OASBO/OSBA School Finance Workshop 2020-2021

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. 

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.

Kimberly Murnieks was appointed director of the Office of Budget and Management by Governor Mike DeWine in 2019. Serving as the chief financial officer under the leadership of Governor DeWine, she oversees an office that develops, coordinates and monitors the individual budgets of state agencies, provides the governor and administration with policy analysis, and reviews all financial transactions made with public funds. Director Murnieks also serves as a member of the executive committee of the National Association of State Budget Officers, representing the Midwest.

From January 2011 through 2018, Director Murnieks was the chief operating officer for the Ohio Attorney General's office. Prior to joining the Attorney General's leadership team, Director Murnieks served in senior staff roles at the Ohio Department of Education from 2000 to 2010, including executive director overseeing the Center for School Options and Finance, chief program officer for the EdChoice Scholarship, policy advisor for the Office of Information Technology and deputy chief of staff. Her career in public service began as a budget analyst with the Office of Budget and Management in 1996.

Director Murnieks is a summa cum laude graduate of Marietta College with a bachelor's degree in political science and graduated from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University with a Master of Public Administration specializing in public finance. She also is an American Mensa member.

Former State Representative John Patterson served in the Ohio House of Representatives.  He represented the 99^th House District, which includes portions of Ashtabula and Geauga Counties.

A lifelong resident of the District, Representative Patterson retired in June, 2012 from teaching U.S. History at Jefferson Area High School for 29 years.  During his time at Jefferson, Representative Patterson served as the Model United Nations advisor.  In addition to winning numerous regional conferences, his teams also placed high at national conferences such as Harvard and the University of Chicago.  In 1995, his team competed at the Hague International UN Conference held at Den Hague, Netherlands.

Representative Patterson and his wife, Nancy, have been married 35 years and are the parents of Joshua and Jeremiah.  He is a member of the Jefferson United Methodist Church, sings in the Chancel Choir, and is a member of Seekers, the men's Sunday School class.

Dr. Howard B. Fleeter received his Ph.D in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1990.  He was a faculty member in the School of Public Policy and Management at Ohio State University from 1989-1999, where he taught courses in Public Sector Economics, Public Finance, and State and Local Government Finance.  He was a four-time recipient of the School’s “Faculty of the Year” award for excellence in teaching.  Dr. Fleeter was also a faculty member in the School of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1999-2001, where he taught courses in the Economics of Education and School Finance. In 2002 he joined with Richard Levin and Bill Driscoll to form the state and local government finance and tax policy consulting firm Levin, Driscoll & Fleeter.  After the retirements of Mr. Levin and Mr. Driscoll, the firm is now known as Howard Fleeter & Associates. 

Dr. Fleeter's research has focused on issues of education finance, education policy, and state and local tax policy and he is the author of numerous policy studies and academic journal articles on these topics.  Since his 1992 report, "Equity, Adequacy and Reliability in Ohio Education Finance" for Governor Voinovich's Education Management Council he has been one of the state’s leading experts on Education Finance.  He has worked extensively with Ohio education policy-makers to improve the state's school funding system for more than 25 years.  He currently serves as a research consultant on education finance and policy issues for the Ohio Education Policy Institute. 

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.

Will Schwartz serves as deputy director of legislative services for the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) where he advocates on behalf of Ohio's public school district boards of education at the state and federal level. Prior to joining OSBA, Will spent eight years drafting legislation and conducting education research on behalf of representatives and senators of the Ohio General Assembly.

Jennifer Hogue serves as director of legislative services for the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA). Jennifer, who joined OSBA in 2014, has extensive legislative experience and is responsible for all aspects of the association’s legislative efforts.

In addition to overseeing the OSBA legislative staff, Hogue lobbies on behalf of Ohio public education, prepares and presents testimony before the Ohio General Assembly, manages OSBA’s Federal Relations Network and develops agenda and staff recommendations for the association’s Legislative Platform Committee. She also monitors Ohio Department of Education activities and supervises Kids PAC, OSBA’s political action committee. In addition, she works with the OSBA Delegate Assembly, writes articles for association publications and conducts informational and training workshops.

Prior to joining OSBA, Jennifer served as a legislative liaison at the Ohio Department of Education and worked as a legislative aide in both the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate and served as an intern in the United States Senate. 

Nicole Piscitani is the lobbyist at the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA). Prior to her role at OSBA Nicole spent 5 years working in Washington, D.C. as a government relations coordinator for the Options Clearing Corporation and 6 years working as a government relations manager for the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. Nicole started her career as a Legislative Service Commission fellow after graduating from the University of Toledo with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and communication.