It was only fitting for Gennaro Piraino to be sitting at Saint Vincent College as he received recognition as the Pennsylvania School Administrator Association’s 2019 Superintendent of the Year.

Originally slated for Harrisburg, poor weather moved the recognition luncheon to the Unity school, just a few miles from Piraino’s hometown of Latrobe and the Greater Latrobe School District where he got his start in education.

“Having been a first-generation college student himself, he works tirelessly to make sure every student has an equal opportunity to grow and succeed in their education,” said state education secretary Pedro Rivera, who was joined by Gov. Tom Wolf in congratulating Piraino on Thursday.

“Under his leadership, the district has created new courses in healthcare, computer science and many other growing fields,” Wolf said.

Freshman state representative and former Murrysville Mayor Bob Brooks stressed the importance of education among state priorities as he discussed Piraino’s impact on the district.

“The governor being here tells you how important education is on that list,” Brooks said. “And ‘Dr. P.,’ as the kids know him, is always working to further education at Franklin Regional.”

Dr. Larry Borland, president of the Franklin Regional school board, said Piraino has a skill “that not everyone in his position has: the ability to find people who are excellent at their jobs but are also willing and able to continue learning and growing.”

Piraino, who this year Wolf appointed to serve on the state’s School Safety & Security Committee, said he was particularly pleased to accept the award at Saint Vincent College’s Fred Rogers Center.

“There’s only one Fred Rogers,” he said. “What he did for kids will impact people for generations, and there’s no better place to celebrate the future of education.”

Piraino said one of the many things he admired about Rogers was the philosophical influence he inspired.

“He chose to make a difference in the lives of children through his role as a television personality,” Piraino said. “It’s all about seeing a need, making it your problem and responding to make a difference.”

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick at 724-850-2862, pvarine@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MurrysvilleStar.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)