Many of you knew me before I retired in 2019 as the Director of the Department of Charter Schools or as the Principal of Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School. My career with the School District of Palm Beach County also included more than 7 years as assistant principal at Congress Middle, Howell Watkins Middle, and Palm Beach Gardens Elementary. Other experiences included consulting teacher in Professional Standards and intermediate resource teacher in the North Area Administration. I began my career here in Palm Beach County as a teacher at Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary and was a member of the original faculty of Acreage Pines Elementary. Throughout my career I was fortunate to work with excellent leaders and mentors who helped my career grow strong and successful by encouraging me to go beyond the norm. I am forever indebted to them for their guidance. 

Many of those experiences prepared and led me to becoming the Consultant for our Staff Association. In all of my positions I became an active member of the professional organizations aligned to my career position such as the Classroom Teachers Association, Palm Beach County School Administrators’ Association, and our Staff Association. In each of those organizations I was a Board Member and/or elected officer. As both a teacher and an administrator I was selected several times to serve on the contract negotiation committees where I learned a great deal about the power of negotiation and compromise. It has been complimentary to me in my administrative career that I was thought of as a fair supervisor who respected each and every member of the school or department staff with whom I worked. The employees are always the most valuable assets of our large system. 

My formal education includes the following: 

● Completed undergraduate work at Penn State University (transferred out)
● Received a B.S. Ed. from California University of Pennsylvania of California, PA
● Received a M.S. Ed. from Barry University of Miami Shores, FL 
● Completed additional graduate work at Florida Atlantic University of Boca Raton, FL and Harvard University of Cambridge, MA 

For the past 36 years I have been married to Christina Lopez Pegg with whom I raised our 2 sons Jared (teacher) and Jacob (whiskey distiller). Christina and I reside in North Palm Beach and spend nearly every day with our 3 grandchildren. I am the oldest of 6 children growing up in Uniontown, PA. My family has always been my foundation of love and support. 

I am professionally thrilled to have the opportunity to serve and work with the members of the Palm Beach County School District Staff Association. I know I have big shoes to fill in following Ms. Kaupe and I will present my best efforts to continue to meet the professional standard she has set. I am proud and eager to work with all of you in our Staff Association.