The Collaborative for Educational Services today announced the appointment of Karen Reuter as Interim Executive Director, following Todd H. Gazda’s decision to step down from the Executive Director role in order to take the position of Interim Elementary School Principal at Chester Elementary School. The transition will be effective on July 15 2025.
CES Board leadership, including Chairperson Cathy Englehardt and Vice-Chair Sharon Gilmore, will be meeting with Reuter over the coming months to identify a search process, gather staff and community input, and assemble a search team in preparation for beginning the formal search for a new Executive Director in the fall.
Said Englehardt, “Karen Reuter is up to speed in all aspects, is highly skilled, and fully invested in CES and its future. While fully qualified, Karen is not interested in filling the position herself, but has offered to be a part of the process in finding the best candidates and ensuring a smooth transition with a new Executive Director. CES has extremely strong and innovative staff, and seasoned leadership in place and will continue to progress in their work with schools, districts, and organizations, and advance the agency’s plan for fiscal year 2026. The Board is thankful for Todd’s leadership of the organization through the challenges of recovery from the pandemic years and his stewardship of CES work, commitments, mission and strategic plan. He has been active and instrumental in further building and strengthening our relationships with school district leaders here in the region and across the Commonwealth. We wish him well in his new role.”
Karen Reuter has been the Deputy Director for the Collaborative for Educational Services since 2019. Karen was previously a part of the leadership team at SABIS International Charter School in Springfield, MA from 2005 until 2019. At SABIS, she held positions including Director for Academics, Deputy Director, and was the school’s Director for 10 years. In that position, she was the SABIS district leader, supervising a staff of 180. Prior to joining SABIS, Karen was the Director of 21st Century Community Learning Centers at CES (then named the Hampshire Educational Collaborative). She has also been a History and Humanities teacher, and is currently a licensed K-12 Principal. Karen has previously served in the role of Interim Executive Director at CES following the retirement of Executive Director William Diehl in 2020.
Todd H. Gazda, Ed.D., JD, has been the CES Executive Director since July of 2021. Dr. Gazda was the Superintendent of Ludlow Public Schools from 2012 to 2021, and was the Vice President of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.), and a member of the M.A.S.S. Executive Committee and Legislative Committee. He was a teacher in Gateway district at the Middle and High School levels from 2001 – 2005. From 2005 to 2012, he served first as Assistant Principal, and then as Principal of both Gateway Regional Middle School and Chester Elementary School.
Dr. Gazda said of his decision to take this new role: “I attended Chester Elementary as a student and later lived in Chester while teaching in the Gateway district. Several years later, I had the privilege of serving as principal of Chester Elementary before stepping into the role of superintendent in Ludlow. In many ways, this feels like coming home, and it brings me back to working directly with students and families, which is why I entered education in the first place. This has not been an easy decision. Over the past several years, I have had the privilege of working alongside our CES staff, with some of the most dedicated and passionate professionals I have ever known. Throughout that time, I witnessed a level of commitment from staff that exemplifies why CES matters so deeply to the communities it serves. I know that the organization will continue to excel at providing critically needed services to the education community both here and across the state. At the same time, I’ve come to recognize that, at my core, I am a public school administrator. That’s the lens through which I view the world, and the role in which I feel most authentic and effective.
I’m proud to have served this extraordinary organization. In these challenging times, I’ve seen CES respond with skill, passion, and unwavering commitment to its mission, as reflected in the accomplishments of our students and educators at HEC Academy, Mount Tom Academy, and in our work with DYS, SEIS, and beyond. I’ve been fortunate to support staff in their work to offer STEM internships to local youth, support our communities in overcoming food scarcity, and bring together educators and community members to advance equity and reimagine what education can be. It has been quite a journey, and I know that CES is continuing to pursue work, partnerships, and projects in fulfillment of the organization’s mission.”
About the Collaborative for Educational Services (CES)
The Collaborative for Educational Services (www.collaborative.org) is a public nonprofit, educational service agency that offers direct and support services to its 37 member school districts and to various state and district-level clients in Massachusetts and across New England. The work of CES includes a range of direct services for children and youth particularly those at risk; professional development and training for educators and professionals; and coaching, training, evaluation and technical assistance for districts, schools, and community organizations. CES work combines expertise across multiple disciplines in PreK-12 education to advance equity and innovation.