Deep Dive: Business Operations Hot Topics 2024-2025

Katie Johnson is the Executive Director of the Ohio Association of School Business Officials. Katie is the seventh Executive Director and the first woman to lead the organization since its inception in 1936.

Katie was the Deputy Executive Director for OASBO prior to being named Executive Director. In that role, she served as legislative lead and in-house legal counsel for the association, keeping staff and members abreast of legal and regulatory compliance issues in school business. In addition, she has served as the chief learning officer, developing curriculum to support OASBO’s strategic plan and the Ohio school business profession.

Katie also serves on boards and committees focused on public finance, including serving as a member on the Finance and Appropriations Committee for Columbus City School District, as Treasurer of the Confluence Community Authority, and as past President of the Ohio Chapter of Women in Public Finance.

Katie holds a bachelor's degree in Business Finance from the University of Colorado, a master’s degree in Education from The Ohio State University, and a law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

Ms. Fischer is the Administrator/Director of the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce’s Office of Field Services and Pupil Transportation, supporting families, districts and schools in a range of areas including fiscal, enrollment and pupil transportation service needs.  A graduate of The Moritz College of Law – Ohio State University, Ms. Fischer’s experience includes serving as a Franklin County Court-Appointed Special Advocate, an Assistant Attorney General, Senior Assistant Legal Counsel for the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce, and a 16-year tenure as Chief Legal Counsel for the State of Ohio Board of Nursing.  

Randy Snyder is Transportation Manager for Westerville City Schools, accountable for the overall transportation operation of the district, which is located in Central Ohio. Mr. Snyder has almost twenty years of experience in pupil transportation of which eighteen have been in administration and department management. Westerville’s transportation department is comprised of 101 school bus routes, twenty MyVan routes that serve students with specialized transportation needs, four office support staff, eight mechanics, and three assistant managers.

Mr. Snyder believes that a safe and successful transportation operation must include excellent recruiting, training, equipping, and the empowering of its employees. Transportation professionals play a vital role in the educational process and are important members of the communities in which they serve. He also believes that all school business professionals should seek to better understand their district’s transportation operations and find ways to support and encourage their team members whose charge is to oversee their transportation operations.

Currently, Mr. Snyder serves as Immediate Past President of the Ohio Association for Pupil Transportation (OAPT). He continues to serve as the communication and technology committee chair and serves as the election committee chair. Along with the other OAPT Board members, he helped lead their association and its members through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brian has been at ODEW for 10 years, starting in the Office of Legal Counsel before moving fully to the Child Nutrition Programs. As the Assistant Director for USDA Foods, Brian works closely with multiple levels of the supply chain.

Misty has been with the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) at the Department of Education and Workforce since 2020. She has been with the department since 2012 in various roles as a Specialist and Consultant. Prior to working at the state agency, she spent over 10 years working in the NSLP at two Ohio districts. Misty is a Registered, Licensed Dietitian, holding a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and a Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Food Management from The Ohio State University.  Misty and her husband have a son and daughter both attending the University of Toledo College of Pharmacy.  

Joey DiOrio is a Planning Manager for the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, assisting school districts with their capital facility projects through facility assessments and master planning. Prior to his time at the Commission, he served as an Operations Engineer for the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati, and as an Applications Engineer for Vertiv Inc. Joey holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Ohio Northern University. 

Christy George is OFCC’s new K-12 Accounting and Compliance Administrator.  With over 15 years of experience, she has built a diverse career in finance across education, banking, and higher education. Additionally, she holds a School Treasurer’s license, highlighting her expertise in managing financial responsibilities within educational settings. 

At OFCC, Christy is responsible for providing financial assistance and training to district Treasurers as they begin a project and throughout its various phases. She will also be reviewing quarterly draw reconciliations and desk reviews as well as Memorandums of Understanding for Locally Funded Initiatives (LFI MOU’s).  Lastly, she will be managing the financial closeout of each district’s project in cooperation with the district treasurer, project manager and other stakeholders. 

Jeff joined OFCC in 2013 as its Chief of Program Services.  His current areas of responsibility include energy services, sustainability, communications, legislative affairs, post-construction, and grant programs.

Seven years after co-founding an energy start-up company in San Jose, California, Jeff was appointed by Governor George Voinovich in 1994 to create Ohio’s Office of Energy Services.  As Ohio’s first state facility energy coordinator, he established programs to save energy and money in state government buildings and operations.  Among those programs was the creation of the energy performance contract program for state agencies and higher education.  To date those programs have saved the state more than $50 million in energy costs. 

Jeff earned his bachelor of science (BS) in electrical engineering at the University of Notre Dame, and a masters of business administration (MBA) at Franklin University.  

Travis has an extensive loss control background and he designed the loss control protocols for the field risk managers. He and his department provide extensive risk management services to our public entity and educational institution clients. Travis has worked with hundreds of municipal and school clients. His professional specialties include: Emergency Action Planning / Accident Investigation / Safety Management System.

Travis earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio.  In addition, he is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) and a Certified School Risk Manager (CSRM).