PEP Program » PEP Teachers and Staff

PEP Teachers and Staff

Charlie Choleva  (Mr. C for short):
 
Mr. C never thought he would become a teacher and his life path shows that.  From grocery clerk to meat wrapper, to meat cutter, to radio advertising sales, to disc jockey, to account relations manager, to working in a residential program for kids that have a wide range of physical, mental, behavioral, and emotional problems.  Who knew that all these previous vocations helped to make Mr. C the teacher that he is today? 
 
He started his teaching career at Linden Hill School, a boarding school for boys primarily with dyslexia.  He then taught at NEARI School in Holyoke, working with students with emotional and behavioral needs.  Currently, he has been the lead academic instructor in the Pre-Employment Program for the last 16 years.  Mr. C loves teaching Biology, Math, English, History, and life/social skills. He loves seeing the excitement in his student’s eyes when they learn something new.  He has been teaching in special education for the last 22 years. 
 
In Mr. C’s free time, he loves going to Maine, spending time with family, gardening, fishing, golfing, and playing tennis.
 
Holland Herzig
 

Holland joined the Franklin County Technical School vocational faculty in 2006.

 

After graduating from FCTS Plumbing and Heating in 1992, Holland worked in many aspects of the plumbing field before becoming a teacher. He was at M.J. Moran for 12 years, New England Heating & Cooling for two years, and did commercial construction for 12 years.

 

Holland has served as a firefighter with the Town of Colrain since 1988. He also served on the Colrain/Charlemont police force as an officer for 29 years, then retired from that position in 2022.

 

As a vocational teacher, Holland led students in completing plumbing and heating installations on several house projects throughout the county, for municipalities, and nonprofit organizations. 

 

Now as an instructor in the Pre-Employment Program, he is teaching hands-on skills.  His varied vocational knowledge is bringing diverse hands-on projects to the PEP students.   

 

Holland earned his Massachusetts vocational teaching license in 2012.