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Hamburg board accepts superintendent's retirement and appoints Thomas Adams as successor
Summary
The Hamburg Central School District board accepted Superintendent Michael R. Cornell's retirement effective Dec. 31, 2024, and voted 6-0 with one abstention to authorize a contract for Thomas Adams to become superintendent on Jan. 1, 2025. The decision drew praise and concerns about the selection process from some board members and a public commenter.
The Hamburg Central School District Board of Education on July 1 accepted a letter of retirement from Superintendent Michael R. Cornell, who told the board he plans to step down effective Dec. 31, 2024, and to help with the transition through the end of the year.
Cornell told the board that, "I will submit to the board my letter of retirement effective 12/31/2024," and said he intended to remain through the end of the year to assist with a smooth transition. He thanked staff and board members for their partnership during his tenure.
The board then moved to approve a contract for Thomas Adams to begin as superintendent Jan. 1, 2025, covering through June 30, 2028. Board members who supported the appointment said Adams was an internal candidate long considered for the role and cited succession planning and his record as reasons to appoint him without a full external search. As Board President Tom Flynn put it during discussion, the board had "decided that the most transparent action would be to appoint Mr. Adams without any further search" to preserve continuity.
Some board members and one commenter at public expression urged more transparency in the selection process. One board member said she supported Adams but would abstain from the vote because she had not been part of the selection process; another said she supported Adams yet objected to how the process unfolded and asked for more openness in future searches. On the public comment floor Jessica Reyna said she had "no problem" supporting Adams'work at the middle school but raised concerns that recent election results reflected dissatisfaction with board processes and urged thorough searches for subsequent building-level vacancies.
The board conducted a roll-call vote on the Adams contract: Mary (abstain), David (yes), Tom (yes), Kevin (yes), Laura (yes), Rich (yes), Eric (yes) — six yeses and one abstention — and the motion passed. The board also approved Cornell's retirement letter by voice vote earlier in the meeting.
What happens next: Adams said he was "humbled and grateful" and pledged to work with Cornell, board members and district leadership to earn broader trust. The board said it plans to finalize the written contract as recorded and to address upcoming staffing needs in the middle school and other buildings through appropriate hiring processes.
Provenance: transcript discussion beginning with Cornell's announcement and remarks and the board's subsequent motions and votes (topicintro: SEG 229; topfinish: SEG 3494).
Speakers quoted: Superintendent Michael R. Cornell; Board President Tom Flynn; Thomas Adams; public commenter Jessica Reyna; board members who recorded votes or statements.
