To Jan Zastawniak, it’s a great thing to be a Dynamo.
The Springdale alumna and longtime borough resident retired in December from Allegheny Valley School District, where she worked as public relations director for more than 30 years.
But Zastawniak was never lacking for other responsibilities at Allegheny Valley. She also served as transportation director for 15 years, helped head up the district’s emergency management group and served as the school board’s policy liaison.
That’s in addition to serving as a board member on the Dynamo Education Foundation, a nonprofit that supports district educators, and helping out with the Springdale High School Alumni Association.
Zastawniak, 57, started her work at the district in 1994, less than a decade after she graduated in 1986. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in English from Penn State University in 1990 and earned a master’s degree in corporate communications from Duquesne soon before starting at AV in 1994.
Her roots in the district extend back further, though.
Zastawniak’s parents met while attending Springdale, and her father served on Allegheny Valley School Board in the 1990s.
Looking back at her career, Zastawniak said she mostly thinks of the generations of students that passed through the halls.
“I think for anybody who works in a school district, your proudest moments come from when your students do well,” she said.
In the ’90s, for example, she accompanied the family of an All-American girls soccer player to an awards ceremony in Chicago. There, she saw the young athletes honored by famed Brazilian soccer star Pelé.
The high school’s Hall of Fame wall has largely been Zastawniak’s responsibility, which has allowed her to recognize Dynamo achievements in government, education and the professional world.
But Zastawniak said she also has appreciated watching graduates take up careers to reinvest in the small community, such as alumni who have become police officers, firefighters and emergency responders.
Zastawniak’s brightest moments may have been during the darkest days of the pandemic, according to district Superintendent Patrick Graczyk, who worked with her for the past decade.
She authored a weekly newsletter to keep families updated throughout a period that offered much uncertainty and few timely answers, Graczyk said.
“Jan is calm under pressure. I personally learned a lot from her in watching how she dealt with that,” he said. “That’s something I can add to my repertoire as a superintendent.”
But her various roles weren’t always easy, Zastawniak said.
Her years as transportation director — the person responsible for managing student bussing and other district logistics — were “enlightening,” she said.
Hardly an exact science, the job brought a new situation almost every day, she said.
“It’s funny. I grew up here, and I thought I knew this town, but I learned a new road every year,” Zastawniak said.
As for emergency management, Zastawniak said plenty has changed in the past 30 years.
With a career stretching from before the Columbine High School massacre to the post-pandemic, she said, the district has overhauled its security, requiring emergency training for all staff members, conducting large-scale drills and upgrading building facilities.
Greg Heavner, who co-chaired the district’s emergency management group with Zastawniak, has worked at the district only about a year longer than her. He described her as an “anchor,” whose presence will be missed.
The two implemented things like the districtwide alert system, protocols for fire and weather drills and plans for emergency situations.
One of the more recent changes is the implementation of the Centegix Crisis Alert apparatus this school year. The system equips staff with credit card-sized badges with a button that can instantly notify staff or first responders of an emergency.
“In a small district, we wear so many hats, and she did a great job juggling all that,” Heavner said.
Before Ronald Wasilak served as Allegheny Valley superintendent from 1988 to 2002, he was Zastawniak’s high school principal. He said it was very rewarding to see her evolve from a student to an enthusiastic colleague he called his “right hand.”
Not a resident of the district, Wasilak said Zastawniak’s presence was perfect for the tight-knit community.
“She seamlessly fit in with the fabric of the district,” he said. “She was a true Dynamo. Dynamos generate power and enthusiasm, and she did that.”
Through the Hall of Fame program, Wasilak said, Zastawniak inspired Allegheny Valley students to set high goals and use the education they received in the district.
“You can do a job, and you can really do a job,” Wasilak said. “She was in the ‘really’ category.”
Though much of her life is tied to the district that stretches only about 12 square miles, Zastawniak hasn’t hesitated to venture farther afield.
For most of the past 20 years, she and her late mother traveled to Europe or other foreign locales every summer.
Though she has been to nearly every European nation, Zastawniak has partially affinity for Greece, Scotland and Italy.
Zastawniak also served as a caretaker for her mother for several years during an extended illness before her death in 2021.
Graczyk said seeing the two of them connect offered a deeper view into her character.
“Watching the interaction between the two of them — how they smiled, how Jan took care of her mom — gave me an insight into Jan beyond someone that I worked with,” Graczyk said. “It gave me insight into Jan the person, the daughter, and it just made me appreciate her even more.”
Zastawniak, retiring from her office to her nearby home, said she simply felt it was time to step away from her post.
She said she’s hoping to continue her travels and maybe even take up fiction writing with her newfound free time.
But her working days aren’t quite over. Zastawniak said she likely will pick up something part time to fill out her days, but that’s still in the air for now.
As for the district, Graczyk said her retirement is a major loss, and Allegheny Valley likely won’t hire another PR director.
“She’s woven into the fabric of the community,” he said. “There’s no replacing Jan. She takes with her a lot of experience, years of being in the district, historical background knowledge.”
Her duties in the community remain active, however.
Zastawniak said she plans to remain part of the Dynamo Education Foundation and the alumni association.
Heavner said he expects to see her eventually inducted in the district Hall of Fame she helped create.