Bethlehem Central has named a new chief business and financial officer during a year of money woes as state aid to local schools is expected to be cut by Gov. David Paterson.
Judi Kehoe, the former Bethlehem town comptroller who recently took a job at Bethlehem Central, was named to the post on Friday, Jan. 9. She spent 16 years as the town’s comptroller.
We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Judi, Superintendent Michael Tebbano said. `She is someone whose professional record points not only to stellar and stable leadership in municipal and school finance, but also someone who is bringing her talents to bear for the good of her own community. She will continue to be an asset to the district.`
Kehoe has replaced former Assistant Superintendent for Business Steven F. O’Shea, who died in October. District officials said that there were 20 applicants and three rounds of interviews for the post.
Bethlehem Central spokesman Matt Leon said the top business official is responsible for all aspects of the district’s finances, including budget planning and implementation, financial reporting, cash management, investing and debt service. Kehoe will be a part of a series of public forums on the school budget being held at the Bethlehem Middle School library, which began on Monday, Jan. 12.
Her responsibilities also include oversight of district operations such as food services, operations and maintenance, and transportation, according to Leon.
Kehoe’s appointment comes during a time school districts are dealing with an economic crisis and a potential loss of state funding.
`The Board of Education has already had the opportunity to work with Judi Kehoe over the past several months and is delighted to make this appointment,` said Board of Education President James Lytle. `With very significant budgetary challenges ahead of us, we know that Ms. Kehoe will play a critical role in assisting the board, the district and the community in putting together a sound budget plan in these uncertain times.`
Kehoe is a certified public accountant and past president of the New York State Government Finance Officers Association.
`I am very excited about the appointment and eager to continue my work at BC,` Kehoe said. `Clearly dealing with the impacts from the economy will continue to require great attention. The budget preparation process will require considerable input from the community, as we work to create a responsible financial plan that provides the highest quality of services to our students.`
Kehoe has recently overseen the district’s entry into a regional energy consortium, which could help the district control energy costs by locking in energy prices and undergoing a thorough audit to ensure it spends only what it needs.
She is also overseeing efforts to ensure the district’s compliance with federal regulations regarding 403(b) retirement plans.
The district has now posted Kehoe’s former position of school business administrator and will be accepting applications through Tuesday, Jan. 20. District officials said they hope to fill the job by March 1.
`The coming year will be a challenging time, but also an opportunity to pool our collective talents and ideas to best respond to the issues at hand,` Kehoe said.
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