This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

BOCES Board Member Tina Mackay Lends Business Sense

A financial analyst and mother of two, Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES board member Tina Mackay has been lending her business acumen to school boards since 2001. Here, we interview Tina as part of the New York State School Boards Association’s “Do You Know Who I Am?” campaign.

How long have you been a school board member?

It’s been 13 years. I started in Putnam Valley, serving on the local board there and I joined the BOCES board after I left Putnam Valley. I’ve been with BOCES about three or four years.  

Find out what's happening in Yorktown-Somerswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

What made you decide to run for the school board initially?

I was attending a school board meeting in Putnam Valley one night and the external auditor was there giving the audit report. I have a financial background and during that presentation I found myself answering a lot of questions from the audience and it was just one of those moments where I felt maybe I could lend my expertise to Putnam Valley and help the district from a financial perspective.  When I left Putnam Valley I was still interested in serving on a school board. It was just good timing that one of the BOCES board members was resigning at that time because they were moving away, so when the position became available I applied for it.

Find out what's happening in Yorktown-Somerswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

What is your occupation?

I’m a financial analyst by trade and that’s what I’ve always done for IBM. Just recently I moved into a position where I do the hiring for the finance positions at IBM.

What is special about serving on a BOCES board of education?

It’s very different from serving on a local school board because the scope is much broader. Rather than serving students in one local district, you are serving students, teachers, parents, administrators and adults from 18 component districts.

What is the biggest challenge you face as a board member?

I think our biggest challenge is to envision future needs and propose programs to meet those needs at a price point that makes it attractive for districts to buy the service from BOCES.  And I'm confident we have the skills and talent so we can do that.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I have to laugh at this question. I work full time, I have two kids, I volunteer at BOCES, I’m on the Audit Committee at BOCES, and I remain on the Audit Committee in Putnam Valley, so that leaves me very little free time. Whenever I have free time what I really value is the unscheduled time so that I can just do whatever I feel like doing on the spur of the moment.

What qualities do you most value in a school board member?

I really enjoy working with board members who have a genuine interest in raising student achievement and serving the needs of all students and I admire people who can embrace change. As I’m hiring into finance at IBM I’m looking at the skills that applicants are bringing to the job, or should be bringing to the job, and it makes me think that we need to prepare kids for jobs that aren’t even defined yet. We need to be open to doing things differently to educate our children because being open to new ideas helps us to actively change. We can’t be married to the status quo. That said, I also think one of the most valuable qualities in a board member is the desire to constantly improve.

What qualities do you most value in an educator?

I value educators who have high expectations and believe that kids are capable of meeting those high expectations. I think if you demonstrate confidence that rubs off on the kids. One other quality I value is the willingness to share knowledge. We often value educators for what they know, but educators who share their knowledge about what works in the classroom advance the education profession.

Who are your heroes in real life?

That’s a hard one. There’s a music teacher in Putnam Valley, Ryan Odell, who has taught both of my kids. Each year I go to support my daughters and watch them perform and each year I walk out of there thinking, ‘Wow, that was fantastic. I don’t know how it could get any better.’” And then I go in the next year and it is better!  Ryan makes the students sound so professional and he always has a fresh perspective. He exemplifies the best in the teaching profession -- someone who enjoys his job and always strives to improve.

Who are your favorite writers?

I really like Maureen Dowd. She’s an editorial columnist for the New York Times. I enjoy her insight. She highlights different issues and can be very funny when using a satirical approach. She’s a good writer in terms of quality and she’s interesting to read.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Seeing my kids do well in life. I know that when they’re not happy, I’m not happy. I just want to see them happy in life. My world revolves around my kids, but my husband and dog matter as well, so I’d have to say happiness is seeing my whole family happy and healthy.

 

 

 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?