Dr. Jeffrey Menzer is the Superintendent. After student teaching at William Penn, Jeff began his career in Colonial in 1991 as an “at-risk” teacher in an in school alternative program at William Penn High School.

Jeff is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and the District Leadership Council. It is through his work with the executive leadership team that he supports the work of the Leadership Council. One of his main responsibilities is to serve as liaison between the School Board and the District Administration. This means providing regularly updates as well as coordinating school board meetings that are engaging and focused on student achievement and ensuring District compliance with policy, regulations and rules governing the District.

While not a native Delawarean, Jeff is a proud triple University of Delaware Grad, having earned his Bachelors, Masters and EdD there. UD is also where he met his future wife of 30 years, Shelly. Together they enjoy spending time with their four adult children and relaxing on their backyard deck and screened porch. 

In the spirit of a recent Leadership Council equity professional development,on “The Power of Labels” two words from the Colonial Mindset that best embody Jeff’s leadership are – Inspiration and Integrity.

To Dr. Menzer, the Power of WE means constantly striving to align the energy, passion, skill and knowledge of students, parents, community members and all category of staff in a collective effort to improve outcomes for Colonial students.

Dr. Nneka Jones is the Deputy Superintendent. She began her career in Colonial in 1997 as an elementary school teacher. 

Dr. Jones (Nikki) is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and the District Leadership Council. She oversees everything “Academic and School Based” in Colonial Nation, including the Curriculum and Instruction, Student Services, Health and Wellness, and Schools Divisions. Along with the “Academic Side of the House”, Nikki is the district lead for the Strategic Plan as well as the District Equity Team.

Education is in her blood as many of her family members are teachers and administrators including her father who is a retired Physical Education teacher. Dr. Jones is a proud DSU grad and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. 

Family is everything to Nikki. She is married to Erik, a lifetime Colonial and they have 3 very active children. 

In the spirit of a recent Leadership Council equity professional development, Nikki facilitated an activity called “The Power of Labels.” Dr. Jones says that the two words from the Colonial Mindset that best embody her leadership are – Drive and Precision.

Emily Falcon is the Chief Operations and Financial Officer.  

Mrs. Falcon (Emily) is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and the District Leadership Council.

Her responsibility is oversight of everything “Fiscal and Operations Based” in Colonial Nation. This includes the Business Division and Operations Division which comprise the Transportation, Nutrition Services, Technology, and Facilities Departments. Along with the “Operations and Budget Side of the House”, Emily is the District Lead for the Citizens Financial Oversight Committee as well as a lead on state-wide legislative matters.

The “youngest” council member, she began her journey to leadership as a Public Ally and has worked on education finance and policy issues in a variety of roles in State Government over the past 20 years. Emily began her career in Colonial in 2013.   

Emily is the proud mom of preteen triplets and is happily married to her soulmate, Jen.

In the spirit of a recent Leadership Council Equity PD on the power of labels, two words from the Colonial Mindset that best embody Emily’s leadership are – Integrity and Thoughtfulness.

Emily’s strengths as a chief financial officer and passion for advocacy are major contributors to the Power of WE!

Holly Sage is the Executive Director of Human Resources. 

Holly is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and the District Leadership Council.

Her responsibility is oversight of EVERYTHING in the Human Resources Division, which includes hiring, onboarding, benefits, leave, and disability coordination for all employee groups. Holly is the lead liaison to all bargaining groups with the primary responsibility of maintaining positive and productive work relations. She also works closely with the Director of Talent Development to recruit and retain staff.

Holly, a proud William Penn Alumni (c/o 92) began her career in Colonial in February 1997 as an 8th Grade Math Teacher at Gunning Bedford. She developed her administrative skills as a Student Advisor and Assistant Principal at William Penn then as Principal of George Read Middle School, before joining the District Office as Director of Student Services in 2014.

Holly and her husband Joe are proud parents to Clayton, a Bichon And Shih Tzu mix (aka a Teddy Bear). They also enjoy spending time outside of work with their extended Colonial family!

In the spirit of a recent Leadership Council Equity PD on the power of labels, two words from the Colonial Mindset that best embody Holly’s leadership are – Pride and Purpose.

Holly always keeps students front and center in the Power of WE!

Ms. Sherrie Clark is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction(C&I). 

Her responsibilities are related to the academic side of the house, more specifically the instruction, assessment, and curriculum elements of the classroom. She directly leads five supervisors and a specialist in the C&I Division in their efforts to support all content areas in delivering a high-quality educational experience for our students.

Sherrie, a William Penn alumni (c/o 91), began her career in Colonial in 1996 as a teacher at Colwyck Elementary School. After being RIF’d her first year, she rejoined Colonial at Gunning Bedford as a Career Exploratory Teacher, eventually moving to 8th grade ELA. In 2008 she became an Instructional Coach. She joined district office as the Supervisor of ELA, and was promoted to her current position as Director of Curriculum and Instruction in 2015.

Sherrie enjoys the life of a soccer mom with her youngest son, Dylan. Her oldest son Marc owns and operates several local barbershops and is a fixture on Main Street in Newark at his shop, Goldyn’s Barbershop. In her free time, Sherrie enjoys cooking and is known best for her basil chicken burgers. 

In the spirit of a recent Leadership Council Equity PD on the power of labels, two words from the Colonial Mindset that best embody Sherrie’s leadership are – Precision and Focus.

Sherrie strives for improvement, putting student academic achievement front and center in the Power of WE!

Dr. Jon Cooper, Director of the Health and Wellness Division. 

Dr. Cooper’s responsibilities are to maintain healthy social-emotional well-being in all students. He works closely with a supervisor to coordinate services, mental health professionals, programming and curriculum focused to support students. Much of this work is carried out through Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). The Health and Wellness Division is also at the forefront of assisting students and staff through crises and traumatic events that impact schools and the district.

Jon began his career in Colonial in 1998 as a school psychologist assigned primarily to the John G. Leach School. In 2009, Jon became a student advisor and then was promoted to Supervisor of Student Services. He eventually became the Director of Student Services in 2012. In 2019, Jon led the District in the creation of the Health and Wellness Division, which he now leads. Education was in his blood as his father was a school district administrator and his mother was a 5th grade teacher.

Jon is the proud father of four children, the youngest two (twins) recently graduating from high school, so he and his wife, Heather are almost empty nesters! While he is a transplant from the Lancaster area, Jon is a fixture in the City of Newark and can be regularly seen walking, biking, and enjoying the dining scene of downtown Newark. 

In the spirit of a recent Leadership Council Equity PD on the power of labels, two words from the Colonial Mindset that best embody Sherrie’s leadership are – Thoughtfulness and Compassion.

Jon is a strong advocate for public education and always puts caring at the heart of the Power of WE!

Who is the Colonial School District Leadership Council?

Dr. Janissa Nuneville, Director of Schools – Secondary. 

Dr. Nuneville supports secondary programs, schools, and their principals. The scope of these responsibilities is vast and varied, including supporting Principals as they work with students and families, and truthfully everything in between. Janissa is the district-level administrator who serves as the resource for implementing and coordinating the work or resolution of issues at our district’s only high school and three middle schools.

Janissa began her career in Colonial in 2001 as a World Language Teacher (Spanish) at William Penn High School. In 2008 she was a Student Advisor at Pleasantville Elementary School. Janissa then joined the Gunning Bedford Middle School Administration team as an Assistant Principal in 2010. Following a five-year stint as an AP, in 2015 Janissa was promoted to Principal of Castle Hills Elementary School. She served in that role until July 2022, when she began her current position as Director of Schools.

Janissa and her husband, Bil, are the proud parents of sons, Greyson and Trey, and daughter Avery, all three of whom embody Janissa’s passion for athletics. In fact, Janissa has maintained her love of coaching, as she coaches her boys in basketball, while thoroughly enjoying watching Avery on the soccer pitch. When they get free time from competition the family loves to recharge at the beach.

In the spirit of a recent Leadership Council Equity PD on the power of labels, two words from the Colonial Mindset that best embody Janissa’s leadership are –  Drive and Precision.

Janissa believes the Power of WE boils down to each of us holding each other, and ourselves, accountable for an equitable education for ALL students.

Mr. Jeffory Gibeault, Director of Schools – Elementary. 

 Jeff’s responsibilities are to support elementary programs, schools, and their principals. The scope of these responsibilities is vast and varied, they include things like Principal supervision working with students and families, and everything in between. Anything that goes on in an elementary school or with an elementary student Jeff is the district-level administrator who serves as the resource for implementation and coordination of the work or resolution of problems or issues. 

Jeff began his career in Colonial in 1996 as a 7th grade ELA and SS at George Read then in 1998 joined Gunning Bedford as a 7th grade science. In 2007 he became a Student Advisor at Carrie Downie, and then the next year at William Penn, where he eventually began his administrative career as an Assistant Principal. In 2016 he was promoted to the Principal of Southern Elementary School where he served until 2022, when he was named Director of Schools. 

Jeff and his wife, Jenny, who is also an educator,  are the proud parents of two adult sons, Nate and Jordan. They look forward to family time, which often includes traveling to new cities and experiences across the country. If you are looking for Jeff outside the office, he can be found enjoying the outdoor life, especially on the water, as his nickname “Captain” would indicate.

In the spirit of a recent Leadership Council Equity PD on the power of labels, two words from the Colonial Mindset that best embody Jeff’s leadership are – Integrity and Purpose.

Jeff firmly believes in the accountability that the Power of WE fosters for all those in Colonial Nation.