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Oliverio named RESA 5 director

PARKERSBURG – An administrator for the Wood County Schools has been named executive director of RESA 5.

The Board of Education is expected to vote next week to accept Joe Oliverio’s resignation as director of elementary schools for Wood County Schools.

Superintendent Pat Law, who is chairman of the RESA 5 board and selection committee, said Oliverio was approved Wednesday by the West Virginia Board of Education. Oliverio begins the new position July 1.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to serve the counties served by RESA 5,” Oliverio said Friday.

Oliverio has been an educator for more than 28 years, teaching in Logan, Barbour and Pleasants counties. In Wood County he has worked as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and most recently at the central office.

He also has served on the RESA 5 Regional Council for seven years.

“The faith they’ve placed in me, to move me from that council position to being their director, it is humbling and exciting.”

RESA 5 provides support services and training for school systems in Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt and Wood counties.

On Friday, Law praised Oliverio’s work with Wood County Schools and said he expects that good work will continue at RESA 5.

“Certainly we are sorry to lose him, but we are not going to lose him entirely,” Law said, adding RESA 5 works closely with Wood and other county school systems to provide employee training and technical support to schools. “One of the things that made him attractive to the interview committee was, he knew RESA 5, he was familiar with the schools served by RESA 5 and he has made contacts with people on the state level. He’s going to be able to hit the ground running and we expect he will perform very well.”

Oliverio succeeds former Director Ralph Board who died in December.

Karen Brunicardi, who retired as the Wood County Schools director of elementary schools last year, was appointed as interim director about two weeks after Board’s death. Brunicardi will step down when Oliverio begins July 1.

Law said Wood County Schools will post the elementary schools director position as quickly as possible following approval of Oliverio’s resignation. Law said the opening could cause a domino effect if the new director is internally hired.

“We want to do this as quickly as possible,” Law said.

Law, who is retiring at the end of June, said incoming Superintendent John Flint will be made part of the hiring process because the new director will begin on July 1, the same as the new superintendent.

“We want him to have some say in the process,” Law said. “We will try to find some way that he can participate.”

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