CAPE ELIZABETH — Two employees who have played important roles for the town are leaving at the end of the month.

Ernest MacVane, the facilities manager, will retire after 26 years and Dominic DePatsy, director of instructional support in the School Department, will take a job in Regional School Unit 5.

MacVane, a South Portland resident, worked as a plumbing inspector for Scarborough, South Portland and Cape Elizabeth before becoming the town’s codes enforcement officer in 1985.

He served in that capacity until 1997, when he accepted the facilities manager position. He managed the school maintenance department, overseeing all town and school building facilities.

MacVane said he helped with the improvements to the Middle School, Pond Cove Elementary School, high school, the kindergarten wing, Portland Head Light, Richards Pool and Spurwink Church.

He said he is especially proud of the work related to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and energy management.

“I’ve met a lot of people and made a lot of friends in my time here,” MacVane said. “It’s been a very rewarding career.”

DePatsy, a Falmouth resident, will become director of student services July 1 in RSU 5, which includes Freeport, Pownal and Durham.

DePatsy said his last five years in Cape have been great, but he is looking forward to working in a regional school unit.

“When I saw there was an opening, I thought it would be a good move,” he said.  “RSU 5 is very different from Cape and I am looking for more diversity. I think this move will really round out my career.”

He said he’d like to apply for a superintendent position within the next five to 10 years and is looking forward to working with RSU 5 Superintendent Shannon Welsh.

“She is an excellent superintendent and we have a lot of the same philosophies,” he said.

DePatsy started his career in the children’s unit at Jackson Brook Institute, now known as Spring Harbor Hospital. In School Administrative District 28 he worked as a behavioral consultant, special education teacher and assistant special services director. He then became a due process consultant for the Department of Education and the director of special services in Kittery.

He has a master’s degree from the University of Southern Maine in special education and his certificate of advanced study in educational leadership. He received his superintendent certificate under his mentor, former Cape Elizabeth Superintendent of Schools Alan Hawkins.

“It has been a great stint in Cape, we’ve completed a lot of great work and it’s hard to leave the staff,” he said. “But I am really excited to gain even more experience, and am looking forward to this next step.”

Amy Anderson can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 110 or aanderson@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter: @amy_k_anderson.

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