Fall School Finance Workshop 2023-2024

Marnie is the Assistant Chief Deputy Auditor for the Auditor of State’s Office, where she has proudly served the Office for more than 26 years and brings more than 21 years of large project management leadership experience.  In her role at the AOS, Marnie oversees the Center for Audit Excellence, Local Government Services, Medicaid Contract Audits, and the Data & Information Technology Audit groups and assists in researching, consulting, interpreting, and implementing professional standards across the office.  Marnie’s specialties include project management and implementation and interpretation of professional standards.  Most recently, Marnie has directed special projects developing strategies for integrating data and analytics into various phases of the audit process and for audit implementation of Pandemic federal funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and other associated Congressional Acts.  In a similar role, Marnie led the Auditor of State’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. 

Marnie has Bachelors of Arts Degrees in Accounting and Business Administration, with a concentration in Management, from Mount Vernon Nazarene University.  She serves on the AICPA’s Single Audit Roundtable and the National State Auditors Association (NSAA) Single Audit Committee –two forums of key single audit stakeholders such as the AICPA, GAO, OMB, Federal Inspector Generals, and State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers.  Marnie also serves on the NSAA Audit Standards and Reporting and IT Conference Committees.

Bob Hinkle is the Chief Deputy Auditor for Auditor of State Keith Faber. Bob was originally appointed on March 1, 2006. This appointment continues a career with the AOS that started in 1984. His knowledge and understanding of the office was developed during a career path beginning with staff auditor followed by a progression though every level of management. Each step prepared him for his eventual appointment to Chief Deputy Auditor which he has served through four administrations. Bob has been recognized for his commitment to the people of the state of Ohio by the Ohio GFOA in receiving the Hugh Dorrian Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the Central Ohio AGA, receiving the Excellence in Government Leadership Award. In his more than 36 years of service with the AOS, he has worked with every type of local government.

Bob is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Government Financial Manager. He is a member of the AICPA, OSCPA, AGA and GFOA. A graduate of Mount Vernon Nazarene University, he is married to Kelly and they have three adult children, Lincey 30, Garrison 29, and Alexis 22.

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. 

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.

Ryan is a Co-Founder and Portfolio Manager at RedTree Investment Group. He has over 25 years of investment experience in the fixed income markets. Specifically, over the past 19 years, Ryan has been assisting public entities and other agencies with their fixed income investment needs. At RedTree, he is responsible for overseeing the firm’s investment process along with communication of the unique investment strategies for the firm’s clients.

Ryan obtained his undergraduate degree in Accounting from the University of Kentucky and his MBA in Finance from Xavier University. He has received the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a current member of the CFA Institute. He currently serves on the Ohio GFOA Board and is on their Education Committee. 

With many years of experience in the investment industry, Joe has had exposure to both equity and fixed income markets. Much of this time has been spent working with fixed income products and portfolios. He brings a focused and detailed approach to portfolio management.

Much of his day-to-day involves working closely with current clients and fostering new relationships. His experience in portfolio management combined with the knowledge of relevant sections of Ohio Revised Code gives him the ability to serve RedTree’s clients to the fullest.

Originally from Tampa, FL where he spent most of his childhood, Joe now resides in Northern Kentucky with his wife, Rachel, their daughter, Rosie, and two dogs, Overton and Sable. He enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking, golfing, and when time allows, traveling the world.

Susan Willeke is an accomplished government-relations professional with 30 years’ experience in public affairs, communication, and public speaking.  Susan joined the Ohio Ethics Commission in 2005 as the Education and Communications Manager where she oversees and conducts educational and communication outreach.  In that position, Susan presents approximately 200 speeches annually, develops information strategies regarding agency programs and represents the Ethics Commission to Ohio citizens, the media and the Ohio legislature. 

Ms. Wessendorf-Wortman is a shareholder with the firm. She advises clients on a variety of educational law matters including labor and employment issues, student discipline and rights, special education and 504 matters, relationships with school resource officers, serving transgender students, employee misconduct and investigations, booster matters, and general school law practice. She is a member of the firm’s Special Education and Workers’ Compensation Practice Teams. Ms. Wessendorf-Wortman has served as a lead negotiator in bargaining and defended boards of education in arbitration, court cases, special education mediation, and due process hearings. She has represented school boards before a variety of federal and state administrative agencies, including the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, the State Employment Relations Board, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Ms. Wessendorf-Wortman is a frequent presenter at professional conferences, and at administrator and staff in-service trainings on a variety of topics including annual legal updates, professional ethics and codes of conduct, implicit bias, relationships with school resource officers, managing booster groups, serving students with disabilities, employee leave matters, and handling employee misconduct.