WESTFIELD – After 12 years, Cindy Sullivan celebrated her final night on the School Committee on Dec. 19 by shouting her votes while banging the desk. With that, Sullivan, who has been a vocal and deliberate member who always took the time to explain her decisions to the public, ended her third four-year term.

In recognizing her colleague, Diane Mayhew read a letter from Ramon Diaz Jr., who served alongside Sullivan for 10 of those years, but couldn’t attend the meeting. He said during her three terms she helped lead the district through redistricting, reconfiguring the middle schools, school building committees, union contracts and busing, just to name a few.

“Cindy digs in, and fully thinks about what’s best for students,” Diaz said.

He also recognized her volunteer work raising money for the schools with pocketbook bingo and the crafts fair at Westfield Technical Academy. Diaz said he will miss saying to her, “easy, tiger,” when she gets worked up about an issue.

“Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to Westfield Public Schools,” he wrote.

Mayhew, who has also served with Sullivan for 10 years, presented her with flowers and a plaque commemorating her service from January 2010 to December 2021.

Invited to speak, Sullivan said it had been a very emotional night for her.

“When I started this journey 12 years ago, my daughter was in fourth grade at Highland Elementary School, and my son in first grade at Juniper Park. My daughter graduated from Westfield High School and this spring, will graduate from Assumption University number two in her class. My son graduated from WTA last year and is a diesel technician at a small business in Westfield,” she said, adding when people ask her what is her greatest achievement, she always says her children.

“My husband and I have raised great kids. They got a great education here in Westfield. I think it’s unique. I had two kids who went to two different high schools and they’re both doing great. That’s a tribute to their teachers that they had, and all of you. I’ve worked with some wonderful people; three superintendents, three mayors and 12 different School Committee members over 12 years. Some School Committee members moved on and some passed on,” Sullivan said, adding that she appreciated and cherished each one.

“This is a hard job; it’s a hard thing to do, and the last few years have made it harder. Every decision we’ve made we’ve struggled with, and I don’t think the public sees that,” Sullivan said. “I’m leaving this School Committee and school system in wonderful hands. I’m so proud of the work we’ve done here. I feel like we represented every single school, every single staff person and every single student. If you have students in the forefront of your mind, you can’t get it wrong,” Sullivan said, promising that while she would no longer be there, “You have not seen the last of me.”

Earlier in the meeting, Mayor Donald F. Humason Jr. also gave his last report on the School Committee agenda by thanking the committee members for their hard work. The mayor serves ex officio as chair of the School Committee, and Humason said he had a lot to pick up on, quickly, when he took office two years go.

“This is an excellent district,” Humason, who graduated in 1985, said. “These past two years have been quite a challenge. We’ll all be looking back and saying, ‘Holy cow, I survived.’ COVID was the biggest part of that.”

After losing a bid for re-election in November, Humason will depart from both the mayor’s office and the School Committee when the new year begins. He said one of the best parts about being mayor was being part of the school building committee for the proposed new school on Franklin Street.

“I’m very excited about that, after being an ongoing project for many years, we’re very close to having a bond voted upon by the City Council and being about to put shovels in the ground,” he said, adding that the new school building they designed to replace Franklin Avenue and Abner Gibbs elementary school “is going to be fantastic.”

Vice Chair Tim O’Connor then came forward to make a presentation on behalf of the committee.

“Mr. Mayor – a person of high integrity, empathetic, honest, professional, patient, someone with a great sense of humor … but enough about me. On behalf of the School Committee, thank you for your public service and for standing shoulder to shoulder with us through some challenging and difficult times,” O’Connor said, adding that the committee appreciated and benefited from the state experience and knowledge the mayor brought to help them be “a better committee.