On Thursday, the City School District of Albany Board of Education appointed a veteran school leader with deep local roots as the district’s new assistant superintendent for secondary instruction.
Lynne Rutnik currently serves as the district superintendent and CEO for Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES. She held several leadership positions with Capital Region school districts prior to her current position, and has dedicated her career to public education.
Born and raised in Albany, Rutnik draws profound inspiration from her mother, the late Mary Ann McNeil, who taught elementary school in Albany for nearly four decades. McNeil began her career at the former P.S. 24, now Thomas O’Brien Academy for Science and Technology, and spent most of her years teaching at the former P.S. 16, now Pine Hills Elementary School.
McNeil’s legacy and commitment to Albany’s children continue to shape Rutnik’s sense of purpose.
“I’ve dedicated 25-plus years to uplifting public education and advancing equity, access and opportunity for every child,” Rutnik said. “Equity is not just what I do; it is who I am.”
Prior to leading Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES for the last two years, Rutnik served as deputy superintendent for the Schenectady City School District from 2021-23. She also served as the superintendent of the Lake George Central School District for four years, following 17 years in special education administrative roles at Niskayuna, Shenendehowa and Capital Region BOCES.
Rutnik will take over for Ken Cioffi, who has served as interim assistant superintendent for secondary education since Lori McKenna’s retirement last March.
She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Plattsburgh and a master’s degree in special education from The College of Saint Rose. She also earned her school district administrator certificate from the University at Albany.
Rutnik begins her new role Feb. 2. She said she can’t wait to return home to Albany and give back to a community that has given her so much.
“We are excited to have Lynne join our dedicated team,” said Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter. “We’re fortunate to have landed a leader with the diverse and varied experiences she has had, and we look forward to leading with her and learning from her along the way.”