Diana "Dina" Sullivan
Address: 21 Coleman Road, Byfield
Age: 44
Occupation: Dental hygienist
Residency: 13 years in Byfield
Education: Associate of science degree, dental hygiene certification
Personal: Married; daughter is a Triton freshman, son at The Governor's Academy
Previous public experience: Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Task Force for the Strategic Plan. Newbury Elementary School PTA vice president and president, Triton Regional Middle School vice president, School Council member, Volunteer Program coordinator at both schools. Currently Volunteer Program coordinator for Triton High School.
Dina Sullivan thinks the Triton Regional School District is headed in the right direction — but there is still more work to be done.
"I want to work to have Triton become a high-achieving school system," she said.
Sullivan, who is the vice chairman of the Triton committee, said the factor she finds most encouraging is the recently developed district improvement plan.
Titled "Excellence for All," the district improvement plan set out goals and objectives for achieving that end.
Sullivan chairs the Triton School Committee's Policy Subcommittee and serves on the Warrant Subcommittee and Superintendent's Evaluation Subcommittee.
She said if she is elected to a second term, she wants to continue a review and revision of the district's policy manual and develop a self-evaluation tool for the committee.
Sullivan, who said she is "very passionate" about the district, was elected to the School Committee in 2005, after many years of volunteer work at both Newbury Elementary School and Triton Middle School.
"I want to work for common goals," she said. "I just want to work for the good of the School Committee and the district. I think my long involvement with the schools demonstrates that."
Sullivan said she is concerned about the recent controversy at the high school, in which three well-liked coaches were let go.
"A lot of it could have been avoided" by better communication, she said. "When an athletic director praises a coach but doesn't give adequate reasons (for termination), that's troublesome."
She said the School Committee needs to resolve the issue.
"Unless there is a really good reason why it can't be discussed as a personnel matter, there has to some sort of explanation," she said.
