Holley BOE president finds a way to serve

Heise isn’t seeking re-election to BOE, but will stay on with BOCES

John Heise, Holley BOE President

HOLLEY – John Heise decided against running for another term on the Holley Board of Education. Heise has served as the board president for nearly a decade.

But the Holley community can still count on him to be an advocate for Holley children. Heise will serve on the board for the Monroe II-Orleans BOCES. He has been on that board for about four years and was elected last month to another three-year term.

“It keeps me active, and it’s not as intense as the being president of the Board of Education,” Heise said.

The Monroe II-Orleans BOCES includes representatives on the board from each of the nine component districts, which includes Holley and Kendall in Orleans and seven Monroe districts.

Heise said the organization works with local districts with special education, technical skills and work studies, as well as other services.

Heise didn’t rule out running again for the Holley board. “I’ll revisit it in one or two years,” he said.

Holley is shrinking the BOE from nine to seven members. Three incumbents – Heise, Dorothy Morgan and Brenda Swanger – would have had to run against each other this election. But Heise and Morgan opted against re-election, leaving Swanger as the lone candidate on May 21.

Heise has been busy with volunteer work since he retired as a Holley school administrator 10 years ago. He has served on the BOE, the Village Board, and the boards for Community Free Library, BOCES and the Lakeside Foundation.

“I know it’s a cliché but I want to give back to the community because the community has been good to me,” Heise said. “It’s a good little community. We love it here.”

Heise’s wife Sandy is one of the organizers of the June Fest community celebration on June 1.

He also is an active member of the Holley Rotary Club and served as the district governor in 2011-12. Heise remains a leader in the district that stretches from southern Ontario, Canada, into Western New York. He is the district’s director of training programs, working with club directors, and youth and Rotary Foundation leaders.

“I enjoy the people and this role there’s education,” he said. “It’s teaching and learning, except it’s with adults.”