District 158 to choose new finance chief
It has been almost a year since Stacie Talbert announced her resignation as Huntley Unit District 158's comptroller.
The search for Talbert's replacement was quickly sidelined after the top candidate for the post pulled out and the District 158 school board was drawn into prolonged teacher contract talks.
Now that contract negotiations are over, the district's search for a qualified chief financial officer has resumed.
The district's finance committee interviewed the two leading candidates for the position last week, and a decision could come as soon the Nov. 20 board meeting.
"If we do make a choice between these two, it's pretty solid," said board Vice President Tony Quagliano, chairman of the finance committee.
Both of the candidates are CPAs with experience as public accountants and private-sector financial officers.
District officials are hoping the eventual pick will last longer than his or her predecessors: two finance chiefs have left the district since 2007.
"Obviously, we're not looking for someone to just be there for a year," Quagliano said. "We're looking for someone to be there for five to 10 years, minimum."
The economic woes that are hurting the district in other ways may have actually been a boon to its search for a chief financial officer.
Officials hoped to benefit from the misfortunes of the private sector by targeting candidates who have lost their jobs amid the failure of financial institutions.
"We are very aggressive in that market," Superintendent John Burkey said at a recent board meeting. "We are aware there may be some people that weren't there six months ago."
The vacancy at the district's top finance post has forced other officials to pick up the slack. Burkey and Quagliano helped prepare the budget, while Human Resources Director Lauren Smith advised the board during contract talks.
Martin McConahay has been serving as the district's interim chief financial officer on a part-time basis.
McConahay's replacement will make between $100,000 and $140,000, depending on experience level, Quagliano said.