New Leaders at Schools, Central Office

Please join the Portland Public Schools in welcoming some new administrators in the district! They include four new elementary school leaders: Joe Trivisonno, principal at Rowe Elementary School; Laurie Cloutier, principal at Lyseth Elementary School; Taryn Southard, new lead teacher at Reiche Elementary School; and Bill Anton, teaching principal at Peaks Island Elementary School and Cliff Island School. The district also recently hired Dr. Cheryl Proctor as Chief of Schools & Academics; Bryon Newcomb as Director of IT; and Sarah Rent as Elementary Director of Special Education.

Learn more about these new leaders:

Dr. Cheryl Proctor, Chief of Schools & Academics: Cheryl joins the Portland Public Schools in Maine after serving as the Deputy Superintendent of Instruction and School Communities for the Portland Public Schools in Oregon, where she led the offices of Teaching & Learning, School Performance, Student Support Services, Federal Programs and Innovation & Design. Cheryl previously served as Chief Academic Officer for PPS in Oregon, providing key leadership in the instructional and academic direction of the district.

Cheryl’s background includes leadership roles in two large urban school district settings. She served the students and families of the School District of Philadelphia as Assistant Superintendent, supporting high school principals to drive academic achievement through instructional improvement; Deputy Chief of Schools, leading leadership development and evaluation; and Executive Director of the School Improvement Planning and Evidence-based Support Office, leading and guiding school leaders in planning and implementing programs geared toward increasing student achievement. Before her time in Philadelphia, Cheryl enjoyed a 17-year career with Broward County Public Schools in Florida, where she served in school leadership roles for more than 10 years.

Cheryl began her career in education as a special education teacher, an exceptional student education specialist, and as a literacy specialist. Cheryl was elevated to assistant principal and later principal. Cheryl maintains a belief that “teachers are at the heart of learning, and principals create the conditions for a safe and engaging learning environment for both teachers and students to thrive.”

She earned a bachelor of science in communication from the New York Institute of Technology; a master of science in special education from Florida International University; and a doctor of philosophy in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University (FAU). In 2022, FAU honored Dr. Proctor with the FAU Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Award.

Bryon Newcomb, Director of IT: Bryon joins the IT department with over 20 years of experience leading IT teams in many different industries, most notably Sugarloaf and Geiger.  A Portland native, he is a proud graduate of the University of Maine from the College of Business.  Bryon is a servant leader specializing in empowering technical teams to provide a high level of service in a proactive and transparent manner. Bryon resides in Poland with his wife and their two children. When he is away from the bits and bytes, Bryon is a passionate dad involved heavily in his children's activities, which include basketball, soccer, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a school technology club.

Taryn Southard, Lead Teacher, Reiche Elementary School: With 18 years of experience in education, and 10 of those years proudly serving in the Portland Public Schools, Taryn is excited to become Reiche Elementary School’s newest lead teacher. She plans to continue building on the strong relationships she has developed at Reiche as an instructional coach this year.

Prior to joining Reiche, Taryn was a second-grade teacher and instructional coach at Talbot Community School, and before that worked with infants through fifth grade at a school in Virginia.

Taryn graduated from The George Washington University with a bachelor's degree in international affairs, and the University of Southern Maine with a master's degree in teaching and learning. Taryn is certified as a teacher of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and is currently part of the Leaders for Tomorrow's Schools cohort at the University of Southern Maine, working toward her assistant principal certification. Taryn also has served on the Elementary Advisory Team, and as a building representative and the vice president of the Portland Education Association.

Taryn and her family are avid Hearts of Pine and Liverpool soccer fans and they enjoy spending the summer at her family camp on Sebago Lake. Taryn will be taking over the lead teacher role at Reiche formerly held by Lori Bobinsky, who is retiring.

Joe Trivisonno, Principal, Rowe Elementary School: Joe Trivisonno is an experienced and dedicated educational leader with a strong background in both urban and rural school communities.

Joe comes to the Portland Public Schools from the Monson Public Schools in Monson, Massachusetts, where he has served four years as the principal of Granite Valley School serving students in grades one through six, and three years as the principal of the Early Childhood Center supporting preschool and kindergarten students. Prior to assuming the role of principal, Joe spent two years as the assistant principal of Granite Valley.  Before his time in Monson, he spent three years in other Massachusetts school districts – as a middle school assistant principal for the Southbridge Public Schools, and three years as physical education teacher with the Springfield Public Schools. Beyond the classroom, Joe has a passion for coaching, in particular basketball, which he coached at the high school varsity level for six years.

Joe holds a master’s degree from Endicott College in organization management and a doctorate in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Joe enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling and being with family. Having grown up in New Jersey, he also enjoys supporting the New York Jets, Knicks, and Yankees. Joe and his wife are excited to come to Maine and join the PPS community. Joe will be filling the principal position being vacated by Bill Anton, who is moving to become a teaching principal at the district’s island schools.

Bill Anton, Teaching Principal, Peaks Island Elementary School and Cliff Island School: Bill Anton, a proven educational leader with experience in small school communities, is excited for the opportunity to lead the district’s two island schools. Bill joined the Portland Public Schools in 2023 as principal of Rowe Elementary School, and is very proud of his work with the Rowe Community over the past two years. This past January, he shared with the district his interest in exploring alternatives that might allow him to connect with his educational roots. As a former Vermont small school principal and superintendent, he saw a match with the Peaks and Cliff Island schools.

Prior to joining the district, Bill spent seven years as superintendent in Windham Central Supervisory Union in southern Vermont, served as elementary school principal at The Dover School in Dover, Vermont, and served as a third-grade teacher and an elementary assistant principal.

Bill is a graduate of the University of Iowa in communications and received his teaching certificate and master’s in administration from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. Bill grew up in northern California and has lived in London, Atlanta, North Carolina and Vermont. He and his wife have two adult children.

Bill is thrilled to take on the wonderful adventure of being a “maritime” principal and is very appreciative that he will continue to be a part of the Portland Public Schools. He will be taking on the island school leadership role that has been filled by Kelly Hasson, who is retiring.

Laurie Cloutier, Principal, Lyseth Elementary School: Laurie has 20 years of in-depth experience in education that has ranged from being an ed tech to an assistant principal.  She is honored to be chosen as Lyseth’s new principal and looks forward to working together with the Lyseth community to support the academic, social, and emotional growth of every student. She brings a deep commitment to fostering a learning environment where every child feels seen, supported, and empowered to succeed.

Laurie joins the Portland Public Schools from New Hampshire, where she is completing her seventh year as assistant principal at Northwest Elementary School. Prior to that, she was an assistant principal at a middle school in New Hampshire and a special educator/ case manager at Northwest Elementary School, where she began her career in education as an ed tech. Three members of our Search Committee visited Laurie at her current school and were impressed with the positive school culture and focus on core curriculum. 

During Laurie’s time as assistant principal at Northwest, she has worked closely with staff and families to strengthen academic and behavioral supports through that school’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. She has been deeply involved in promoting literacy through evidence-based practices rooted in the science of reading, and she led the implementation of her school’s social-emotional learning and student leadership program.

In addition to her school-based work, Laurie teaches graduate-level courses in special education at Southern New Hampshire University, where she mentors future educators in best practices, instructional strategies, and inclusive learning. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication arts from the University of New Hampshire. She also has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Southern New Hampshire University.

On a personal note, Laurie is married and has two adult daughters and three lovable dogs. She enjoys relaxing at the beach, reading a good book, and spending quality time with her family. She is taking over the position of principal being vacated by Sara Goodall, who is moving to Colorado with her family.

Sarah Rent, Director of Special Education for Elementary Schools:  Sarah comes to Portland Public Schools from RSU 1 in Bath, where she served as the director of special education K-12. Prior to that, Sarah worked for the Lewiston Public Schools in a few different capacities. She was the assistant director for special education, with a focus on elementary programming. Also, during her time in Lewiston, Sarah was an assistant principal at both Longley and Connors elementary schools, focusing on building SEL programs K-6, and providing appropriate trauma–informed interventions for students from diverse and complex backgrounds.

Sarah holds a master’s degree in special education from the University of Southern Maine, with a dual teaching certification in both general education and special education. Sarah was originally a behavior strategist for MSAD 51, the Cumberland/North Yarmouth school district. She completed BCBA coursework, contributing to her strong philosophy in a strengths-based approach to bringing out the best in each student. Sarah also holds a C.A.S. from USM in Educational Leadership.

Sarah has a passion for creative solutions and seeing challenges as opportunities for programs to grow. She is excited to join the PPS team and looks forward to shared leadership and strong collaboration.

In her free time, Sarah loves to be with her friends and family and enjoy the Maine coast.