As we all know by now, there’s a new guy in town! Dr. Vincent Butera is our new Superintendent replacing the spirited Charlie Cardillo. I had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Butera and after spending an hour with him, I walked away thinking that everyone will soon agree with me that he’s a great choice to replace Mr. Cardillo.

Dr. Butera was so open and friendly. I really enjoyed talking with him about his background and personal interests. Prior to coming to Manhasset, Dr. Butera was the Superintendent of the Bayport-Blue Point School District since 2012. Dr. Butera’s career in education started in 1993 when he was a social studies teacher in New York City and in the Huntington UFSD.  He later became an assistant principal in the Floral Park UFSD. Dr. Butera was an elementary school principal in the Franklin Square UFSD from 2001-2009. After that, Dr. Butera was appointed the position of Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum in the Long Beach School UFSD. Dr. Butera taught at Dowling College from 2007-2009. He has been an adjunct professor at the College of St. Rose since 2014. Dr. Butera graduated from Queens College with a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Master’s degree in Special Education. Dr. Butera’s other degrees include an Ed.D from Dowling College and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration from Hofstra University.

There were a variety of factors that led to Dr. Butera becoming involved in education. Most importantly, Dr. Butera had an interest in working with children and enjoyed the interaction with them. To Dr. Butera, teaching and education as a whole felt like a “natural fit”.  While Dr. Butera places a high value on every subject, he is most passionate about social studies. He believes, however, that each student has their own personal preference on their favorite subject which is why all the subjects are vital to one’s education.

While his background is interesting, who is Dr. Butera? What are his favorite people, places and things? Well, let’s go all the way back to Dr. Butera’s elementary school years. Dr. Butera’s favorite elementary school teacher was Mrs. Gloria Christina, his 3rd grade teacher. Mrs. Christina was so special to the young Dr. Butera because she demonstrated how it was possible to push children to try their hardest yet show them that you care about them at the same time. Dr. Butera’s favorite subject in high school was English because his English teachers were incredible. During high school, Dr. Butera played football, spent four years in the band and was on the school newspaper. His favorite high school memories involved hanging out with friends, going to the beach and playing volleyball.

Today, Dr. Butera enjoys running, reading, traveling and just being with friends. He is a sports fan who loves the New York Rangers, the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Raiders. On the weekends, Dr. Butera’s favorite things to do are spending time with his family and friends. He also enjoys doing things around the house and attending the Manhasset school district activities. Dr. Butera has two children the same ages as many of us. His son Dave is 15 and his daughter Alexa is 13. His wife Rosalia is an amazing cook and guess what his favorite meal is? Sausage and peppers! Yum!  Dr. Butera likes to listen to a variety of musical genres with Ed Sheeran being one of his favorite artists. His two favorite movies are The Shawshank Redemption and Usual Suspects. His favorite television shows are The Honeymooners and Breaking Bad. If you’re wondering where Dr. Butera’s favorite places to travel are, don’t worry, we have that information. To end the suspense, his favorite places to travel are Bora Bora and the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

Before we ended our conversation, I asked Dr. Butera if there was anything that he would like to say to the students. He said that he would like to enhance every child’s experience, not only academically but also socially and emotionally. He would like to get to know the students. Dr. Butera is interested in finding out what people are proud of and what we can do to enhance learning. Dr Butera is an extremely friendly man and is open to students setting up time for direct conversions. If you see Dr. Butera in the hallway don’t be shy to say hi and welcome the new guy in town to our Manhasset community.