District Picks New Middletown High Athletic Director

As seen on the Middletown Press website: http://www.middletownpress.com/general-news/20140625/district-picks-new-middletown-high-athletic-director
District picks new Middletown High athletic director

By Alex Gecan, The Middletown Press

POSTED: 06/25/14, 5:34 PM EDT |

0 COMMENTS

MIDDLETOWN >> The school board has made its pick for a new high school athletic director.

The Board of Education voted five to four to select Elisha DeJesus to head up the athletic department, beginning with the next school year, Chairman Eugene Nocera said Wednesday.’

DeJesus will take over for Michael Pitruzzello, who will be retiring at the end of this year after nearly four decades working in Middlesex County

“The board is very pleased with Coach Pitruzzello and his programs and what he’s accomplished in his tenure in Middletown,” said Nocera. He said the board anticipated that DeJesus would prove a worthy successor.

DeJesus would come to Middletown from America’s Choice at SAND School in Hartford, where she has worked as dean of students since January.

She was athletic director for Morristown Central School in New York for three years. Her résumé comprises over a decade of teaching, coaching and administration.

DeJesus has masters degrees in physical education and educational leadership and a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

“It was a long discussion,” said Nocera. “It was one of those situations where it took a while to come to an agreement for which candidate.”

“We interviewed seven or eight or nine,” said the chairman. “We narrowed it down to three, unfortunately one of the candidates who was a finalist took a position as athletic director in another district last week.”

DeJesus was not available Wednesday evening to confirm whether she would accept the position.

“The board congratulates her and we look forward to her starting in the school district,” said Nocera.

Story originally appeared in yesterday's Middletown Press but was removed off the front page.