(Williamsport, PA)—Former Williamsport Area School District educator, Thomas M. Shivetts, has been named executive director of BLaST Intermediate Unit 17, effective April 1. Shivetts is replacing long-time executive director Claire Goodman who has announced his retirement.

Intermediate Unit 17 serves 19 school districts and 29 non-public schools in Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan and Tioga counties. BLaST provides requested special education, technology and curriculum services to school districts.

Since 1996, Shivetts has served as executive director of the Pennsylvania Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals (PA Principals Association) and president of the Pennsylvania Educational Leadership Foundation in Harrisburg. From 1971 until his departure in 1996, Shivetts served as a teacher, supervisor of curriculum and instruction and associate superintendent of the Williamsport Area School District.

Since his tenure began at PA Principals Association in 1996, the principals’ associations have experienced tremendous growth and change. The office was moved from downtown to suburban Harrisburg, creating an enhanced work environment and easier access for members. Additionally, the associations joined the World Wide Web; revamped their computer network; established a charitable foundation; increased professional development opportunities; restructured their political advocacy; and increased membership and member services.

Dr. Ronald Dufalla, chairman of the joint principals’ associations, praised Shivetts for the tremendous growth brought to the organization; “Tom demonstrated a professional, no nonsense approach as the executive director of PA Principals Association. His number one concern was always service to the members and he consistently took actions that would improve those services. His actions over the past five years have enabled PA Principals Association to move into the 21st century.”

Shivetts is the author of two monographs widely utilized by practicing administrators: Image v. Performance and The State of the Principalship.

On the state level, he has recently served on the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s School Safety Task Force and is currently a member of the Board of Advisors for the Pennsylvania Academy for the Profession of Teaching.

Shivetts and his wife Deborah reside in Williamsport. They have two children, Danica of Boston, Mass., and Michael of Tuscaloosa, Ala.

PA Principals Association’s mission is to: Assist members in fulfilling their role as instructional leaders and effective managers who promote the best educational program for all students; give members an effective voice in the educational decision-making process at the local, state and national levels; and improve members’ working conditions so that their rights are protected, their job descriptions are reasonable, the importance of their instructional leadership role is recognized and their salaries and fringe benefits are equitable.