First Posted: 1/5/2015
PERRY TOWNSHIP — Chris Cross will be making a positive career change come February.
The Perry Local School District treasurer will be taking the treasurer job with Shawnee Local School District officially in February and will finish out her current contract with Perry schools until the end of the month.
The Shawnee treasurer position opened up and Cross said she applied because it “would be wonderful to work in their school district.” Cross said it’s “closer to home for me” and a “career advancement,” as it’s a bigger district.
Cross has been the Perry schools treasurer since 2012. Her salary is $70,387 annually and her salary with Shawnee schools was is still in negotiations.
Shawnee schools Superintendent Michael Lamb said the addition of Cross will be a good addition to its central office staff.
“Shawnee has a very strong reputation and I just hope to continue that fiscally,” Cross said. “My main focus no matter where I go is improving communications with the staff and so that’s one of my goals.”
When Cross took the job in 2012 with Perry schools, it was the first time she had ever had a job like it, she said,
“I was baptized by fire,” she said, noting she had learned about improving communications, union contracts, insurance and human resources, levies and renewals, as well as building a new school building with Perry schools.
Lamb said Cross will be in charge of many financial aspects of the district including: Financial forecasting, pay roll, human resources and much more.
“I’m excited to start this new chapter and I think I’ll be a ‘lifer’ at Shawnee,” Cross said.
Cross, a Delphos native, went to St. John’s High School and continued her education at Defiance College. She graduated with a degree in finance and earned her master’s degree in business administration from the University of Findlay.
Cross then became an associate professor and the interim chair of the accounting and finance department with Rhodes State College for 10 years.
“I think she’s got a good blend of public sector and private sector experience,” Lamb said. “I think she’s going to bring some much needed experience to the position.”
Hiring her replacement will be done through the Allen County Educational Services Center, she said.
Shawnee schools has been operating with an interim treasurer, Sherry Shaffer, for more than a month, Lamb said. Shaffer took the place of Mike Verlingo, who accepted another position in North Ridgeville.
