So You Want to be a School Treasurer 2022-2023

Kim Laugherty, a Certified Association Executive, is OASBO’s COO and has served the association since 2005. She works collaboratively with senior staff, administrative staff, the board of directors, and volunteer leaders to drive initiatives to support the organization’s mission and strategic goals.

As COO, Kim directs the association’s learning programs and annual conferences; the mentoring program for new SBOs; and membership recruitment and retention. She also oversees IT, manages software implementations and special initiatives; and provides support for corporate partners and sponsors.

 She has a B.A. in English from Bowling Green State University, graduating cum laude. Her career prior to association management was in information technology training and consulting sales, and marketing. 

Chris has over 38 years of proven successful governmental finance and management experience and is a licensed school treasurer, business manager, and holds an Ohio Health, Life and Variable Annuity license. He began his career at the Ohio Auditor of State's Office as an examiner and field audit supervisor leaving that position to become Treasurer/CFO and Executive Director of Business Affairs of public school system in 1984. He has served district from $30 million to $200 million in budget and has managed both CFO and Director of Business Affairs simultaneously in Dublin and Springfield CSD. Chris has received many awards during his career including Ohio School Treasurer of the Year, Ohio School Business Manager of the Year and the Virginia Ramsay Award for Distinguished Service to the profession. He brings considerable expertise to school clients in five year forecast assistance in areas of modeling, projecting and presentation; levy analysis; school comparison studies; efficiency reviews; budget preparation and monthly financial report preparation; superintendent and treasurer executive recruiting; mentoring for school business officials, and strategic planning.

Chris earned a MBA majoring in finance and administration, along with a BS in accounting from Miami University of Ohio, and an AS in business administration from Edison State College. He also holds a designation of Registered School Business Administrator and holds the Ohio Financial Accountability Certificate issued by the auditor of state's office. 

Cynthia Ritter is a School Business Consultant with K-12 Business Consulting, Inc. and Grant Consultant to Envision Ed Plus. Cynthia has served as a consultant to Ohio Department of Education with the Academic Distress Commissions and Education Reform. She has over 32 years of successful leadership and management experience as treasurer/CFO for several school districts.

She has been a member of the Education Standards Board Ohio Department of Education, OASBO Board President, served on the Auditor of State Regional Advisory Committee, Board member and treasurer of the Pickaway County Employees Benefit Program, speaker and presenter at numerous OSBA, BASA, OASBO and ASBO seminars.

She has received many awards and recognitions including the Rich Unger Professionalism Award, Distinguished Service Award and was a Herb Brum Scholarship recipient.

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 cashflows and she has been focused on leadership.  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 working in schools and helping others succeed.

Penny has worked for many different types of districts – large, small, urban, rural, rich and poor.  She was a consultant when she was raising her family which allowed her to explore diverse school cultures.  During the great recession of 2009, and for the next five years, she worked in Columbus City Schools, the largest urban school district in Ohio.  She retired from Beavercreek City Schools in 2022 and is currently working at Huber Heights City Schools as the Treasurer/CFO.  She is one of the retirees helping bridge the shortage of treasurers in the marketplace today. 

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

Ryan Pendleton is the Executive Director of the 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.