2025 OASBO Foundation Award Winners

4/17/2025

Outstanding School Business Officials of the Year

School business officials in Ohio are responsible for managing billions of public dollars each year. The Outstanding School Business Officials of the Year recognizes OASBO members for the successful management of public funds, personal accomplishments, and selfless service to school communities.


Outstanding Treasurer of the Year
Jared Bunting 
Treasurer/CFO
Athens City School District

"Matt and Jared Bunting, a father-son duo, have made significant contributions as treasurer/CFOs in Ohio. Jared previously served as the Treasurer/CFO of the Jackson City School District and the Trimble Local School District.  His background includes work in the Athens County Auditor’s Office, which provided extensive experience with property taxes and financial reporting. He has been an active member of OASBO, serving on its board and leading its Legislative Committee. Since 2017, he has also been involved in the Fair School Funding Plan, contributing as a workgroup member from its inception and continues to advocate for fully funding the model. He is a Certified Administrator of School Finance and Operations (SFO) through the Association of School Business Officials."

Outstanding Treasurer of the Year
Matt Bunting 
Retired Treasurer/CFO
Athens City School District

"Matt was the Treasurer/CFO of Athens City Schools from 1998-2024.  Prior to that, he served as Treasurer/CFO of Vinton County Local Schools, and worked from 1986 to 1997 with the Auditor of State’s Office, including work on the Youngstown City Schools Performance Audit.  Matt was a partner in Public Finance Resources and then Forecast 5, where he assisted with Five-Year Forecast training for more than 25 years. He was the Chair of the OASBO Legislative Committee for 12 years, served on the OASBO Board of Directors, was the Southern Valley OASBO Chapter President, and served on the State Software Development Committee."

Outstanding Food Service Director of the Year
Jody White
Food Service Supervisor
Keystone Local School District

“Mrs. White is a top-notch Food Service Director in every possible area.  She goes above and beyond provides excellent service to the Keystone families and community.  She is very honest and purposeful, and staff in all three buildings love working for and with her daily. Students love the staff in all three buildings and the activities and festivities they arrange, including trivia with prizes and themed lunches each month. She really is a joy and blessing to work with and serve the Keystone Community. ”


Outstanding Business Operations Director of the Year
Jason Watson
Director of Operations 
Northmont City School District 

“Jason has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership and professional development over the past decade. He upholds high standards for both himself and the entire department, which includes over one hundred staff members under his supervision. He collaborates and communicates with diverse stakeholders to solve problems and achieve success within the daily operations of a school district. .”


Outstanding Transportation Director of the Year
Michael Miller 
Transportation Director
Sycamore Community School District

"Mike Miller embodies exceptional professionalism and leadership in school transportation, setting a standard of excellence for Sycamore Community Schools and beyond. With 36 years of expertise and a deep understanding of Ohio’s school transportation policies, Mike has transformed Sycamore’s transportation operations into a model of efficiency and safety. His strategic consolidation of over 600 bus stops reduced routes from 55 to 45, saving the district significant resources while maintaining high-quality service. ”

Chuck Gossett Advocacy Award

The Chuck Gossett Advocacy Award recognizes an OASBO member for professionalism in legislative affairs and advocacy. Chuck was OASBO’s president in 2004-2005, and passed away before he could complete his term. He worked closely with legislators across Ohio, and his vision for OASBO was to be a strong legislative presence, with members actively participating in advocacy efforts on behalf of public schools.


Jared Bunting 
Treasurer/CFO
Athens City School District

"Jared’s dedication to legislative advocacy and his contributions to school finance in Ohio truly embody the spirit of this award.   As an active member of the OASBO Legislative Committee, Jared served as both Vice Chair and Chair. His leadership not only advanced our advocacy initiatives, but also created a welcoming environment that encouraged collaboration among his peers.   I have witnessed firsthand Jared’s commitment to improving school finance in Ohio by serving on the the Fair School Funding Plan Workgroup. He played a leading and critical role in developing our state's school funding formula—an extraordinary achievement that continues to positively impact students across Ohio."  

Regional Distinguished Service Awards

The Regional Distinguished Service Awards Program recognizes a member from each of the five OASBO regions who has made a significant contribution to their profession, their schools, and their community.

One regional award winner is also selected to receive the Virginia Ramsey Service Award*.  Virginia dedicated many hours to improving OASBO’s Annual Conference & Expo every year.  As a result, in 2004, the OASBO Board of Directors created the Virginia Ramsey Service Award to recognize contributions to the OASBO Annual Conference & Expo.


Northwest region
Abby Lorenzen
Treasurer
Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center

“Throughout her career, Abby has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and financial expertise. She has guided schools through challenging financial landscapes, ensuring that they emerge stronger and in better financial health than when she arrived. One of Abby's most notable achievements was her role in assisting a first-time superintendent during a period of community unrest. Her guidance was instrumental in fostering collaboration and understanding among stakeholders, ultimately helping to transform the culture of the district.”

Southwest region
Cary Furniss*
Treasurer/CFO
Warren County Educational Service Center

"Cary Furniss has been a great resource to school districts in Warren County. He keeps us connected by having regular roundtable meetings where we can talk about things occurring around the state and how they affect Warren County. He is an outside-of-the-box thinker and is always willing to give his perspective or guidance on a situation. As treasurer of the ESC, he has also helped improve the programing for the students they serve by streamlining costs so additional programs could be added.” *Virginia Ramsey Award Winner


Central region
Melissa Swearingen
Treasurer/CFO
Hilliard City School District

“Melissa Swearingen serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Hilliard City. Prior to this role, she held the position of CFO at Delaware City Schools and served as Assistant Treasurer at Hilliard City Schools. During her tenure in Delaware, she worked diligently on various levy initiatives. Known for her kindness and willingness to share her expertise, Melissa is an invaluable asset to Hilliard City Schools and the Central Region.”



Northeast region
Greg Markus
Treasurer/CFO
Rocky River City School District 

“Greg is truly dedicated to public education in Ohio and the profession of school treasurers.  He is always willing to share his expertise and experience with a high level of dedication to assist other school districts or colleagues.  Greg continuously implements programs and initiatives that provide savings and impact for Rocky River City Schools.  Greg is president of the Suburban Healthcare Consortium Board representing and providing group health insurance to 15 other school districts. 
”

Southeast region
Tyler Cooper
Treasurer
Western Local Schools School District 

“Tyler Cooper exemplifies exceptional dedication to the school business profession through his active participation in OASBO committees including the Licensure Committee and the OASBO Local Professional Development Committee. Additionally, he demonstrates leadership through his service as vice chair of the Southern Hills Committee. Tyler also serves as an OASBO mentor, embodying the spirit of service and professionalism that elevates the school business profession.”

Londa Schwierking Treasurer Support Staff Award

The Londa Schwierking Award recognizes support staff from each of OASBO’s 5 regions who serve in roles that are vital to the success of the finance office. Recipients are recognized for their attention to detail, effective communication, diligence in accounting, and maintaining documents for financial reports. Throughout her career, Londa was passionate about providing professional development to finance office support staff to help them grow, and to inspire and prepare them for success as school business officials.



Jessica Hudson
Assistant Treasurer
Polaris Career Center

"Jessica Hudson has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication and skill in her role. She has implemented streamlined processes for budgeting and reporting, resulting in improved accuracy and transparency. Her proactive approach to identifying cost-saving measures has also contributed to better resource allocation, directly benefiting various school programs. She has taken on a mentorship role, guiding new staff members and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. Her commitment to transparency and accountability has fostered trust among staff and parents, promoting a positive community atmosphere. ”

School Facility Support Staff Award

The School Facility Support Staff Award recognizes staff who provide a safe, clean, welcoming space for staff and students to learn and grow. Collectively they are responsible for cleaning and maintaining thousands of school buildings throughout Ohio. Staff such as facility, maintenance and custodial supervisors as well as head custodians are vital to successful school district operations.



Mark Sanders
Custodian
Eastern Local School District

“Mr. Sanders that truly exemplifies what is great about Eastern School District. He has been a custodian at Eastern High School for 33 years. He is a lifelong member of our community, and one of our district's greatest supporters. Mr. Sanders has maintained the halls of 3 high school buildings transitioning through construction phases with great pride. He greets staff and students daily with a warm hello and smile, while working diligently to provide an exceptionally clean and safe learning environment for our kids. Mark is a blessing to have as part of our district and community.”  

Callie Wells Outstanding Communication Award

Callie Wells served as OASBO’s Director of Marketing & Communications from 2017 until her unexpected passing in 2023. She worked tirelessly to move things forward, to be better, and she inspired those around her to become the best versions of themselves. To honor her legacy, the OASBO Foundation created the Callie Wells Award for Outstanding Communication to celebrate those who embody Callie’s exceptional qualities and commitment to communication excellence within our community.



Carol Taylor
Public Information Officer
Bexley City School District

“Carol goes above and beyond in all of her work and is always sacrificing her personal time attending evening or weekend events. As the only employee in her department, she has demonstrated excellence in communication efforts in several key areas. She manages and writes our district weekly newsletter which goes to 4,000 subscribers. She led an overhaul of the district’s website. Community members have praised the design and depth of information of both. In this day and age, compliments can be hard to come by which indicates that people are getting the information they need."