Members

Sarah Fitzgerald, of Manlius, is serving her second term on the Board of Education. She and her husband, Pat, have been district residents for over 20 years and have four school-aged children in the district. Fitzgerald graduated from LeRoy High School, received a bachelor of science degree from LeMoyne College, and is a graduate of the Leadership Greater Syracuse program. She is currently a Human Resource Business Partner for SmartestEnergy US.

In addition to her F-M Board of Education service, Fitzgerald has been active in the community through volunteering and supporting Enders and Eagle Hill HSAs. She previously served on the board for Vera House and led the Playschool Preschool’s Parent Advisory Committee.

Rebecca Cohen, of Fayetteville, is serving her third term on the Board of Education. She and her husband, Brendan McGinn, have three children in the district. Cohen is a Fayetteville-Manlius High School graduate.

She attended Brown University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. She earned her Juris Doctor from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Cohen is an attorney with Bousquet Holstein PLLC, where she practices immigration law.

She currently serves on the InterFaith Works of Central New York Board of Directors and is an active pro bono immigration attorney with the Volunteer Lawyers Project of CNY, Inc.

Ann Bersani, of Fayetteville, is serving her first term on the Board of Education. She and her husband Tom have two children in the district.

Bersani received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from SUNY Fredonia and a Master of Science degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from Canisius University.

Bersani is the Director of Residence Life and Housing at SUNY Cortland and is responsible for managing multiple facilities and fostering a community of belonging for residential students by providing a safe, civil, and vibrant environment that supports the university’s academic mission. She is currently a volunteer for Fayetteville Elementary School and Wellwood Middle School’s Home and School Associations, and a member of the Fayetteville Recreation Department Committee.

Jason Catalino, of Fayetteville, is serving his second term on the Board of Education. He and his wife Karrie have three children in the district.

Catalino is an accounting manager with National Grid and has more than 20 years of experience as a certified public accountant. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from SUNY Geneseo and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from LeMoyne College.

Catalino previously served as an assistant coach for F-M Little League and is a member of the board for the Syracuse Chapter of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is an active volunteer for various Wellwood Home and School Association events and actively supports the Immaculate Conception Church youth ministry.

Marissa Joy Mims has lived in Manlius since 2006. Her twin son and daughter are 2019 alumni of the district. She was first elected to the Board of Education in 2009. Mims initiated the creation of the student board member position. She is a member of the Policy, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Audit Committees.

Mims has represented the Jamesville-Dewitt Central School District and Fayetteville-Manlius as a member of the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison (OCM) BOCES Board of Education since 2020. She is a member of the OCM BOCES Policy and Superintendent Evaluation Committees in addition to serving as a member of the Career Technical Education Advisory Committee. She previously served on the New York State School Board Association Resolutions Committee and as the Area 4 director for the Caucus of Black School Board Members. Ms. Mims has served on all board committees during her tenure on the board and is a prior board legislative liaison.

In 2016, Mims was appointed to the Onondaga County Justice Center Oversight Committee (JCOC) by the Onondaga County Legislature. She is chair of the JCOC, which issues policy recommendations to the sheriff and legislature regarding operations at the Justice Center. Mims is a member of the Town of Manlius Comprehensive Planning Committee. She is an alumni of Leadership Greater Syracuse.

Mims received a BA from Syracuse University in Political Science. She is currently working on a Master’s degree in STEM Education from Grand Canyon University. As a Career Technical Education teacher for the Syracuse City School District, she teaches Design at JT Roberts K-8 School. Mims is the Community Project Coordinator for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program at Roberts. She is the building Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Lead Teacher. Mims is a member of the School Climate Equity Plan Committee and Scheduling Committee. She was elected to the building’s Strategic Leadership Team by her peers and to serve as a building labor relations representative. Mims is a 2023-24 SyraFuse Fellow in Personalized Learning. She is the faculty advisor for student council, yearbook, VEX Robotics, and Kidwind. Mims was a member of the Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council for the 2023-2024 school year.

Sarah Pinsky, of Manlius is serving her first term on the Board of Education. She and her husband Todd have two children in the district.

She received a bachelor of arts from University of Michigan, and currently works as Vice President of Partnerships at KABOOM!, a nonprofit that mobilizes volunteers to build playgrounds and sport courts in low-income communities.

Pinsky is involved with Backstage Backers, All Sports Booster Club, and Eagle Hill HSA. She’s previously served as Enders Road HSA President, on Site-Based Team at both Enders Road and Eagle Hill, and on the district Wellness Committee. Pinsky is involved with the CNY Gym Centre Booster Club, is a board member for the Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York, and serves as a volunteer alumni student recruiter for the University of Michigan.

Kristen Purcell, of Fayetteville, is serving her first term on the Board of Education. She and her husband Eric Boye have one child in the district.

A Jamesville-DeWitt High School graduate, Purcell received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, a Master of Science degree in Elementary Education, and a Certificate of Advanced Study in School Building and District Administration from Syracuse University. Purcell is the Director of CNY/Oswego County Teacher Center.

Prior to her current role, she served in various educational roles, including Coordinator of Social Emotional Learning, Community Partnerships and Family Engagement for Solvay Union Free School District; assistant principal of Eagle Hill Middle School; Assistant Coordinator of Innovative Teaching and Learning at Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services (OCM BOCES); and elementary teacher for Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District. She is currently a member of New York State Association for Women in Administration – Central New York Chapter and is involved in Wellwood Middle School’s Home and School Association and Site-Based Team.

Daniel Seidberg, of Manlius, is serving his third term on the Board of Education. He has lived in the F-M district his entire life, having attended Mott Road Elementary School and Wellwood Middle School before graduating from F-M High School. He and his wife, Jenée, also an F-M graduate, have two children: a 2021 F-M graduate and a 2025 F-M graduate.

He volunteered as a trustee of the F-M Education Foundation, served as a youth soccer coach for 14 seasons, co-chaired the Cavalry Club swim program, served as a member of the F-M Community Facility Task Force, and has been involved in other F-M programming.

Seidberg received his bachelor of arts degree from Colgate University and earned his juris doctor degree from Boston University School of Law. Seidberg is an attorney and also the president and co-founder of an international company that provides emergency technology and communication tools to fire departments, emergency medical services agencies, police departments, and other first responder entities throughout North America.

Jon Van Valkenburg, of Fayetteville, is serving his first term on the Board of Education. He and his wife Jen have two children in the district.

He received his bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Rochester and is currently the executive director at Upstate Orthopedics Ambulatory Surgery Center.

He serves on the board of directors of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and the New York State Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers, the latter of which he previously served as board president. Van Valkenburg also served on the board of directors for Fayetteville-Manlius Pop Warner and is a member on the Fayetteville-Manlius Youth Lacrosse Association’s board of directors, a F-M Pop Warner coach, and involved in the Fayetteville-Manlius All Sports Booster Club.

The Student Board Member’s participation serves to ensure that student voices are considered during decision-making processes that affect F-M’s long-term goals.