Essentials of School Funding & Finance 2021-2022

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.  

Ryan Ghizzoni, Director of Ohio Analytics, began his career in finance at the Auditor of State’s Office, and served over 15 years as a school district treasurer before switching to the private sector to provide solutions and support on a larger scale.  During his CFO career, he has been the recipient of several ‘Association of School Business Officials’ International Meritorious Budget Awards and was the recipient of the ‘Ohio Association of School Business Officials’ 2011 Outstanding Treasurer of the Year Award. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Youngstown State University and is a Certified Administrator of School Finance and Operations.

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.

Heather has a wide range of experience in public law, advising municipalities, townships, counties and other political subdivisions on a wide variety of matters, including economic development, real estate and land use. Heather’s experience includes facilitating eminent domain and special assessments proceedings on behalf of public entities. Heather has also successfully represented public entities in legal actions before state and federal courts, including actions under 42 USC 1983, as well as in administrative proceedings before regulatory agencies such as the Ohio Liquor Commission and Ohio Public Utilities Commission. 

Immediately prior to joining Squire Patton Boggs, Heather served as general counsel to a captive insurance enterprise, which included segregated account facilities and 831(b) captive management.

Mr. Laskey is a Director in the Cincinnati, Ohio Municipal Finance office of RBC Capital Markets.  

Mr. Laskey has worked at RBC Capital Markets since July of 2006.  Andrew has worked with hundreds of local governmental entities throughout Ohio on debt offerings including school districts, cities, counties, townships as well as the State of Ohio.  Additionally, Andrew has presented at numerous conferences on a variety of topics related to municipal bond issues and the bond underwriting process.

Andrew currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Ohio Municipal Advisory Council, a repository of statistical information relating to Ohio municipal issuers and their securities.  Mr. Laskey formerly served on the Board of Trustees for Clovernook Center for the Blind in Cincinnati.

Mr. Laskey attended the University of Cincinnati and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Honors-PLUS business program.  Mr. Laskey is a Registered Securities Representative, registered with the NASD and SEC 

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.

Aaron Rausch is the Chief of Budget and School Funding at the Department of Education & Workforce (previously Ohio Department of Education), where he manages an agency budget of more than $17 billion and administers the state’s school funding program. In 2019, Aaron received the Dick Maxwell School Finance Award from the Buckeye Association of School Administrators. Prior to joining ODE in 2014, Aaron worked for the Ohio Office of Budget and Management as a budget analyst in the education section. Aaron started his career in state government as a performance auditor, focusing on school district performance audits at the Ohio Auditor of State's Office. Active in his community, Aaron serves as an advisory board member on the Columbus and Central Ohio Children’s Chorus Foundation, sings with the Choral Union at Capital University, and rides in Pelotonia every year. 

Ryan Pendleton is the Executive Director of the North Coast Shared Services Alliance where he coordinates financial and operations support for northeast Ohio school districts through the Educational Service Centers of Northeast Ohio, Medina, and Lorain Counties.

Ryan is very active in state and federal issues concerning education and the potential impact on the students of Ohio. He is a member of the Fair School Funding Work Group, co-chairing both the Base Cost and Analysis and Support Groups.  As an inaugural member of the Work Group, Ryan made significant contributions to creating and advocating for Ohio’s new state funding formula.  His efforts contributed to the Fair School Funding Formula being included in the 2022-2023 Biennium Budget.

Ryan is a Leadership Akron Class 32 graduate and dedicated to serving the community, in particular the students across Ohio. Prior to working at North Coast Shared Service Alliance, Ryan was the CFO/Treasurer of Akron Public and Barberton City Schools and worked previously as a financial advisor.  

Ryan earned a BA in Business Administration from Malone College and an MBA from Cleveland State University.  

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.

Debbie is a Cincinnati native and graduate of Sycamore High School and the University of Cincinnati. She has 10 years as Field Auditor for the Ohio Auditor of State in the Southeast Region, 2 years as Assistant Treasurer and Payroll Clerk for Symmes Valley, 3 years as Federal Grants Manager and Financial Aid Administrator for Collins Career Center, 5 years Auditor in Charge for Plattenburg and Associates, 8 years Treasurer Milford Exempted Village Schools and 3 years as Area Coordinator for the Department of Education & Workforce (previously Ohio Department of Education).

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.

Jack Webb worked for 16 years with the Auditor of State, Local Government Services, 8 years at Symmes Valley LSD and is currently the treasurer at Gallia County LSD.

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.