Client Archive: Tony DiPace

Our relationship with Tony began back in 1997 when we were asked by the then superintendent of Sharon Springs Central School District to make a project proposal to the Board of Education. Bob and Dan arrived at Sharon Springs early. While waiting for the meeting to begin, Dan started up a conversation with a local resident just to pass the time. He was a nice personable fellow, in jeans and cowboy boots. When the meeting began he went up to the platform and took his seat at the president’s chair. Dan immediately worried if he had said anything he shouldn’t, having not realized that the stranger he talked to was in charge of the Board of Education who was interviewing Teitsch Kent Fay Architects, P.C. Apparently Dan hadn’t said anything too offensive to Tony, as the Board of Education hired Teitsch Kent Fay Architects, P.C. to work on two large Capital Improvement Projects. That friendly and casual introduction set the tone for our relationship with Sharon Springs Central School District.

Tony’s background in finance and accounting eventually led to him becoming the District’s Business Manager, a role he has served in for quite a few years. With Tony in this role, our working relationship became even closer. He worked closely with the Administration and Board to develop scopes of work and budgets for several other capital improvement projects and a couple of emergency projects which Teitsch Kent Fay Architects, P.C. assisted them with. Dan clearly remembers the day the Sharon Springs Central School District had a critical blockage in the sewage ejector system. Tony called our office in Cazenovia and Dan used the plumbing drawings to guide him through the various parts of the building, tracing the affected pipes until the blockage was discovered.Talk about a full service District employee, not many administrators are that willing to get their hands dirty, unfortunately for Tony in this instance, literally.

On another occasion, during a particularly cold snap a roof drain had frozen under the Sharon Springs parking lot and would not allow the water to drain from the roof. Brian worked closely with our consultants to determine the problem was most likely a blockage in a manhole out in the parking lot. The picture of Mr. DiPace, completely underground in the manhole, personally removing this blockage, has become famous in the District, and is yet again another example of Tony doing whatever needs to be done to make sure the District is protected.

To be able to work with someone with this kind of dedication to their work, as well as an amazing outlook on life has been a true highlight of our personal and professional lives. It has been great to work with a friend like Tony for 25 years, and we look forward to all the adventures to come.