Uxbridge Public Schools Announces New Leadership Appointments and Honors the Upcoming Retirement of Barbara Emerick

The Uxbridge Public Schools community is pleased to announce several new leadership appointments strengthening our central office team.

Andrea Cameron will join the district as Director of Pupil Services beginning Monday, July 20, 2026. Ms. Cameron brings more than 20 years of experience in public education, including over a decade in district-level special education leadership as Special Education Coordinator for Chicopee Public Schools. She holds an M.Ed. in Special Education from Framingham State University. 

Melissa Paquette will join the district as Director of Human Resources on or around August 3, 2026, pending completion of standard background checks. This newly created position reflects Uxbridge Public Schools' ongoing commitment to building a stronger, dedicated human resources function to support our faculty and staff. Ms. Paquette is a SHRM Certified Professional with nearly a decade of municipal human resources experience, most recently with the Town of Bellingham.

Additionally, Valerie Nowlan will transition into the role of Executive Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, effective August 3, 2026. Ms. Nowlan has served Uxbridge Public Schools since 2019 in a variety of administrative and financial roles, most recently as Finance Administrative Assistant in the Business Office.

The district also welcomes Tanya Benoit as the new Assistant Principal at Whitin Intermediate School. Ms. Benoit joins Uxbridge from Somerset Middle School, where she currently serves as Assistant Principal, and brings extensive experience in curriculum leadership and student support from her prior work with the Norton Public Schools.

I'll also note that the Assistant Principal search at Uxbridge High School is in its final stages under Dr. Rubin's direction; We look forward to sharing that appointment once it is finalized.

After nearly 30 years of service to the Town of Uxbridge, Barbara Emerick will retire this October, closing out a remarkable career that has touched nearly every corner of district leadership.

For 23 of those years, Barbara has served as Executive Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, supporting approximately ten superintendents through countless transitions, challenges, and milestones for Uxbridge Public Schools (Magdalene Giffune, Dan Stefanilo, Howard Boyaj, George Zini, Kevin Carney , Frank Tiano, Pat Dillon, Mike Baldassarre, Karen Dwyer, David Ljungberg).

Her institutional knowledge, steady presence, and deep commitment to the district have made her an anchor for the Office of the Superintendent across multiple administrations.

Barbara has been an invaluable resource to me personally and professionally, particularly during my first year as Superintendent in Uxbridge.  Her decades of service reflect an extraordinary commitment to this district and this community, and it's hard to overstate the impact she's had on the smooth functioning of this office across so many years and so many leaders.

Barbara will remain with the district through the summer to support the transition of Valerie Nowlan into the Executive Administrative Assistant role before her retirement takes effect in October.

The Uxbridge Public Schools community thanks Barbara for her nearly three decades of dedicated service and wishes her a well-deserved retirement.