Joseph A. Laria, Ph.D. stepped up as interim superintendent of the Glen Cove school district in June and brought years of professional experience from schools across Long Island. 

As classes start tomorrow, Laria hopes to act as a catalyst for progress, change and to help provide direction for the a successful district.

"My role is not to sit in a chair with my feet up on a desk and wait for the arrival of a superintendent," he said. "My role is to manage the districts' day to day operations, provide for smooth and orderly transition and provide what I refer to as 'transformational leadership' and 'transitional leadership.'"

After the previous superintendent Dr. Laurence Aronstein retired, the BOE requested a possible interim replacement.

Laria is no stranger to the interim superintendent position. He also  held the position at Riverhead, North Babylon and Hempstead districts, and served as the contracted superintendent with schools from 1978 to 2004 for the Highland, Elwood, South Country and Connetquot districts.

Laria is involved in numerous education-related fields, from an adjunct professor at Dowling College where he teaches courses for school district administration, personnel administration and school finance, to operating his own professional educational consulting firm, PosiTrends.

Although Laria has other professional interests, they are all pushed to the side as of now and will remain there until his time with Glen Cove is over.

"When I'm working for Glen Cove I do nothing else," he said. "My total commitment and time is to Glen Cove. While I'm engaged in Glen Cove I do nothing else, they have me exclusively, 100-percent of my time."