Champ to take 34-day leave for husband’s surgery, recommends former superintendent as interim
Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Champ will be taking a leave of absence from Dec. 1 to Jan. 3 as her husband recovers from major surgery for a benign tumor. Champ will recommend to the school board Wednesday that former Superintendent Dr. Dennis Lauro serve as interim, according to an email Champ sent to residents.
“A few weeks ago, my husband was diagnosed with a benign tumor near his brain that will require major surgery,” said Champ. “We feel fortunate to have access to an incredible team of doctors, and his long-term prognosis is good. With that said, I will be taking a brief leave of absence as my husband recovers from his surgery.”
“Dr. Lauro brings a wealth of leadership experience and familiarity with our district having served as Pelham’s superintendent from 2008 until his retirement from the district in 2012,” she said. Prior to that, Lauro served as the district’s deputy superintendent and director of curriculum, instruction and personnel. Most recently, he was executive director of the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center from 2013 to 2019.
“I am confident that he, along with the support of Dr. Steven Garcia, assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and personnel; Jim Hricay, assistant superintendent for business, and Rosemary Matthews, interim assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services, as well as our incredibly capable administrative team and teaching staff will provide strong leadership and continuity while I am away,” Champ said. “Thank you, as always, for your continued support during this challenging time and I look forward to continuing our work together.”
Cristina is a senior at Pelham Memorial High School. She is the class of 2023 secretary and the Editor-in-Chief of the PMHS Pelican Yearbook. Cristina...
Joseph Durnin • Nov 17, 2021 at 3:56 pm
I wish Dr. Champ and her husband best wishes for a successful surgery. Scary at the best of times, but even more so during Covid!!
I wonder, though, why we need someone to “take over” for such a short period of time? Don’t we have a very capable Deputy Superintendent?
Eileen Miller • Nov 17, 2021 at 10:52 pm
Actually, the District does not have a Deputy Superintendent. There are 3 Assistant Superintendents, one of whom is currently out on a medical leave and her position is being filled in temporarily, as well. Given the last 18 months, I don’t think it’s a reasonable option to assume either of the other two can take on that role, and I think we owe it to everyone in the District to allow for a smooth month. While the article states 34 days, given the December holidays, it’s actually quite a bit shorter than that. We are so lucky that Dr. Lauro has agreed to step in – he has such deep experience in education in general, and in Pelham specifically.