Association of School Business Officials International and
Government Finance Officers Association of the U.S. and Canada Recognize District
STOW, OHIO—October 25, 2010—Stow-Munroe Falls City School District (SMFCSD) is pleased to announce the District won the Association of School Business Officials International’s (ASBO) Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting Program. The District was also awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the U. S. and Canada (GFOA) for fiscal year 2009.
Marking the fourth consecutive year the District has earned the ASBO Certificate of Excellence, this is the highest recognition for school district financial operations offered by ASBO and is only conferred to school systems that have met or exceeded the standards of the program.
The District’s Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Catherine Bulgrin has earned the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence for 13 years straight, beginning fiscal year 1997. The SMFCSD earned the GFOA award for its comprehensive annual financial report, which is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
Bulgrin has served in several leadership roles for the Five-County Chapter of the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) including president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. In addition, she served as a member of the Board of Directors at the state level of OASBO as Director for both Northeast and Central Regions. She is also an active member of ASBO International.
"The Stow-Munroe Falls Board of Education congratulates Mrs. Bulgrin for the awards presented tonight. We are all proud of her for these accomplishments as she brings with her not only a history of excellence in reporting, but, she can effectively communicate our District's financial picture to the public,” said Stow-Munroe Falls Board of Education President Karen Wright. “We also acknowledge her expertise in seeing that the financial and business operations of our District are handled efficiently and in compliance. Catherine is well respected for her outstanding leadership as Chief Fiscal Officer of SMFCSD.”
Bulgrin is a member of the Stow-Munroe Falls Kiwanis Club; Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce; Community Improvement Corporation for the City of Stow; GFOA and serves on the Tax Incentive Review Council (TIRC) for both Stow and Munroe Falls.
By preparing and presenting a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to GFOA, the District validated the credibility of the school system’s operations, measured the integrity and technical competence of the business staff, assisted in strengthening presentations for bond issuance statements and provided professional recognition. The comprehensive annual financial report is judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report.
The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving approximately 17,500 government finance professionals with offices in Chicago, Illinois and Washington, D.C. For additional information, visit www.gfoa.org.
For details about ASBO, visit www.asbointl.org.
About Stow-Munroe Falls City School District
The Stow-Munroe Falls City School District is rated Excellent by the Ohio Department of Education, an honor held by 215 districts out of 613 statewide. For more information, visit www.smfschools.org, follow updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/smfschools or via Twitter at www.twitter.com/st_jones4.
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Media Contact: Jacquie Mazziotta, 330.592.3370, st_mazziotta@smfcsd.org
