Elementary School Principal
Johnson City Central School District
Major: Humanistic Multicultural Education
Denise Riley serves as the principal of Johnson City Elementary School in Johnson City, N.Y. She started her career journey as an English teacher and literacy coach in 1998. During her 15 years as a classroom educator, she taught grades 7-12 in New York and Nevada and served as an English Department chairperson. In 2014, she began her administrative career in Johnson City as a middle school assistant principal. Two years later, she took on the principalship at the elementary level. In her current role, she leads one of the largest elementary schools in the area with over 170 staff members and nearly 1,000 students. Her passion has always been to represent and champion the underdog, promoting opportunities for all students to succeed. She has been involved with school improvement planning at the local and state levels in New York and Nevada. In addition to serving as a school leader, she coordinates a scholarship fund, volunteers for local athletic groups, and assists with committee work at her local church.
After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary English Education from SUNY Cortland, Riley graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a Master of Professional Studies degree in Humanistic/Multicultural Education. In addition, she earned a second master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Scranton in 2011. Although her education has always been important to her, her proudest accomplishments, most precious gifts, and greatest inspiration are her three children: Tara, Nick, and Brennen.
