NE Region Fall School Finance Workshop 2025-2026

Ershang Liang is an economist for The PNC Financial Services Group. In this role, Liang covers the Chinese economy and the U.S. housing market.

Prior to joining PNC in January 2023, Liang interned in the Supervision, Regulation, and Credit Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.          

Liang earned her Ph.D. in economics from Fordham University, a Master of Science in economics from Lehigh University and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Mike Sharb is a partner with Squire Patton Boggs in the firm’s Cleveland office and in the firm’s nationally recognized Public & Infrastructure Finance Practice Group. Mike specializes in public finance, acting as bond and disclosure counsel in public finance transactions for school districts, as well as providing advice and counsel to school districts in election, contracting, ethics, sunshine law and other matters.  He has significant experience in drafting state legislation on behalf of clients.  Mike is a frequent presenter on these and other topics and is a co-author of Thomson Reuters’ Ohio School Law.

Michael Hanna has a broad-based labor and employment practice. Mike has negotiated numerous collective bargaining agreements and coordinated strike preparation and litigation. He has arbitrated a wide range of issues including plant closings, severance pay, discipline, overtime, time study and general contract interpretation issues. Mike has counseled clients on remaining union-free and has assisted in a number of successful union election campaigns. His practice includes representation before the National Labor Relations Board on unfair labor practice matters. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 1995 and multiple times in Ohio Super Lawyers.

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. 

Elena Sanders is a Senior Financial Manager at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) Office of Budget and School Funding, where she oversees the state foundation funding and other state funding programs. 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. Elena is the captain of the USTA 3.0 tennis team and this year the team advanced into the districts to compete in Cincinnati.

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.