Strategies from Seasoned Fiscal Leaders for Uncertain Times
Congratulations, you’ve just landed your dream job as the CFO at “Top Heavy Charter School (THCS)!”
Attend this hands-on summit hosted by some of the most respected fiscal experts in our sector where presenters and participants will roll up their sleeves and get out their spreadsheets to wrestle with right-sizing THCS. In the era of dwindling pandemic funds, declining enrollment, increasing minimum wage, and an uncertain economic future, there’s much to discuss.
Participants will leave this full-day summit with ideas and strategies to help your charter(s) proactively approach uncertainty and ensure your organizational sustainability by learning from those who have led through it all.
Presented by
Bonnie Bensen
Chief Financial Officer
Rex and Margaret Fortune School of Education
Bonnie has worked in public school finance for over thirty years starting her career as the Accounting Manager for Center Unified School District. From there she spent seventeen years providing consulting services for both traditional public schools and charter schools. Since 2010 she has been the Chief Financial Officer for Rex and Margaret Fortune School of Education.
Ed Lee
CFO
Summit Public Schools
Ed has over 15 years of experience working in the education space as a teacher, consultant and finance leader. From 2021, he has served as Summit Public School's CFO and previously served as CFO at Voices College-Bound Language Academies. He is originally from Buffalo, NY and is still hoping for a Super Bowl win for his Buffalo Bills.
Joyce Montgomery
CSDC Consultant
CSDC
Joyce Montgomery, MBA has over 16 years of Charter Financial experience and her passion is supporting other charter leaders to learn the intracacies of charter finance and operations in order to provide excellent educational opportunities for students. As the former CFO of Summit and Leadership Public Schools, as well as the Lead for CSDC's Charter Business Program from 2014-2017, Ms. Montgomery brings experience, excellence and a vast array of charter stories to share.
Markus Mullarkey
President
Caliber Public Schools
I've been running finance and operations at Caliber since we opened our first school in 2014. In that time I feel like I've seen it all! Opening new schools, growing them, building private facilities, partnering with other charter organizations, etc. Lots of fun and challenging experiences! Before that, I spent ~15 years in marketing and leadership roles companies like Proctor & Gamble, the Boston Consulting Group, and CNET Networks. And I'm a lifelong East Bay area guy, having grown up and went to school in Richmond and Albany, just a couple miles away from where I still live with my wife and two kids.
Susan Lefkowitz
Regional School Business Director
CSMC
Regional School Business Director, Charter School Management Corporation: Since April 2013, Susan Lefkowitz has served as the Regional School Business Director for Charter School Management Corporation. In this role, she brings high-level strategic and technical expertise to school financial operations. Susan leads a dedicated team responsible for comprehensive financial planning, including revenue and expense projections, budget development, and cash flow management. Her team also ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and provides crucial support at the board level. With a focus on precision and strategic foresight, Susan has been instrumental in optimizing the financial health and operational efficiency of the schools under her purview.