Board of Education Links
The 2026-27 Board of Education
The Niskayuna Board of Education is a seven-member board elected by the community that is responsible for the governance of the school district. Members serve three-year terms without pay.
Jessica LaFex, President
Term: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2029
Jessica LaFex is serving her second term on the board. She serves as co-president of the Rosendale and Iroquois PTOs and the PTO Council, and volunteers with several organizations, including as pantry manager and board member of Nisky NOW. LaFex is a 7-8 English teacher in South Colonie Central School District. She has lived in Niskayuna for more than 10 years and has three children.
Ehasuyi Gomes, Vice President
Term: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2027
Ehasuyi Gomes was elected to a first term on the board in May 2024. She works as a public health professional and has lived in Niskayuna since 2015. She has four children who attend Niskayuna schools. Gomes serves as co-treasurer of the Glencliff PTO and art and culture coordinator for Glencliff. She is on the Planning Board for the Town of Niskayuna, serves as chair of the town’s DEI Advisory Committee, and is commissioner of the Schenectady County Human Rights Commission.
Libbie Cococcia
Term: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2028
Elisabeth Cococcia is serving her second term on the board. She previously served as Board President.
She has held the position of Co-President on the Birchwood PTO and has also taken on roles in fundraising and secretarial capacities. In addition, she dedicates her time to various organizations, notably serving as the chairperson of the Niskayuna Farmers Market since its inception in 2016. Furthermore, she delivered food to children’s homes facing food insecurity through NiskyNOW.
Cococcia is an electrical engineer specializing in the renewable power sector, focusing on wind and solar energy.
Having resided in Niskayuna for 25 years, she and her husband John are parents to two children.
My’Lisse Kochan
Term: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2029
My’Lisse Kochan is serving her first term on the board.
Kochan is a senior manager at Accenture Federal Services where she leads the strategic oversight and development of all participant-facing technologies for the Thrift Savings Plan, a defined contribution plan for federal employees and service members with 7 million participants and $1 trillion in assets.
She is a graduate of Niskayuna High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The College of Saint Rose and a master’s degree in organization management from Sage Graduate School.
Kochan has three children and has been a Niskayuna resident for 30 years.
Howard Schlossberg
Term: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2027
Howard Schlossberg is serving a fourth term on the Board. Schlossberg is a physician at New York Oncology Hematology. He has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Cornell and earned a medical degree from Temple University. Schlossberg completed a fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University for hematology and oncology.
He served as the secretary on the executive board of his practice, New York Oncology Hematology, and continues as a director while serving on the Research, Peer Review, and Pharmacy committees. He also served on the Schenectady County Public Health Advisory Committee, as well as Ellis Medicine committees including Transfusion and Institutional Review, and Oncology.
Schlossberg has served on the board of Community Hospice and the Executive Board at Congregation Gates of Heaven. He teaches high school students, medical students and residents.
He has lived in the district since 2005 and is married to Michelle Ostrelich. They have two daughters, Fiona and Rachel, who both attend Niskayuna High School.
Judith Tomisman
Term: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2028
Judy Tomisman is serving a second term on the board.
Tomisman has served in numerous volunteer roles within the community and currently volunteers with several organizations, including Niskayuna Community Action Program (N-CAP). She works at the NYS Office of Children and Family Services.
She has lived in Niskayuna for about 30 years. Tomisman has four children, Justin, Jocelyn, Jackie and Jeremy, who are all Niskayuna High School graduates.
Kimberly Tully
Term: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2028
Kimberly Tully is serving her third term on the board.
Tully is the director of educational advisement at Tully Rinckey PLLC. In that role, she acts as a liaison between attorneys and clients on special education matters. She has a bachelor’s degree in deviant behavior and social control from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a master’s in education from the University at Albany, and teaching certificates in childhood education, literacy, and students with disabilities.
In the past, Tully served as the secretary and co-president for the Rosendale PTO. Tully also has past experience as the Iroquois PTO secretary and PTO Council co-president. She volunteers as a humane law enforcement officer with the Schenectady County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and serves as a committeeperson for Boy Scout Troop 3034 in Niskayuna and a religious education teacher at Zion Lutheran Church.
She has lived in Niskayuna for 14 years. She and her husband, Mat, have three children.
Ex Officio Student Board Members
- Hannah Ackerman
- Arien Chiu
- Addison Elsbree
- Arjun Rangarajan