Noted Educational Volunteer Remembered
Janet Wellman Richardson

Our Foundation community simultaneously grieves and honors Janet Richardson, a woman who actively supported Corning-Painted Post schools since 1949 as a volunteer in many leadership capacities. Janet died on February 24th at age 89.

In the early 1950s, she was a member of the Area Advisory Committee, which studied how to improve the area’s schools. She was president of our District’s Board of Education for 14 of the 17 years she served on it. Among the many significant accomplishments during her tenure were the establishment of Head Start and Corning Community College, and the building of East and West High Schools.

Janet also served as the president of the Steuben-Allegany Board of Cooperative Educational Services, chairman of the Steuben County School Boards Association, president of the New York State School Boards Association, and trustee of Corning Community College. For five years she led the New York State Educational Conference Board, a group representing organizations that interface with schools. Janet held numerous other volunteer posts and was the recipient of countless honors and awards related to her community volunteer commitments.

To members of the local education community like Dix McDonald, retired school district superintendent, “Janet epitomized the ideal of leadership. She was fair, direct, and in working with her for 25 years on various educational undertakings, I never knew her to raise her voice.” Mike Gonta, retired school district assistant superintendent of personnel, adds that “our community, our schools, and New York State have lost an inspiring and selfless leader. We have lost one of the founders of our school district.”

Past School Board member and retired East High principal, Ken Burmeister, says, “It is hard to come up with strong enough accolades to describe her contributions our community. She cared about our young people and devoted her live to them.”

Vince Sementilli, a school board member when Janet was president, notes that “She would not let us get discouraged when we were working through the difficult and complicated details of consolidation and bond issues. She viewed the job of the school board to be the advocate of the students.” Ellen Regan, a community resident who has held several educational positions, observes that “Janet had a vision of what public education could be and the patience, energy, personality, and intelligence to work for it.”

Our Foundation is exceedingly grateful and touched that Janet’s family suggests that among ways to appropriately honor her legacy would be contributions in her memory made to the CPPSDF, 165 Charles Street, Painted Post, NY, 14870, or to the Corning Community College, 1 Academic Way, Corning, NY 14830.