May 17, 2022
It is with great pleasure that the New Canaan Public Schools welcomes Sean O’Keefe to our district as our new Director of Finance and Operations! Sean will be stepping in for Dr. Keating, who announced her retirement after seven (7) outstanding years in the NCPS.
Sean is joining our district from the Greenwich Public Schools, where he has served as Chief Operating Officer since 2019. Prior to Greenwich, he was the Business Administrator in the Trumbull Public Schools, from 2012 to 2019. In these roles, Sean’s responsibilities included operating and capital budgets, finance, insurance, transportation, food services, and facilities, among others. While in Trumbull, Sean was honored with the “Visionary of the Year” award in recognition of his district-wide improvement efforts.
Prior to serving in public schools, Sean held several international roles at IBM that took him to various locations around the globe, including Hong Kong and Tokyo. In these roles, which included Controller of the CIO’s office ($3.5 Billion budget), CFO of Global Telecommunications (revenue > $3 Billion), and CFO of the Financial Sector Asia Pacific Headquarters (revenue > $3 Billion), Sean distinguished himself with his financial acumen, his management skills, and his commitment to excellence, being recognized by IBM with the “Asia Pacific Excellence Award” during his tenure.
Sean earned an undergraduate degree in Accounting and an MBA in Finance from Fordham University. He holds a School District Business Leader certification in New York, along with his School Business Manager certification in Connecticut.
Dr. Luizzi thanks the ten (10) members of the interview committee, which included representation from the Board of Education, district administration, building administration, teachers, and the New Canaan Educators’ Association (NCEA). Additionally, he shares a special thank you with Dr. Jo-Ann Keating, current Director of Finance and Operations, Darlene Pianka, Director of Human Resources, and the HR team. “Jo-Ann and Darlene, along with the HR team, did a fabulous job throughout this process. Thanks to their great work, and the commitment of our Board of Education, interview committee, and administrative cabinet, we are thrilled to be welcoming Mr. O’Keefe to the New Canaan Public Schools. Sean has been exemplary at every phase of his impressive career, and I am looking forward to welcoming him to our team in the months ahead.”
We will be developing a transition plan with the Greenwich Public Schools, and Dr. Keating has generously offered to remain onboard to help see our district through the transition period. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Sean as he joins our team in the New Canaan Public Schools!
