By:Jeff Lipton
Dr. Peter Weber of Smithtown, the chief financial officer of Wright Risk Management Company, Inc., in Garden City, a multi-million dollar national risk management firm, will become the school district-s new business leader effective July 1.
Dr. Weber is familiar with the Five Towns, having served as assistant superintendent for business in Lawrence Public Schools from 1985-1992. He will succeed Dr. Karen Chapman, who will retire on June 30 after serving as Hewlett-Woodmere-s assistant superintendent for business for more than 17 years.
Starting on July 1, the school district will have an entirely new administrative team. Dr. Les Omotani, who has served as superintendent of West Des Moines Community Schools in Iowa for eight years, was named in January as the new superintendent of Hewlett-Woodmere, replacing Dr. Charles Fowler, who will retire.
At the beginning of this school year, Susan Pratt became assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, taking over those duties from Dr. Myrna Uhlich.
Dr. Weber attended the Wednesday, March 10 Hewlett-Woodmere school board meeting, where he was introduced to the community by school board president Richard Braverman.
I think we are very fortunate to get someone of Peter-s caliber and quality to join us, said Braverman.
Dr. Weber said he-s received a nice welcome into the community and he-s excited to begin in his new post. He said he-s looking forward to applying his knowledge of the business world to help the school district.
Everything in public education is complex, Dr. Weber said. It-s definitely challenging. One of the most important roles I will have is to help communicate with the community and I want to better understand their needs.
One of the biggest challenges Dr. Weber may encounter is selling the community on approval of a new Woodmere Middle School, which has been voted down three times by the community, the last time by 26 votes.
Dr. Weber said it-s too early to give his comments on a new middle school.
During the March 10 meeting, Dr. Weber got a taste of what he may be facing as the district-s new business leader. Residents complained that the school board has authorized the hiring of an on-site construction manager at Hewlett High School to close out the construction project there. The manager will be hired at $73.69 per hour, not to exceed $10,000.
It-s ridiculous, Cliff Bryer, a Hewlett resident, said of the cost overruns for the project. Why wasn-t it figured into the original contract?
Dr. Chapman responded that the project has experienced extensive delays, which have added to the costs. She said the bad weather, strikes by union workers and delays by the state Education Department have all contributed to prolonging the completion of the project.
These are not usual occurrences, Chapman said. There-s no question we-re unhappy about it, but it-s a fact of life. This is the first time we have experienced this here.
The contract has called for the building to be completed in 36 months.
Dr. Weber said he-s been in education for close to 20 years. He began his career in 1973 as a biology teacher in the Valley Stream Central High School District, where he also was an assistant coach and club advisor. After five years, he became the business manager for Valley Stream School District 30 until moving on to the Lawrence school district.
He-s been treasurer, vice president and president-elect of the Nassau County Association of School Business Officials, as well as serving with the New York State Association of School Business Officials.
At Wright Risk Management, Dr. Weber has had the responsibility for treasury, budgeting and accounting for the company, its subsidiaries and clients and an associated law firm. He has been described as an experienced contract negotiator and investment manager. Prior to his corporate financial post, he was the first administrator for the New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal, from 1992-96, where he established operating procedures, leadership guidelines and a growth trend, developing the only A-rated school district-owned municipal property and casualty reciprocal in the nation.
Dr. Weber will be a wonderful addition to the Hewlett-Woodmere administration, Dr. Fowler said. His expertise in crucial areas of New York state finance, especially related to school districts, makes him the ideal candidate to follow in Dr. Karen Chapman-s considerable footsteps.
