Two recent Northern Lehigh School District retirees were recognized at Monday’s school board meeting.

John Hrizuk, director of technology, and Paul Leonzi, who was principal for Peters Elementary, were both acknowledged by Superintendent Matt Link at Monday’s school board meeting.

Link said that Hrizuk was hired in March 1998 as the district’s information technology coordinator, and one of his first accomplishments was getting the district on a T-1 high speed Internet connection and connecting Peters Elementary School to the district’s main campus for both telephone and data, giving all of its students and staff the ability to use the Internet as a learning and teaching tool.

He said that Hrizuk also implemented a Point of Sale system in all of the district’s school cafeterias; coordinated and taught personal enrichment classes to community stakeholders, and was the PIMS administrator.

“He, along with the technology department, worked tirelessly over the President’s holiday in 2018 to repair our network system that was infected with a Malware issue, ensuring our staff and students would not experience any interruption when they returned from the holiday weekend,” Link said.

“Mr. Hrizuk was an excellent administrator who met the needs of the students, staff, and community.”

Hrizuk retired from the district on June 30, after 21 years of service.

Link said that Leonzi was hired in Sept. 1984 as a ninth-grade science teacher at the-then junior high school, and then served as middle school counselor for 15 years, before assuming the duties of acting assistant principal at Peters Elementary in December 2013.

He said that Leonzi went on to become acting principal at Peters for the 2014-15 school year, until he was named Peters Elementary principal in July 2015.

Link said that Leonzi was selected as a recipient of the Lehigh Chapter of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees Lauretta Woodson Award in 2012 in recognition of his dedication to students by helping them examine their abilities; for working with parents as they encounter the challenges of raising their children; and working with the entire staff to promote an educational system where students can realize their full potential.

“He touched the lives of thousands of Northern Lehigh students over the past 35 years,” Link said. “He truly was a gift to our students and staff, and he is dearly missed.”

Leonzi retired from the district on June 30 after 35 years of service.

Link told both men it is his “sincere hope that your retirement years will bring you much joy and fulfillment.”

On behalf of the board and the district, they will honor Hrizuk’s request to have a donation made to the Education Foundation, as well as Leonzi’s request to have his donation split between the Slatington Public Library and the Education Foundation as a token of their appreciation “for all you have done for the staff and students in this community.”