Leominster Education Foundation Board

The Leominster Education Foundation has been formed to support strong educational programming in the Leominster public schools.  It is an independent, non-profit foundation whose mission is to provide financial support for exemplary educational projects and programs within the Leominster Public Schools.  Funds will be used to promote a rigorous academic program from pre-school through high school.  The primary goal of the foundation is to facilitate efforts of the Leominster Public Schools to develop and provide a comprehensive curriculum that prepares students for a challenging future.  Foundation funds shall be earmarked for programs and projects which reach beyond the ordinary means of public funding and allow the school district to improve the educational experience of its student body.

The Board of the Foundation is composed of a talented group of individuals who work or live in Leominster and who understand the value of an excellent public education.  The Board will consist of the following members.

State Senator Robert A. Antonioni, from Leominster, graduated in 1980 from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.  In 1983, he graduated from the New England School of Law, with honors.  He served in the House of Representatives from 1989 to March 1992, when he was elected to the State Senate for the Worcester and Middlesex district.  Starting in 2007, he is now serving his eighth full term. 

After his election to the Senate, Antonioni served as Senate Chairman of the Joint Committee on Criminal Justice until early 1997, when Senate President Birmingham appointed Antonioni Senate Chairman of the Joint Committee on Education, Arts and Humanities.  Under the recent committee restructuring, Senate President Travaglini appointed Senator Antonioni to chair the newly formed Joint Committee on Education. Antonioni is also Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, and a member of the Committees on Senate Ways and Means, Judiciary and Labor and Workforce Development.

As Co-Chairman of the Education Committee with Rep. Patricia Haddad, Antonioni is responsible for legislative oversight of public education policy in the Commonwealth.  Under his leadership, the funding of education reform has met the goal established by Education Reform by adding more than $7.3 billion state dollars to public education in the Commonwealth.  Consistent funding of Chapter 70's basic aid to public education and several grant programs has addressed many of the education needs leading to successful student accountability.  He supports school choice options, including both Commonwealth and Horace Mann charter schools, and has led comprehensive special education and bilingual education reform.  This legislative session will continue the focus on student and adult accountability and MCAS.  Sen. Antonioni is expecting renewed emphasis on the financing of public education necessary to improve student performance in the Commonwealth this session. Senator Antonioni is serving his fifth full term as Senate Chairman of the Education Committee.

In addition to education, he has championed a new line item in the budget since FY 01 for greater mental health funding specifically for suicide prevention activities.  He is also involved with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in working to reduce the number of needless deaths by suicide throughout the Commonwealth.  Also during his tenure in the Senate, Antonioni has sponsored major reform of the drunk driving laws, the implementation of a statewide sex-offender registry law, and a significant juvenile justice reform bill.   Antonioni makes his home in Leominster.  He also has a law practice in Leominster with his father, Attilio Antonioni. 

Dean J. Mazzarella was elected Mayor in 1993 and was sworn in on January 3, 1994.  Mayor Mazzarella was a ten-year veteran of the Leominster Police Department and the owner of a small business.  In the first year of Mazzarella’s administration the deficit was reduced by $1.2 million and a plan to pursue back taxes was implemented.  Since that time, the City has finished with a surplus of free cash each year totaling over $30 million dollars.

Over the past thirteen years, 90% of all DPW, Police and Fire equipment has been replaced.  The City spent $4 million dollars to cap the 30-acre landfill and paid for the project in cash.  Two new schools, a courthouse, and water filtration plant have been built, and the City is in the planning stages to build a police station.   In an effort to help moderate growth and preserve the City’s natural beauty, the Mazzarella administration has purchased over 1,000 acres of open space including the City’s last remaining working apple orchard and vital land around the watershed.

Mayor Mazzarella has two children, Stephanie 24 and Dean 22.

Mayor Mazzarella is a member of the Mass Mayor’s Association, he is on the Mass Municipal Association’s Advisory Board and a member of the United States Conference of Mayors Small Cities League.

Charles A. Gelinas, Sr. graduated with a BA from the College of the Holy Cross, an MA from Assumption College and with a Doctor of Law, cum laude, from Suffolk University.  Attorney Gelinas is Senior Partner at the Law Firm of Gelinas & Ward, LLP, in Fitchburg, President and Treasurer of Guaranty Title & Abstract Co., Inc., of Fitchburg and President and Treasurer of WNTA, Inc., of Fitchburg.  He has also held the positions of English Instructor in the Sudbury Public Schools and at Assumption Preparatory School.  His areas of concentration of law practice lie in Business and Commercial Law, Commercial Lending, Real Estate, and Estate Planning and Probate of Estates.  Attorney Gelinas serves as a Trustee on the Fitchburg State College Foundation; he is Trustee and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the North Central MA Community Foundation; President and Director of the Montachusett Society for Preservation of Historic Buildings; and serves on the Governor’s Regional Competitiveness Counsel.  Gelinas is married to Janis A. (Pallotta), has three children, Kristin (Gelinas) Howlett, Charles A. Gelinas, Jr., Esq., and Justin Pall Gelinas, as well as three grandchildren Ross C. J. Howlett, Eliza J. Howlett, and Marielle L. Howlett.     

John Gravelle is President and CEO of Mar-Lee Companies, based in Leominster.  He is a successful entrepreneur who has directed the operations of Mar-Lee Companies for over 25 years.  Under his direction, Mar-Lee has grown to become one of the area’s leading plastics manufacturers and mold makers whose business focus is the Medical and Consumer Products markets.  Mr. Gravelle has been with Mar-Lee since its inception in 1972 and is principally responsible for market development, operations, and the implementation of technology within manufacturing.  He is an active member within the community and a member of the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council, the Society of Plastics Industries, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and the Society of Plastics Engineers.  John resides in Leominster with his wife Sheila, and has two sons.           

Tim Norton is a seasoned real estate development and management executive.  During a professional career of over 20 years, Tim has developed, managed and re-positioned numerous multi-million dollar office, industrial, and residential properties.  As president of Apex Properties, he is principally responsible for strategic project planning and execution, new business development and acquisitions.  Based in Leominster, Massachusetts Apex Properties helps investors and business owners build wealth, expand their businesses and reduce operating costs by maximizing the value and utilization of investment and commercial properties for long-term income and value growth.  Currently Mr. Norton is leading the re-development and re-positioning of a 90,000 SF investment property at Devens, Massachusetts.  The building is being re-positioned into a Class A Office and Lab facility, One Jackson Place is a $9.5 Million Dollar project.

Mr. Norton resides in Leominster, Massachusetts with his wife Kristen and 3 children.  All of the Norton children are pupils in the Leominster School System.  Mr. Norton is also very active in the community.  He has served on several school projects including; the Site Selection Committee for Sky View Middle School, the School Building Committee for Sky View Middle School and the School Building Committee for Southeast Middle School.  In addition, he has participated in study groups including; the Extended Day Program and the School Reconfiguration and School Redistricting Committees.  Mr. Norton also serves on the Board of Directors for the Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs of North Central Massachusetts and is active in the Latino community and Leominster Recreational Basketball program.

Edward Manzi, President & CEO of Fidelity Bank is a Webster native who came to Fidelity Bank in July 1997, after being at the former Shirley Co-operative Bank for seven years as President/CEO.  He also held executive management positions at several other New England community banks.  A Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Massachusetts/Lowell with a B.S. in Accounting, Manzi earned his M.B.A. with high distinction in 1992 from Bentley College. He is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Massachusetts Life, Health & Accident Insurance License.

In addition to his responsibilities at the Bank, Ed is past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Audit Committee of the North Central Massachusetts United Way, a member of the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, a member of the Board of Directors of the Fitchburg State College Foundation, a member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Bankers Association, member of the Board of Directors of Community Healthlink, Inc., in Central Mass., a member of the Mass. Society of CPA’s,  the past-Chairman of the Board of the Shirley Village Partnership, a member of the Northern Worcester County Board of Realtors Finance Committee and was selected their “Affiliate of the Year” in 1994.   Ed and his wife, Melissa, live in Central Mass. with their three sons, Edward, Michael and William.

Thomas F. Wheeler is a 1982 graduate of Leominster High School and a 1986 graduate of Fitchburg State College where he majored in accounting with a minor in economics.  He became a CPA in June of 1990.  Mr. Wheeler has a very successful practice as a CPA on Electric Avenue in Leominster.  Tom Wheeler is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  Wheeler serves as a Corporator of Hudson Savings Bank and a Board member of the North Leominster Little League.  Married to Lori Wheeler, they have two children, Jack & Matthew, both of whom attend Leominster Public Schools.

Nadine Binkley is Superintendent of the Leominster Public Schools.  She holds an A.B. from Regis College in mathematics, an MEd in mathematics and a CAGS in educational administration from Boston University and a PhD in curriculum and instruction from the University of British Columbia.  Dr. Binkley has served as Superintendent of Schools in Peabody, Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Concord and Concord-Carlisle Regional, and Principal in Westborough and Old Saybrook, CT.  She also ran a Special Education school, Fraser Academy, in Vancouver, British Columbia.  She has presented at numerous educational conferences and has written for several educational journals.  She is married to Clark Binkley and they have three children Clayton, Emily and Alex.