Michael Cicchetti, the school district’s interim human resources director was praised at a recent school board meeting for his organization, broad and deep knowledge of his field and hard work.
“Dr. Cicchetti, we cannot thank you enough for coming to our rescue at a time when we needed leadership and guidance,” Board of Education member Kathrine Stein said in a statement marking the conclusion of Cicchetti’s one-year term heading up the district’s personnel office. “You have put structures and procedures in place that will carry us forward for many years to come.”
Michael T. Cicchetti, interim human resources director for Darien Public Schools, at his last Board of Education meeting.
Cicchetti was one of several district administrators stepping down who were praised at the June 23 Board of Education meeting.
Here is Stein’s prepared statement:
We knew we needed a director of human resources. Little did we know however what an incredible asset we would have in Dr. Cicchetti.
In hindsight, I am sure that Dr. Cicchetti’s retirement plans didn’t include creating a new Human Resources Department, trying to review and revise a board policy manual that hadn’t been touched in years, and in his “free time” planning his daughter’s wedding in France! Were it not for his daily trips to Sono Baking Company, Dr. Cicchetti might have run the other way.
At our first policy pre-meeting, Dr. Cicchetti excitedly pulled me into his office and proudly laid out his comprehensive plans for policy revision and review for the coming school year.
I consider myself an organized person, and I was blown away by Dr. Cicchetti’s attention to detail. Across from his desk he has a large white board with shelving underneath. On the board was a grid of the policy work for the coming year. On the shelf below, he laid out the supporting documentation for each policy. I knew immediately we were in good hands.
Over the course of the 2014-2015 school year, Dr. Cicchetti accomplished a great deal. He was charged with the herculean task of defining his own role as HR director, a position the district had never had before. This, in and of itself, is a monumental accomplishment.
In addition, Dr. Cicchetti updated and completed job descriptions for the entire district. To date, he has hired more than 180 staff. In the process, he has trained our teachers and administrators in the art of assessing and hiring talented educational professionals.
On the policy side, he has updated nearly 40 of the board’s policies, work that has not been done in over four years, and has prioritized the policies for review in the coming school year.
Dr. Cicchetti, we cannot thank you enough for coming to our rescue at a time when we needed leadership and guidance. You have put structures and procedures in place that will carry us forward for many years to come.
Your professionalism and enthusiasm are infectious. You have taught us not to settle for less than the best, and we now know we must go forward holding ourselves to the highest standards.
Personally, I will miss our standing Friday morning policy meetings that always began with a mouth-watering description of your latest baking endeavor before we rolled up our sleaves and got to work. We wish you all the best in your next adventure.