Featured Speakers
Maria Serrao
Sports Anchor
Maria Serrao is a groundbreaker. The victim of a drunk driver at the age of 5, she was left partially paralyzed but has never allowed her disability to prevent her from attaining anything in her life.
In 1989, she became the first woman in a wheelchair to compete in a Miss California Beauty Pageant. Later, Maria created her own cable fitness show called, "Everyone Can Exercise". In addition, she created a line of fitness videos called, "Real Life Fitness".This came from her own desperate need to find a workout she could do sitting down. After working with a personal trainer, Maria created a workout and lost 50 pounds, sitting down. She became the National Spokesperson for CYBEX fitness equipment, and during that time traveled through the United States and Canada promoting sports and fitness. Maria appeared on "Good Morning America" and "Entertainment Tonight" and has starred in such shows as "21 Jumpstreet" and "Prison Break".
From there, Maria was approached by a local Los Angeles television station to become the sports anchor/reporter and hosted a live weekly sports show with former NFL great Jerry Robinson. She has risen to become the only wheelchair-bound sports reporter in the number-two market in the country. Currently, Maria works at RPV-TV in the South Bay of Los Angeles where she produces, hosts and reports on her own weekly sports show called "Playing The Field" featuring the biggest names in sports. From MLB All-Stars to the Staley Cup Finals, Maria travels the country for stories.
Dr. Catherine Huber
District Superintendent, ONC BOCES
Catherine Huber serves as the District Superintendent of ONC BOCES. In that capacity, Dr. Huber provides support and resources to the nineteen component school districts in the ONC region which spans Otsego, Delaware, Schoharie, and Greene counties as well as serving as the CEO of ONC BOCES. Prior to her work at ONC BOCES, Dr. Huber was the Superintendent of Alexander CSD. Dr. Huber has worked as a classroom teacher, staff developer, curriculum coordinator, principal, director, and assistant superintendent in schools across Western New York before moving into the superintendency in Alexander. In addition to her work in K-12 public education, Dr. Huber has higher education experience through her previous work as the Director of the Center for Professional Studies at D'Youville College and as an adjunct professor in the graduate programs in special education and differentiated instruction at Canisius College and the SUNY Brockport Educational Leadership program.
Catherine relocated to the ONC BOCES region in October 2020. She is committed to engaging in service to the region that she now calls home. She serves as a board member of The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce and ARC Otsego in addition to her work as a member of the core leadership team of the Regional Innovation Council. Catherine has volunteered at the Cooperstown Food Pantry and with the Cooperstown League of Women Voters.
Dr. Huber earned her undergraduate degree in English from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. Her graduate work at Canisius College resulted in a Master's degree in English Education and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership. Dr. Huber earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership at D'Youville College. Dr. Huber was selected as one of twenty-five female superintendents from across the country to participate as a member of the 2018 AASA National Women's Leadership Consortium. Dr. Huber twice received the D'Youville College Doctoral Program Leadership Award and she was named Regional Administrator of the Year by the Empire State Supervisors and Administrators Association in 2011. Dr. Huber has presented on a local, regional, and national level on issues related to organizational dynamics, differentiated leadership practices, purposeful leadership, and women in leadership. Her work with technology-enhanced professional learning (Professional Learning 2.0) was published in the May 2010 issue of ASCD's Educational Leadership.