Joseph Garland

How did you become a Questar III Board member?
I’ve been a Coxsackie-Athens CSD Board of Education member since 1991. I joined the board because the two strongest male figures in my life, my father and neighbor whom I called “Old Buddy,” served on the Coxsackie-Athens Board and I figured if it was good enough for them it was good enough for me to be able to support my community.

In 2008, when a member of the Questar III Board retired, I was asked by Jeff Baltes (former superintendent of Coxsackie-Athens CSD and former Questar III Chief Operating Officer) to run. I love the work Questar III has done over the years so I agreed. I have been serving on both boards ever since.

How is Questar III BOCES helping to alleviate the fiscal challenge facing so many school districts?
Questar III BOCES does exactly what it is designed to do and that is to serve as a cooperative for districts, especially during trying times like these.

What challenge is Questar III BOCES facing? And what are some of your goals?
The biggest challenge facing Questar III is making people understand what we’re all about. In my opinion, we are the best BOCES in the state. We run as well or better than any other and need to make sure people are aware of that.

My goal is to help Questar III continue on the path to be the best in the state. Already our administrative costs are down and the districts are not in debt to us. I hope to help them continue to be a strong player for the region.

Another goal is to help Tech Valley High School® continue to be the model for future education.

As a long-time board member, what has been some of your proudest endeavors?
I am so proud of the people in the organization, and what a variety of people we have! Questar III was one of 45 organizations named to the Times Union Top Workplaces list. Awards like this happen easily because we have so many good things in place.

In your opinion, what is the best part about being a Questar III board member?
The best part about being a Questar III board member is the ability to see the changes and positive effects our programs have on the lives of our students. At the Annual Meeting, students give testimony of how their lives were impacted by the education they received from Questar III and there’s never a person in the room without tears in their eyes. There is nothing better than seeing firsthand how we change people’s lives in a positive way.

Tell us about your life outside of the Questar III Board of Education.
I live in Coxsackie where I was fortunate enough to raise four children, and I live in the house my grandfather built.

I have had the pleasure of working all over the world including Atlanta where I managed 10,000 properties before I came back to Coxsackie. I now manage 1,722 properties in the Capital Region. I love property management; I love to build and seek out ways to overcome the challenges that come with this line of work.