Essentials of School Funding & Finance 2020-2021

Mike Sobul is a Senior Analytics Advisor with Frontline Education (formerly Forecast5 Analytics), a national company with over 2,000 clients that provides public sector business intelligence software, consulting, and support services to school districts, higher education institutions and local governments. 

Prior to joining Forecast5, Mike was the CFO/Treasurer of the Granville schools from November 2011 through May 2019 and a consultant with Public Finance Resources from April 2012 until its merger with Forecast5 in May of 2019. 

Mike served as the Section Chief for Forecasting and Special Projects at the Tax Analysis Division of the Ohio Department of Taxation.  He was with the Department of Taxation from December 1986 until his retirement in July 2011.

Prior to joining the Department of Taxation, Mike served for two and one-half years as research associate at the Urban Center at Cleveland State University and two years as a budget analyst for the city of Cleveland. 

Over the past 30 years, Mike has contributed to school funding reform efforts in the Voinovich, Taft, and Strickland administrations.  He also has worked closely with the Cupp-Patterson workgroup since its inception in November 2017.

Mike received his B.A. from Wittenberg University and his Masters of Public Policy from the University of Michigan.  

Tess Tannehill is a Senior Associate in Bricker & Eckler’s Public Sector Industry Group. She advises clients on all facets of Ohio’s real property tax valuation and exemption laws, particularly as they apply to school districts, hospitals, and other public entities. She also advises hospitals on resolving patient incapacity issues, including navigating the probate court process for establishing court-appointed guardianships.

For nearly a decade, Tess has represented school districts, hospitals, universities, foundations, and other property owners in hundreds of real property tax valuation and exemption disputes.

Jeremy is a senior manager with the Ohio team of Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors. He has over 15 years of Ohio school experience, serving as treasurer/CFO and other administrative roles, as well as experience performing financial and compliance audits for government entities. During his time with both Baker Tilly and school districts, he has participated in numerous bond and note issuances.

Jeremy received his B.A. from Spring Arbor Universityin 2005 and his Masters of Business Administration from Mount Vernon NazareneUniversity in 2009.

Jeremy is also active in his community as a member ofthe board of directors for the Big Walnut Chamber of Commerce.

Rick Manoloff has served as legal counsel to Ohio school districts for more than 26 years on bond, note and lease financings, ballot issues, contracts, and other matters; chairs his law firm’s Ohio K-12 Public Schools Finance Team; co-authors the Ohio School Law treatise published by Thomson Reuters each year; co-presents the “Legal Update” at OASBO’s Annual Conferences; is called upon to draft levy and other legislation; served on a school board; and has written numerous articles for OASBO’s SBO over the years.  In the community, he served as President of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and Cleveland Bar Foundation.

Kent joined RBC Capital Markets in 2002 after serving as the Chief Operating Officer for Cincinnati Public Schools. Prior to coming to Cincinnati, Kent served for nine years in finance, policy and administrative positions in Delaware state government. His last position there was Associate Secretary of Education for Finance, Policy and Administrative Services.

Kent specializes in education and local government transactions including tax increment financing (TIF). He also administers several large structured pooled financing programs in the State of Ohio.  

Kent currently holds Series 7, Series 24, Series 50, Series 53, Series 54 and Series 63 licenses.  Mr. Cashell holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Economics from the University of Delaware, specializing in mathematical economics and econometrics.    

Marvin Founds is a director and municipal advisor with Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors, LLC. He has been an education finance professional for over 30 years, serving as treasurer/CFO for various school districts in Ohio and later as managing director for a large Midwest capital markets investment banking firm serving assorted education and traditional local government clients.

Through his longtime involvement in the field, Marvin has developed a statewide reputation for his range of knowledge in school finance. He has been a speaker and panelist at many conferences and workshops on topics related to public finance, capital planning, school district revenue and expenditure forecasting, millage studies and bond issuances. 

Marvin earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a Finance concentration from The Ohio State University, and has two Master’s Degrees from Ashland University - Business Administration and Education.

Elena Sanders is a Financial Manager at the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce (previously Ohio Department of Education) Office of Budget and School Funding. Prior to coming to that office she was an Assistant Director in the Office of Federal programs. She has an Ohio Treasurer’s license and Master’s Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision.

Ryan Pendleton is the Treasurer/CFO of Akron Public Schools where he oversees a budget of more than $500 million in public funds.  Ryan is dedicated to serving the community, in particular the students of Akron Public Schools.  He is very active in state and federal issues concerning education and the potential impact on the students of Ohio.  Ryan is a Leadership Akron Class 32 graduate and serves as the Legislative Chair and Northeast Region Director for OASBO (Ohio Association of School Business Officials).  Prior to working at Akron Public Schools, Ryan was the Treasurer/CFO of Barberton City Schools for nine years and worked previously as a financial advisor. 

Penny Rucker is a Treasurer/CFO who works with school districts to help them achieve financial success.

Penny believes that her work is more than working with numbers, she knows it has been vital to understand the systems that produce the flow of the dollars and she has been focused on leadership to impact the effectiveness of those dollars.

Penny has worked for many different types of districts – large, small, urban, rural, rich and poor.  She used to do consulting when she was raising her family which allowed her to explore diverse school cultures.  During the recession she worked at the largest urban school district in Ohio and currently she works at Beavercreek City Schools. 

Penny is experienced in leadership and communications with financial systems.  She is interested in making an impact to improve financial stability in schools along with financial transparency.  She speaks, mentors, trains and motivates younger professionals to explore schools and help others achieve.

Penny attended The Ohio State University and Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio to earn her Bachelors of Science in Accounting.  She also attended Ashland University in Columbus, Ohio to achieve her Master’s in Education School Treasury.

Sarah Stirling is a Program Administrator at the Department of Education & Workforce (previously Ohio Department of Education) Office of Budget and School Funding. She has her Master’s Degree in Business Administration. 

Brian currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Brian has a quarter century of senior leadership experience in Ohio’s state education agency guiding its fiscal and grant responsibilities.

Leading Ohio’s education agency team on grant and fiscal mandates for nearly two decades, Brian guides a large team with a multi-billion dollar portfolio of fiscal oversight mandates. Those mandates encompass federal financial compliance, internal control structure, risk assessment and subrecipient monitoring for the agency.

Prior to joining the state education agency, Brian served as an Audit Supervisor with both the Auditor of State (AoS) and the Ohio Department of Development.  During his tenure with the AoS, he led the agency’s auditing responsibilities of the Department Human Services at both the state and county levels.  While with the Department of Development, he was responsible for financial/programmatic compliance audits and technical assistance to numerous cities, counties and not-for-profits.

Brian is seen as a national leader in education fiscal policy, and he has presented at both state and national level conferences on both fiscal management and auditing in the education environment. 

TJ Cusick is the Treasurer for Worthington City School District. He has been with Worthington for 17 years and worked for a regional CPA firm prior to coming to Worthington. He is responsible for the day to day operations of the District, including budgeting, payroll and investment management. He is a licensed CPA in the state of Ohio, was an elected school representative for the Ohio GFOA, and recipient of the 2016 OASBO distinguished service award for his service providing continuing education for its members. He is originally from Steubenville, Ohio, married to Stacey, with one son and a killer pug.

A public school Treasurer for 15 years, Melcie has established herself as a respected colleague that strives in leadership and collaboration. A 1993 graduate of Waterford High School, a 1996 graduate of Marietta College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting, Melcie started her career in the newspaper industry serving as the accountant for the Gannett owned Marietta Times in Marietta, Ohio.  In 1999, she decided to further her education and in 2000, became a graduate of Ohio University with a Masters of Science in Accounting.

In 2000, Melcie accepted a position with the Local Government Services division of the Ohio State Auditor’s Office. Over the next eight years, Melcie worked with various governmental entities assisting and or completing GAAP conversions, five-year forecasts, PAFR’s, training of governmental finance officials, and creating training manuals. 

In 2008, Melcie accepted her first Treasurer’s position in her home school district, Warren Local in Vincent, Ohio. In 2011, Melcie accepted an additional position with Fort Frye Local Schools as their Treasurer and served both District’s through a shared services agreement for 2 years. Melcie still serves as the Treasurer at Warren Local currently and is a past OASBO Board President.

James Rader is an Assistant Chief Auditor with the Ohio Auditor of State’s Central Region.  He has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Ashland University and has been with the State Auditor’s Office since 2000.  He currently is one of three chiefs that oversee the 15 counties in Central Ohio covered by the Central Region.