Pioneer's Board of Education election will be held June 9 via absentee ballot. This year there are five candidates running for two seats on the Pioneer Board of Education. The top two vote-getters will receive five-year terms. Candidates provided the following information in advance of the election. They will be listed alphabetically on absentee ballots.
Melissa Nocera-Collins of North Java (incumbent) resides with her husband Joe Collins of Delevan. Joe is employed with the Village of Arcade Electric Department. Melissa is employed as Information Technology Director at Navient Inc., and has lived in the Pioneer School District for 24 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems Management from Buffalo State, and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from
Medaille College.
Mrs. Nocera-Collins has seen her three sons graduate from Pioneer, and now her grandchildren attend. She has been a leader in both 4-H and Cub Scouts. She has served
on the Board of Education since 2011, was vice-president in 2014, and has been board president since 2015.
As president, Mrs. Nocera-Collins has been involved in strategic discussion and planning specifically related to the district’s plan during the COVID-19 closure. “I am running for the Board of Education to give back to the community by volunteering my experience and skills to make a difference for children and the community. I have a vested interest in keeping taxes low,” she said.
Ed McCarthy of Freedom (incumbent) is a 12-year member of the Pioneer Board of Education. He is currently Director of Maintenance and Construction for Six Flags of Darien Lake.
Prior to working at Darien Lake, Mr. McCarthy was owner and operator of American Communications for 28 years. He also served in the United States Marine Corps
from 1974-1980.
Mr. McCarthy has lived on Cheeseman Hill Road for 30 years. His four grown children all attended and graduated from Pioneer.
“I am seeking re-election to provide stability to the district,” he said. “When asked why I am on the school board, I say I want all students to graduate and get a good
job. That way they can afford to have a family. My children have accomplished this due to excellent education at Pioneer.”
Todd Catalano of Chaffee has served nearly 35 years as a firefighter and former EMT with the Chaffee-Sardinia Fire Company. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Public
Administration at SUNY Fredonia, and a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from University of Buffalo. He is currently employed by Erie 1 BOCES as an
automation coordinator for regional school districts.
Mr. Catalano was employed as Library Media Specialist from 2002-2010 at Pioneer Middle School, where he met his wife Donna, a music teacher there. Both of their
daughters have graduated from Pioneer.
Along with emergency services, Mr. Catalano also volunteers for bike ride support for events such as the Tour de Cure and the Ride for Roswell, He has also supported
the music program at Pioneer and at his church in Folsomdale.
Mr. Catalano said, “I visit many school districts in my job travels and have seen both bold initiatives and sad realities. I want to share my experience and ideas with our community, now more than ever. If elected, I will use my background in education, technology and safety to promote forward-thinking initiatives that will benefit our
whole Pioneer family.”
Anthony Giboo resides in Delevan with his wife, Ann Previty Giboo, and four sons—Austin (Class of 2017), Dillon (2019), Dalton (Grade 8), and Karter (Grade 7). He is the owner/operator of Pleasant Valley Contractors.
Over the last decade, Mr. Giboo has devoted much of his time volunteering in the community, coaching youth sports and serving on multiple boards. He said these experiences have taught him strong communication skills and leadership attributes.
Mr. Giboo said he is a problem-solver, and added he believes his experiences in volunteerism have given him a close-up view of an assortment of the challenges faced by
the local community.
“I want to help offer all Pioneer students a greater opportunity of success, right now and in the future,” he said.
Mr. Giboo said he is running for school board “with the intent of increasing fiscal responsibility by eliminating some of the waste, while preserving our community values to increase our children’s probability of success.”
Scott Rimbey of Delevan is running for a seat on the Board of Education. He states: “I am the father of two boys, Nicholas and Zachary, who attend Pioneer. I am a graduate of Erie Community College, and Empire State, with a degree in Business Management. I am currently the site manager for a local apartment complex, as well a part-time bus driver for First Student. I feel I could be of great benefit to the community and the students.