Ms. Tompkins is one of the founding members of WNYMCS. Since 2004 she has served in various positions on the board including Vice President until November 2020. In November 2020 she replaced Mr. Tim O’Brien to serve as the fourth President of the WNYMCS Board of Trustees. She can be reached at BoardOfTrustees@wnymcs.com
Meet the Board of Trustees
Barbara Tompkins - President
Sam Iraci - Vice President
With a distinguished career spanning over four decades, Sam Iraci holds an MPA from Canisius College and a BA in Political Science from Niagara University. As the current Executive Director of Buffalo Civic Auto Ramps, Inc., manages a $9 million annual budget and oversees 23 full-time employees. Previous roles include City Manager of Elmira, NY, where he managed a full-service municipality with a $26.8 million budget, and Deputy Mayor of Buffalo, NY, where he coordinated city-wide initiatives and policies. Sam has also contributed to numerous boards and organizations, including the Western New York Maritime Charter School and the Catholic Academy of West Buffalo, showcasing a commitment to community development and public service.
Joseph Eicheldinger - Treasurer
Joseph is a life-long resident of WNY, who resides in Williamsville with his wife of 43 years, Susan Wells. He graduated St. Mary’s High School, Lancaster, N.Y. He earned a BA in Sociology and was a ROTC cadet there for two years. Thereafter, he was drafted and then served 30 months in the U.S. Army, have been stationed with 5th Corps HQ in Frankfurt, Germany.
Returning home, he earned a MBA in Finance at Canisius College at night and then began a career in banking. During his 43 year career in banking, he developed new products for commercial real estate lending and investing, managing clients for both JPMorganChase and Citibank. He retired from KeyBank, after 14 years with Key in the field of affordable housing finance.
His keen interest in the charter school movement began right after NYS passed a law allowing charter schools in 1998. He saw charters as the best way for low income minority kids to learn to read. He spent time as a board member with Chameleon Community Schools Project, which provided expertise for new grant funding for charter schools before he joined the board of Maritime around 2010. Since then, he has served as both Secretary and Treasurer and as a member of the Real Estate Committee. His other interests include tai chi and skeet shooting.
Bernard Bunny - Secretary
Glenda Crawley
Dave Comerford
Amanda Ranic - Parent Rep
Amanda Ranic is a lifelong resident of Lackawanna, proudly raising three sons, ranging from kindergarten to high school. With extended education in child development, Amanda brings over 8 years of experience in child care, 25+ years in retail management and customer service, and 3 years in home health care. As a dedicated community member, Amanda serves as PTA Treasurer and has volunteered for over 20 years in local schools, churches, and youth sports organizations. Committed to securing a safe, healthy, and structured education, Amanda is passionate about the success and well-being of all students.