On behalf of the Pleasant Board of Education, we're pleased to announce Tom McDonnell has accepted our offer to become the next superintendent of Pleasant Local Schools. Based on our interactions with Tom as well as district and community feedback, we are confident he is the right leader to lead our district and advance us to new levels of success while honoring our rich traditions.
Please take a moment to watch this short introductory video:
Tom's been in education for 24 years after spending 5 years in business. Tom started in education as a social studies teacher (U.S. History, Sociology, and Psychology) and advanced into leadership as an assistant principal, lead principal, then district administrator. He's worked in the Bexley, Olentangy and Dublin school districts. He completed his Bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University and Master's degrees from Ohio State and Ashland University.
Tom is originally from Buffalo, NY (and remains a big Buffalo Bills fan as well as OSU Buckeyes fan!). He and his wife Karen have been married for almost 24 years and have three children: Jack will be a junior at Ohio State, Katelyn will be a freshman at Xavier University, and Patrick will be a high school freshman.
Tom really enjoys black coffee, while reading the newspaper. Yes, he still gets the Columbus Dispatch delivered to his home! Tom also enjoys any local restaurant that is unique to a small town or community. Tom likes to spend time outdoors visiting state/local parks and loves to enjoy a good campfire at the end of the day! Most of all, Tom enjoys meeting new people and understanding who they are and what they value. As a former social studies teacher, Tom very much appreciates understanding the history of communities, their schools and what people are most proud of in their circles.
Please join the Board of Education in giving Tom a very warm Spartan Strong welcome!