At its November 22, 2023 meeting, the PAPSA Executive Board accepted the resignation of Dr. Chris Pugliese as president. Dr. Pugliese submitted his letter of resignation in which he stated, “I am very thankful for the friends and colleagues I’ve met throughout my time as a Board Member and President of PAPSA…My new role as a Building Principal is taking me away from Pupil Services, so I must respectfully step down as President. Please share my thanks and best wishes to the [Executive] Board of PAPSA.”

The Board accepted the resignation with regret, expressed its sincere thanks for Dr. Pugliese’s service to PAPSA and the field of pupil services, and passed along its best wishes to him in all of his future endeavors.

As per PAPSA By-Laws, the leadership torch has been passed on to PAPSA President-elect Matt Ammons. Matt is currently a program supervisor with Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13 after having served as the Director of Pupil Services at the Hamburg Area School District. He was also a special education teacher at the Bangor Area School district. He currently serves as a trustee on the executive board of the National Association of Pupil Services Administrators (NAPSA).

Matt was recently awarded the WhyTry Resilience in Action Award for his work in creating programs that foster the development of resilience as students learn to take responsible risks and challenge themselves as they are taught to learn from mistakes and failures through recognizing, understanding and accepting that such things are part of the learning process. Further, receiving praise and encouragement for hard work and perseverance spurs students to persist despite difficulty and to interpret academic or social challenges in a positive way. Participation in these programs has allowed many of the most vulnerable learners to become more resilient and to enhance their educational experience.