Mayor Dominick Pangallo Announces Salem High School Building Committee

SALEM, MA – Mayor Dominick Pangallo today announced the initial membership of the Salem High School School Building Committee (SBC), a body of community members who will conduct public meetings and other work required for the further development of the planned new Salem High School facility. While state statute establishes some required members based on credentials or role in the community, Mayor Pangallo, in consultation with Salem Public Schools Superintendent Stephen Zrike, has opted for a broader body with more far-ranging participation.

The function of the SBC is to advance the conceptual and design-phase work for the project, in partnership with the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM), district team, and other stakeholders. They also assist the district in responding to the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s (MSBA) next phase of review to affirm the district’s financial and community readiness to enter the capital pipeline, and establishing the project schedule, program plan, and budget.

“I was so encouraged by the tremendous outpouring of interest to serve on this critically important body,” said Mayor Pangallo, who also chairs the Salem School Committee. “We wanted the committee membership to be reflective of Salem Public Schools community stakeholders and include individuals prepared to constructively advance the project in a thoughtful manner. I’m extremely grateful to everyone who sent applications for consideration. It was not an easy choice to settle on the final membership, but I’m excited about the scope of leadership, talent, and passion the committee members will bring to this work over the coming years.”

“We are grateful for the team of Salem residents and employees who are sharing their talents with us to ensure that our children have the opportunity to attend a state-of-the-art learning environment that truly prepares them to excel in college and/or career,” said Salem Public School Superintendent Stephen Zrike. “Together, we will work to propose a building design that is sustainable, fiscally responsible and can be utilized by the entire Salem community.”

Nate Bryant, co-chair. Bryant is the Vice President of Student Success at Salem State University, where he had previously served as Chief of Staff and Assistant Dean. Bryant was the Interim President at North Shore Community College and was an elected member of the Salem School Committee from 2007 to 2015.

Rick Jones, co-chair. A Salem Public School parent, Jones is the director of Jones Architecture, a firm specializing in learning environments and academic libraries and related facilities. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the United States Green Building Council.

Shantel Alix Fernandez. Alix Fernandez is the Director of Community Building for the North Shore Community Development Coalition and serves on the City’s Race Equity Commission. A certified financial coach, she is also a board member for Project Out and the Trans Leadership Academy of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.

Yamily Byas. Byas, a Salem Public School parent, is a Student Support Specialist with the Salem Public Schools where she helps oversee family and community engagement. She is also the founder of Mamas Unidas, a Latinx mothers’ support group, and an Adult ESL Instructor with the House of the Seven Gables.

Neal Duffy. Duffy is the City of Salem’s Director of Sustainability and, prior to that, served as the Northeast Coordinator for the Green Communities Division of the state Department of Energy Resources. Before his time at DOER Duffy provided technical assistance to municipalities on clean energy projects with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

Matt Formica. A Salem Public School parent, Formica is a civil engineer and Associate Vice President of AECOM. As a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Formica has nearly three decades of experience in the evaluation, design, and construction of major capital facilities.

Jenna Ide. Ide is the director of Energy and Sustainability for the RMR Group and, prior to that, was the Director of Sustainability, Resiliency, and Capital for the City of Salem. Before joining the City, Ide served as the Director of Energy and Sustainability for the Commonwealth’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance.

Lori Marenda-Lang. Marenda-Lang has been a history teacher at Salem High School for almost 18 years and, before that, was a teacher in the Newburyport Public Schools. Marenda-Lang is the Vice President of the Salem Teachers Union (Local 1258).

Bob McCarthy. McCarthy is the parent of Salem High School graduates and served for the last fifteen years as Ward 1 City Councillor. A contractor by trade, McCarthy served as Acting Mayor in 2023 and three terms as City Council President.

Perla Peguero. Peguero, a Salem resident, served for over three decades as a school adjustment counselor at the Saltonstall School, where she also was a facilitator for the professional development program Teaching for Change. Peguero serves on the board of the Latino Leadership Council and advises the City on Latino affairs and outreach.

Betsy Ricciarelli. The parent of two rising Salem High School students, Ricciarelli is an interior design consultant specializing in design and furniture for K-12, higher education, and libraries, including for many schools and institutions in Massachusetts and on the North Shore.

Mario Sousa. Sousa has served as the Career Education Director and Co-Open Coordinator at Salem High School for the past two years, having helped largely create, shape, and grow the school’s Career and Technical Education program. Previous to joining Salem Public Schools, Sousa was a teacher with Somerville Public Schools.

Keith Tamilio. A Salem High School alumnus and Salem Public School parent, Tamilio is a carpenter by trade. He is a member of Carpenters Local 339 and the North Shore Labor Council.

Paul Viccica. Viccica is principal CBT Architect’s Academic Group where he has designed and managed projects for institutions including Northeastern University, Harvard Business School, Middlebury College, and Smith College. He is a member of the Salem Zoning Board of Appeals.

In addition to these appointed members, several members of the SBC serve by virtue of their position, including Mayor Pangallo, Superintendent Zrike, the City of Salem’s Chief Financial Officer Anna Freedman, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Elizabeth Pauley, Salem Public School’s Director of Buildings and Grounds Zissis Alepakis, Salem High School Principal Glenn Burns, the District’s School Building Liaison Elizabeth Golden, and School Committee member Beth Anne Cornell. While the statute does not require a City Councillor serve on the SBC, Mayor Pangallo has invited the Council President – this year Councillor Megan Stott – or their designee to participate on the committee.

Meetings of the SBC will be open to the public. Specific dates, times, and locations will be announced as they are established.

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