On Monday, the Lima school board approved by majority vote the appointment of Heather Sharp as the district’s new treasurer.
Craig Kelly/The Lima News
LIMA — Lima schools will have a new district treasurer as of May 22, and for this incoming treasurer, this represents a homecoming.
On Monday, the Lima school board approved by majority vote the appointment of Heather Sharp as the district’s new treasurer. Sharp is succeeding Shelly Reiff who, after serving in that capacity since 2015, resigned Jan. 6, citing personal reasons.
Sharp’s experience when it comes to working with school district finances goes back to 2013, but her experience with Lima schools goes back even further.
“I started at Lima City Schools in 2002, actually, and worked here for 16 years before I moved on to become an assistant treasurer at another school district,” she said. “I have now made a full circle back here, and I’m excited for the opportunity and I’m ready to hit the ground running.”
Sharp started with the district in 2002 as a secretary for the professional development department. She then became a secretary for the assistant superintendent and then worked in that capacity at one of the district school buildings.
“In 2013, I took an accounting supervisor position with this school [district], and I was there from 2013 to 2018,” Sharp said. “I then took an assistant treasurer position at Western Buckeye [Educational Service Center], and I was there for four years.”
She then took that same assistant treasurer position at the Allen County Educational Service Center before being voted in as the treasurer at Lima schools. Now at the top financial post for a school district for the first time, Sharp said that her greatest contribution to the district will be in helping provide the framework in which the superintendent and the school board’s vision for the future of the district can be realized.
“Working collaboratively with the superintendent, the treasurer really needs to be on top of every budget, every aspect of hiring and to be strong enough to say, ‘We can’t afford that,’ or be able to say, ‘Not this year,’ or ‘What can we do to bring in more revenue to accomodate what you want to plan?’” she said.
In a statement, board president Maralee Sullivan expressed excitement that the product of what had been a lengthy search brought Sharp back into the fold.
“We are excited to welcome Heather back to the Lima City Schools’ family,” she said. “She has a love for this district and we trust that she will continue to lead us in the right direction fiscally. We know she has the skillset to do the job, the willingness to learn from others, and the ability to lead our treasurer’s office staff well into the future.”
Reach Craig Kelly at 567-242-0391 or on Twitter @cmkelly419.
