One month into working as Secretary to Superintendent Susan Hasenauer, Dina Calapiz, who had been Kelley School’s secretary since August 2021, is very happy working in her new position.
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“I love it,” she said December 10th. “I look forward to coming to work because learning new things challenges me.”
Calapiz trained for nearly two months with Stacy Warren, who held that position for 30 years before she retired November 14th, so she could learn as much as possible about the many responsibilities the job entails.
While she knew when she applied for the district’s top secretarial job that it is very involved, Calapiz said she also “chose to work for a leader like Susan Hasenauer who is so passionate about her job. She inspires me.”
“Dina has embraced this new opportunity with curiosity, openness, and adaptability,” Hasenauer said. “She asks questions and is continuously seeking knowledge and evolving her skills. Her growth mindset, even when facing challenges, leads her to understanding this new role perfectly. She truly believes in taking ownership of her own development and is highly reflective in her practices. This, alongside her strong ability to connect with others, will lead her to high levels of success as she continues to embark on this journey. We are very glad to have her here with us each day!”
Before she began working at Kelley School, Calapiz, a 1988 Newark High School graduate, left her high-energy job in retail management in New York City in 2017 to move back to her hometown of Newark.
But she kept her hand in retail for 4 years, managing some Fossil stores in the Syracuse area and commuted back and forth each day to Newark where her mother, Diane DeMarco lives.
Ready for a change, she’s glad she shelved the lengthy daily commute and found work she really enjoyed close to home in 2021.
“I’m a people person and I like working in fact-paced environments like the school district. It’s a good fit for me,” she said.
Calapiz, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, lives in Newark with her boyfriend, David Greco.
When time allows, she enjoys following fashion and home trends.