As one superintendent steps into the position, the other one says her goodbyes.

Acting Superintendent Charlene Brennan read a heartfelt letter of thankfulness to the school board, her staff, all of the teachers and the community on Thursday night during the first virtual school board meeting held on Zoom.

“This is a really hard time to leave, because I won’t get to visit classrooms or staff to thank everyone, and saying goodbye virtually doesn’t seem adequate,” she said.

Brennan stepped into the position in December just to fill the time between the departure of Superintendent David Piperato on Oct. 31 and the hiring of the new Superintendent Lee Lesisko, who will begin on April 1. She came out of retirement to take the position.

Brennan had just retired as the executive director of Colonial IU20 last June, and although she didn’t intend to go back to work just four months later, the thought had crossed her mind that she might like to help a school district “bridging the gap between previous and new leadership,” she said.

“As a great mentor of mine told me, ‘Opportunity doesn’t always knock when you want it to.’ And so, when given the opportunity to lead Pleasant Valley, I jumped in, and what an amazing and incredible experience I have had,” she said. “I honestly never expected to connect so deeply with the community, the district and the people, but I knew I had connected deeply when I stopped referring to the district in my conversations as ‘you’ and instead began using ‘we,’ as if I had been at Pleasant Valley my whole life and career.”

Saying goodbye even left the school board feeling a little melancholy and for some a little teary.

Each thanked her for her hard work and extra hours dealing with regular duties and the current unprecedented situation. The district and the community “owes her a world of debt,” said Director Daniel Wunder.

“You were a welcome and caring individual in a situation that was very difficult,” said Director Norman Burger.

“All the work that she did was greatly appreciated,” Director Todd Kresge said.

And School Board President Donna Yozwiak applauded her work as well, saying, “You did it quickly, efficiently and always with a smile.”

“Thank you for everything you did for our district,” said Director Delbert Zacharias.