BILL O’CONNELL: We continue with more on former Bradfordian Bill
O’Connell whose “retirement” was anything but. Less than a year
after “retiring” from Pioneer school district, O’Connell began
teaching graduate courses at St. Bonaventure University and
eventually took over its educational leadership program.

We tell readers about Bill, a former Bradford resident, who was
featured as one of the university’s success stories. St. Bonnie’s
is marking its 150th anniversary, prompting publication of stories
such as the one about Bill whose career began on a Bradford oil
lease but ended in the skies.

Along with his duties at St. Bonaventure, O’Connell juggled
other duties, including serving as a consultant for the state
Education Department’s Schools of Excellence program. He became so
busy, he started flying his small plane to some appointments to
save time.

O’Connell said: “I stopped to refuel my plane one day (in 2002)
at the Olean Airport, and David Campbell said to me, ‘Bill, I need
to find someone to work part time here, someone who knows something
about airplanes.’ That was a Thursday. I remember that vividly
because by Monday, I was working the airport by myself.”

The story continues:” … O’Connell quickly became a vocal
advocate for the airport and its significance to the region,
bending the ear of all the pilots and passengers who flew into the
hilltop airport in Ischua – including, on more than one occasion,
the longtime pilot for U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer.”

The Senator himself got involved in 2006 when he was returning
to the airport to fly home and got in a conversation with O’Connell
who gave him the low-down about the airport’s condition.

Within months, the airport received a combined state and federal
grant for roughly ,700,000 for hangar and terminal remodeling. In
July 2007, the airport received ,942,000 more from the federal
government to reconstruct the ramp area and provide security
cameras and fencing.

Clearly, O’Connell has influenced generations of educators and
others.

“I continually use words of wisdom that Bill imparted to me,”
said Mary Colf, executive director of Seneca Highlands IU-9 in
Smethport and a student of O’Connell’s when he taught at St.
Bonaventure in the 1990s.

“The biggest leadership lesson I learned from him is a very
simple one, almost cliche: Take full advantage of every single
opportunity you have with staff, with people who will recognize
that you took that time with them and that it mattered.”