COPES CORNERS – As the school year begins to wind down toward summer vacation, Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton is preparing to say goodbye to a longtime superintendent

After 14 years with G-MU, Superintendent Douglas Exley is looking forward to retirement.

Reflecting on his years with the district, Exley said it is “funny” to think back on that time and see how far the district has come and how much it has changed.

“Right after I started, we had to sell the properties following the school merger and be ready to open the new building in September,” he said. Exley said his first summer with the district was anything but calming, as he remembers the construction not being complete and the furniture still not arriving from the distributor just a week before school was scheduled to begin.

Exley said although he is ready to enjoy retirement, work on his Gilbertsville home and spend more time with his family, he will greatly miss his days spent at G-MU.

“I will miss being involved,” he said.

As Exley watches his last graduation this June, he said he feels he has served the district well and with the approval of the upcoming building project, he said, “I wanted to see it through, so the district would be protected for the long term.”