So You Want to Be a School Treasurer 2023-2024

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. 

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.

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. 

Becky started her career as the assistant treasurer for her Alma Mater, Martins Ferry City Schools. After 12 years, she accepted the treasurer/CFO position for the Wellsville Local School District. Her love of the Central Ohio area found her accepting the assistant treasurer position at the fastest growing school district in the state of Ohio - Olentangy Local Schools. After a year and a half she was promoted to the Treasurer/CFO role. The district grew over twice its size to over 16,000 students under her financial leadership. After nine years with Olentangy Schools, she was recruited by the New Albany-Plain Local Schools and has been with this district for ten+ years. Becky has had the fortune of leading districts considered both wealthy and poor which gives her a unique perspective on the various challenges diverse districts face.

During these career transitions, Becky also helped lead OASBO. She held the offices of Board Southeast Region Director, Vice-President, President Elect, President and Immediate Past President. Through the years she has served on numerous committees and continues to serve on the Legislative Committee as well as many focus committees. Becky is also asked to speak on a variety of topics not only for OASBO seminars but other state organizations as well. 

Jenni Logan is the Treasurer/CFO of Sycamore Community City Schools. Prior to this, she was the treasurer/CFO at District Lakota Local School District January 2011 to August 2022.  Before that she was a Director in the Public Finance Department of Robert W. Baird & Co.  Ms. Logan has over 20 years of experience serving school districts in Ohio, which include an ESC, JVSD, CSD, LSD and an EVSD.  She has been involved with several state committees for OASBO and served the organization as its state president in 2005-06.    

Dolores, an OASBO past president, had a successful career as an Ohio school district treasurer/CFO for over 30 years in various districts around the state. Upon retirement, she worked as a Fiscal Support Manager for an Information Technology Center. In addition, she spent five years as the Professional Development Curriculum Writer and manager of OASBO’s Mentoring program for new SBOs.

Prior to joining K-12 Business Consulting in 2019, where she performs treasurer searches for school districts, she spent 4 years as an end-user tester for the State Software Redesign project.

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.

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.  

In addition to being the owner of Finding Leaders, Paul Pendleton is a former Co-Director of Leadership Services at the Educational Service Center (ESC) of Cuyahoga County. Previously, he has been the superintendent of the Danville Local Schools, Mt. Gilead Exempted Village Schools and Nordonia Hills City Schools. He was also part owner of the Santa Rita Collaborative which assist school districts with community engagement activities.

He has served the education community as a social studies teacher, football coach, athletic director, guidance counselor, assistant middle school principal, high school principal, superintendent and consultant. Mr. Pendleton has also served as an adjunct faculty member for Kent State University, University of Akron, Ashland University and Mt. St. Joseph College.