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Westhampton Beach School District Superintendent Michael Radday Has Announced His Retirement
Westhampton Beach School Superintendent Michael Radday said the Board of Education accepting his resignation for retirement September 14 was bittersweet.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside such a talented and dedicated group of people,” Mr. Radday said. “But it's time to start a new chapter — one that will allow more time for family and friends and some new adventures.”
The educator and administrator has been with the district for 19 years. He was promoted from assistant superintendent for personnel and instruction to his current position in 2010. His retirement is effective August 17, 2021.
“We thank Mr. Radday for his years of dedication to the Westhampton Beach schools and community,” Board of Education President Suzanne Mensch said, adding the district has contracted Eastern Suffolk BOCES to lead the search for the superintendent’s successor. “We are searching for an experienced educational leader with a strong commitment to academic excellence who possesses outstanding communication and innovative leadership skills.”
Aram Terchunian, the board of education president in 2010 who oversaw Mr. Radday’s promotion, said his experience and credentials are what helped him land at the helm of Westhampton Beach’s central administration. Before being promoted to assistant superintendent, Mr. Radday worked for three years as principal of the middle school. He received his bachelor’s degree in history from St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn in 1988 and his master’s degree in school administration and supervision from Iona College in New Rochelle in 1995. Mr. Radday also worked in the New York City public school system, where he taught social studies and physical education for seven years at the junior high school level and was a middle and high school assistant principal in the Mt. Sinai School District across six years prior to his start in Westhampton Beach.
“Mike was by far the best candidate,” Mr. Terchunian told The Southampton Press in December 2010. “He came out on top early. He’s going to hit the ground running and start working immediately, and we don’t need to bring him up to speed. That’s something we felt was pretty important.”
The superintendent said the COVID-19 pandemic has made his final year a challenging one, but said “dealing with challenges is part of the job.” He said the novel coronavirus had no influence on his decision to retire and does not believe the pandemic will strongly impact the hunt for his replacement.
“I wanted to be sure to give the district plenty of time to conduct the search and plan for a smooth transition of leadership,” Mr. Radday said.
Ms. Mensch said the Board of Education will keep the district informed as it moves through the interview process.
“We will seek feedback from our community on the values and skills they prioritize in our future leader,” she said. “It is important that we work in collaboration to find the superintendent of schools who will build on our already strong educational community.”
Looking back on his nearly two-decade tenure in Westhampton Beach, Mr. Radday said, above all, it’s the people he’s met along the way that have meant the most to him.
“The Westhampton Beach School District is a wonderful place. I feel so privileged that I got to spend 19 years of my career here,” Mr. Radday said. “We have great students who come from supportive families, and we have an outstanding faculty and staff — that's really what makes our district such a special place. As I said to the staff on the first day of school, we can look back with pride on all that we have accomplished together. That's what I think of — the privilege of leading a great group of people to serve our students and the community. I was just one small piece of the puzzle.”
