing trusting, productive relationships, and partnerships throughout her service region of 126 districts and nine BOCES in Central New York.  Tanya served for eight years as an English as a New Language (ENL) classroom teacher and a Lead Teacher. She also served as a testing coordinator and co-Coordinator of Student Activities.

In her personal and professional life, Tanya is committed to opportunities to serve others. She worked extensively for Literacy Volunteers. She currently serves as a member of the Junior League of Syracuse and volunteers as the Vice President of Outreach for New York State Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), the largest professional association of TESOL educators in the state.  Tanya served as an appointed Baldwinsville School Board Member from December 2020 to June 2021. These experiences continue to inspire her passion to support and create opportunities for all students to be successful in high school, college, career, and in our local and global community. 

She holds a B.S. in Broadcast Journalism from Hofstra University with a minor in History, a M.S. in TESOL Education from Lehman College, and a M.S. in Educational Leadership from Bank Street College. She has a certificate of completion from Bank Street College’s prestigious Bilingual Education Teacher Leadership Academy (BETLA).  She is in the process of completing advanced studies at Niagara University in Educational Leadership. 

Lyndsey Hodkinson

I have lived in Baldwinsville since 2018 with my children, Gianna and Jackson, who both attend the Baldwinsville Central School District. 

Though relatively new to the Baldwinsville community, my experience on a previous board of education and professional capacity in the non-profit and higher education space give me a unique perspective and experience to be an asset to the Board of Education.  Since relocating my family to Baldwinsville I have been an active member of the community - volunteering to coach youth girls lacrosse, sharing opportunities with the district to educate on youth mental health, participating in the budget process with the transportation and facilities committees, and was active in my children’s classrooms. 

While living in Carthage, NY where my family was stationed with the Army, I joined the Board of Education during a vacancy of a recently resigned board member.  While serving on the board, I was also appointed the deputy district clerk, co-chaired the budget committee with our district business official, and accompanied our Superintendent to Washington, DC to represent our district with the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS).  I found my time on the board incredibly rewarding and an honor to serve the community I grew up in.  I believed very strongly that in order to make the best decisions for our whole community, we, as board members, needed to be present in the schools and I dedicated time in each building, observing classrooms and learning the unique culture of each building and volunteering when needed.  This gave me the opportunity to listen to teachers and other faculty and staff and challenged my fellow board members to be present in the district.  I still believe that makes a better Board of Education member.

Currently, I work at Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families bringing communities together to collaborate on the best ways to serve veterans and their families in the place they call home. 

Robert Duke

Robert Duke has lived in Baldwinsville since 2014. His wife Lindsay is a Baldwinsville graduate and they moved here to be close to family and to raise their children. They have one child at Palmer and another due to start kindergarten this year. Their third child will be following his brothers soon.

Mr. Duke earned his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering at Grove City College before moving to Syracuse and completing his Master's degree at Syracuse University while working at Lockheed Martin. Mr. Duke currently works at Critical Link, LLC as a Systems and Software engineer.

Mr. Duke has volunteered for a local Engineering Explorer Post and at the Franciscan Place at Destiny USA. He is an active member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Baldwinsville, where he volunteers teaching religious education.  

Mr. Duke appreciates the opportunity to serve on the board to help Baldwinsville meet its infrastructure challenges and to contribute to making sure our children get an education that includes the opportunity to excel at academics and the arts.  He believes that great things can result when parents, teachers, and administrators work together and he looks forward to fostering this collaboration. 

Denise Falso

Denise Falso and her husband, Anthony, have three children – Enzo (14), Sergio (11), and Giuliana (8), who are all very involved in the community.

Denise is running for re-election for the Baldwinsville Board of Education because she would like to continue to be involved and represent you to make sure our children are receiving the best opportunities available to them in a safe and positive environment, while making sure we are fiscally responsible to our taxpayers in our community. She has a vested interest in our District. Denise understands how important transparency, respectful dialogue, and asking questions are to help her make informed decisions. She understands how these decisions impact all of our students and the community. The decisions and policies the Board develops and approves are important and affect each child. 

Denise has served the Baldwinsville community on the Board for the past three years and has been a part of the Health Insurance, Communications, and Policy Committees. Prior to this, she was an active volunteer in the PTA and participated in District PTA meetings. 

Denise earned a B.S. in Biology from Le Moyne College and a M.S. in Biology/Science Education at Syracuse University. She is a NYS certified teacher in Biology, General Science, and Students with Disabilities. She currently teaches Life Science for the Fulton City School District, where she has worked for a total of 14 years. Past teaching experience includes Living Environment, Earth, Physical and Environmental Science at OCM BOCES. She also taught Biology Lab as an adjunct professor at Le Moyne College. In addition to her teaching experience, Denise earned the Foundations of Financial Services Certification for Insurance Fundamentals: Life, Annuities, and Health. She holds a Property/Casualty and broker’s license.

She and her family have sponsored, donated to, and volunteered their time for various organizations over the years such as school fundraisers, school events like Family Fun Night, Baldwinsville Little League, Baldwinsville Pop Warner, Snowflake Central Shop at Golisano Children's Hospital, St. Baldrick's Foundation, Evan's Mission for a Cure, Tillie’s Touch, Griffin's Guardians, CNY Family Sports Center, and Rotary, along with Basketball, Soccer, and Baseball Booster Clubs. Denise and Anthony believe it is important to teach their children the value in giving back. Visit DeniseFalso.com to learn more.

Wayne Davison Jr.

Wayne Davison Jr. and his son, Owen, have been proud members of the Baldwinsville community since 2008. His son was a part of the Baldwinsville Headstart program and Wayne quickly became involved as a Bus Aide and President of the Parent Group.  He stayed involved within the community as a volunteer and coach for Baldwinsville Little League, B’ville Sting, BYSA, YMCA and Upward Sports at Northside Baptist Church. Also, he would volunteer for the Baldwinsville Marching Band and the Baldwinsville Theater Program as his son became an active member of the Baldwinsville Music Department. He has been a dedicated employee at Rapid Response Monitoring since 2004, holding positions as Alarm dispatcher, Shift Trainer, Shift Supervisor and Workforce Management Analyst. Wayne studied Elementary Education and Communications at SUNY Cortland, where he worked as a Teaching Assistant at Here We Grow Child Care Center. Additionally, he wrote for the school newspaper and was an executive board member, Station Manager and Student Government Representative of the school radio station. As his son is set to graduate in May, Wayne is looking to stay involved in the community and the school district by bringing his dedication and positive outlook to help create positive change within the school district. He hopes to get the chance to earn the respect and support of the community and to be a productive member of the Baldwinsville School Board.

Claudine Holtman

Claudine Pompo Holtman has spent most of her life residing in Baldwinsville.  She is from a family of eight kids  (#6-people always ask)- imagine the chaos in that house!  Holtman is a mom of two girls (20 & 16) and is married to Patrick, who has been a police officer for 30+ years.  Holtman has been employed as a speech and language therapist for over 25 years, and is currently employed by OCM BOCES Special Education.  She is also employed by a special education services agency, working with early intervention children (birth-three years old) and their families, as a special education instructor.  Holtman has worked with students from ages 3-21  in public schools, OCM BOCES, and the New York State School for the Deaf (NYSSD) .  She also has an MA in Reading Education, which has supplemented her expertise in speech and language disorders/delays.  Holtman loves her teaching 

profession, especially in the ability to be creative for unique learners, and even more so,  to collaborate with their parents/guardians.  She considers it a real blessing to have had teaching experiences with deaf and hard of hearing students from multiple NYS counties, as well as immigrants from several nations,  including Bosnia, Russia, Jordan, India, Myanmar, and China.  In her position there, Claudine learned a new (sign) language!  Holtman is dedicated to the school district that she, her husband, children and many other family members currently attend or attended. As a candidate for the BCSD BOE, more than anything,  Holtman hopes to strengthen the partnership and bond between home and school when developing policy, programs, and learning experiences for all BCSD students. Although Holtman and her husband are members of the BCSD Community DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity) Committee,  Claudine feels more can be achieved for all students through a solidly formed collaboration with parents/guardians, to address unique differences of individuals and families within the district.  

For more information on Claudine’s ideas and hopes, please visit her on Facebook at Claudine Pompo Holtman for Bville BOE.  Claudine welcomes any questions through email at: claudinepompoholtmanboe@gmail.com or through a private message on FaceBook.  Thank you for your time and attention.  

Sam (Sherry) Schraven

Children are our Future.

Sam has been a resident of Baldwinsville for almost four decades. She put her kids though Baldwinsville schools, worked in our schools and volunteered in our schools.

Kids have been central to her life's work.

Sam's husband Tom grew up in Baldwinsville and graduated from Baker High School. They raised their two adult daughters in Baldwinsville and both are graduates of Baker High School.

Sam graduated from Mohawk Valley Community College and was previously employed at ARC (of Onondaga) and Little Learners Preschool. She chose to stay home when her children were very young, and provided in home daycare during that time. When her children began school, Sam became involved with the Elden P.T.A. and served on numerous committees. She continued to volunteer with Baldwinsville Girls' soccer and field hockey booster clubs. She also volunteered at St. Mary's Church in Baldwinsville.

Sam began employment at Baldwinsville Central School District in 1992 until her retirement in 2019. During her 27 years of employment, she held the titles of Job Coach, Teaching Assistant, and Employment Services Specialist, giving her the opportunity to work with students, families and businesses in the Baldwinsville community. Sam was also an advisor to Friend to Friend. She was a member of the Baldwinsville Educational Support Professional Association.

(B.E.S.P.A.), and served on the negotiating committee, as well as a building representative, Vice-President, and President of the association. During this time she was able to attend numerous conferences on educational topics.

Also during her tenure, Sam was able to serve on the following Baldwinsville School District committees: BCEPT, Insurance Appeals, Professional Development, Professional Learning Plan, Interview Committees, and most recently, Strategic Goal Committee and Funding the Future Committee.

Additionally, Sam has attended school board meetings for over 1 O years, and during the

2021-2022 school year, she participated on the Baldwinsville budget advisory committees for Facilities, Athletics, Transportation, Special Education, and Instruction/Technology to review data and have input in the budget for the 2022-2023 school year. Sam currently is a member of the Shared Decision Making Committee and Strategic Goal Committee. Serving on these committees have given her incite to the needs and future of the district for our students.

Sam currently is a volunteer for the Baldwinsville Special Champions event to be held in May. She also supports the Baldwinsville Volunteer Center, Baldwinsville Community Scholarship Fund, Special Olympics, and Daniel's Music Foundation.

Sam hopes to continue to have a voice for ALL students of the district, making sure each individual is seen and heard in our classrooms and community. She believes in the professionals in the schools, to ensure our students become critical thinking citizens.

After all, isn't this what it's all about, our kids?