Jillynn Keppler knows all about small towns. The new Lake Orion School District Financial Director grew up in Harbor Beach.
‘That’s what I love about Lake Orion. It has the same small town feeling. And we are moving out here,? she added.
Believe it or not, Keppler said she’s always wanted to work in accounting. ‘My mother’s a math teacher. I always had this little ledger where I wrote down everything I spent. I couldn’t be a teacher; I don’t have enough patience.?
Although both of her parents are graduates of Michigan State University, Keppler opted to go to Oakland University to earn her accounting degree because it was smaller.
She went to work for BDO Seidman. The company eventually was hired as auditors for the Lake Orion School District.
‘My favorite client was Lake Orion Schools. It had a nice working environment, wonderfully friendly people who took pride in having good books (accounts),? Keppler added.
She eventually left Seidman to become an assistant controller for the Lutheran High School Districts.
Two years later, Elizabeth Balch, the then assistant business manager for the school district, called Keppler to tell her she was retiring and wanted her to apply for her job.
‘I was getting tired of auditing. I’ve found my niche. I’m very happy here. I want to have some roots,? Keppler said.
She was named the school district’s financial director last July. Since then, Keppler has already done a lot of changes.
With additional schools being built in the district in the last seven years, paperwork in the business office multiplied.
‘We’re much more efficient with less staffing. It’s a wonderful staff. We have team training and cross training. That was never done before.? Keppler said. ‘There’s a much better separation of duties. Checks and balances are in place.?
The one of the biggest challenges Keppler and her staff faced this past year was organizing a now required inventory of any school item that is valued at $5,000 or more.
‘We hired an outside company to do the actual inventory. Ten school districts combined to make the costs less. When it’s done we’ll have to review it.? Keppler said.
‘The company commented that we have beautiful facilities and excellent staff. That was a huge compliment.?
And of course, Keppler’s been working closely with school board members on next year’s budget which includes cuts.
‘This year we got input from all the staff; talked to parent organizations (to get ideas on where the cuts could come from). I compiled all these and took it to administration. They put it in order (top suggestions). It then went to the board and it made some changes,? she added.
According to Keppler, the budget will be revisited by the board at one of its meetings in May. ‘We’ll have more information about (employee) negotiations and insurance rates.
‘We want the least impact on the district, so we don’t want to over reduce,? she added. ‘We don’t want to cut too much; every program is important.
Keppler believes there will be one more year of economy turmoil before there’s a turnaround.
Besides working on the budget, making things work more efficiently and paying bills, Keppler works with Lake Orion’s Assistant Superintendent Chris Lehman on employee negotiations.
She helps building principals with their yearly budgets, directs the budgets on the school district’s bond programs and continues to streamline the business office.
And does Keppler have time to do any fun things? Much of her extra time is spent with her son Justin who just turned 2 and her husband Joe.
‘I love to read suspense novels. And we (including Justin) love to golf. We’re a golf family,? she added.