The Iowa City Community School District has tapped seven community members to help advise the school board with financial decisions.
The newly reconfigured financial oversight committee is a response to the district’s financial crisis that began unraveling earlier this year, exposing years of inaccurate spending and revenue tracking. The committee members will increase transparency and confidence in the district’s financial practices.
Collaborating with Greater Iowa City Inc, the organization served as “a neutral convener of a vetting committee to ensure candidates presented to the school board for final selection are qualified…”
ICCSD, which is home to Iowa City High, Iowa City West and Iowa City Liberty High School, recently pledged to make $7.5 million in spending cuts to help its fix budget woes. The board was asked to retroactively approve a $10 million interfund loan to pay salaries, a move that outpaced the district’s projections and exposed years of inaccurate spending and revenue tracking.
The school board approved the seven-member committee at its meeting on Tuesday, July 28.
ICCSD financial oversight committee draws nearly 60 applicants
Fifty-seven applicants were evaluated by a vetting committee on their financial knowledge (such as accounting and auditing), critical thinking, ethical conduct, and teamwork. Thirteen applicants received 85 out of 100 on the scoring rubric approved by the board of directors.
The top seven applicants scored a 90 or above, which included Jeffery Albright, Charlie Funk, Nicole Davies, Genevieve Anglin, Bradley Franzwa, Simon Andrew and Dustin Gwee.
Franzwa withdrew from consideration ahead of Tuesday’s school board meeting, and Charles Orr will take his place.
Board president Ruthina Malone and board director Mitch Lingo will serve as committee liasons, while chief financial officer Pat Moore will be a non-voting member.
A random draw determined term lengths. Anglin and Gwee will serve a one-year term, Funk and Andrew will serve three-year terms, and Albright, Andrew and Davies will serve two-year terms.
Financial oversight committee members are expected to attend six school board meetings each year. They will review the district’s financial reporting, budgets, audits, internal controls and long-term financial planning while providing recommendations to the school board.
Meet ICCSD’s financial oversight committee
Jeffery Albright
Albright has more than 30 years of executive leadership, financial oversight, and governance experience. An ICCSD graduate, he serves as Chairman of Yanmar America and Executive Director of its Global Turf Division. Albright has expertise in financial controls, budgeting, organizational accountability, and board governance.
Charles Funk
Funk is the retired president and CEO of MidWestOne Financial Group and spent 47 years in banking. He has “devoted decades” to civic and educational leadership, including service as Chair of the ICCSD Foundation, co-chair of the successful “Yes for Kids” bond campaign, and chair of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce (now Greater Iowa City, Inc.).
Nicole Davies
Davies has more than 25 years of experience in public-sector and nonprofit finance, including budgeting, auditing, debt management, grant administration, financial reporting, internal controls, and long-term financial planning. Davies and her Iowa City Finance Department have won several distinguished budget awards from the Government Finance Officers Association.
Genevieve Anglin
Anglin has more than 20 years of experience in financial administration, budgeting, grant management, compliance, auditing, as well as oversight experience in local government, higher education, and the nonprofit sector. Anglin is the grants manager for Johnson County, working with elected officials, finance staff, auditors, county departments, and community organizations.
Simon Andrew
Andrew has years of experience in public finance, budgeting, compliance, and strategic planning, along with a strong commitment to students and the broader Iowa City community. He is the Executive Director of The Housing Fellowship and oversees complex financial operations. He also previously led the City of Iowa City’s budget process and has specialized training in public budgeting, finance, and organizational management.
Dustin Gwee
Gwee has years of experience in financial planning and analysis, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, risk management, and long-range planning at Collins Aerospace. An ICCSD alumnus, Gwee graduated from the University of Iowa with an accounting degree and an MBA. He is the treasurer for the Asian Pacific American Public Affairs Association and the Creative Corridor Center for Equity.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Meet the 7 residents tapped for Iowa City CSD’s oversight panel
Reporting by Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen | USA TODAY Network
