FY24 A.I. Creating an Exit Plan

Matthew Gillis has been in the field of School Business Administration since December 2001 and has worked in a K-12 Regional system, and in small, medium, and large municipal school departments. In that time, he has overseen transportation in rural, suburban and urban communities and has been a procurer of transportation vendor services as well as an owner and operator.

He holds a current School Business Administrator license and Superintendent’s license from DESE.  He earned his MPA from Suffolk University’s Sawyer School of Business, his BA from Marist College, and refined his knowledge of school administration field  15 graduate credits from Westfield State College. In the last 22 years, Matthew has built, helped present, and managed to live within: operating budgets, capital project budgets, grants, revolving fund budgets, and warrant articles. He has kept his knowledge and skills sharp over this period with membership and attendance the following organizations: MASBO, ASBO, MA Treasurer’s & Collector’s Association, the MA Inspector General’s Office, and workshops with MA Department of Revenue. Matthew is a past President of the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials (MASBO), and has presented on a variety of topics to his colleagues over the years. Currently, he is looking forward to joining the Natick Public Schools leadership team and helping the system reach its student achievement goals while providing strong value for parents and taxpayers.

Cynthia Mahr has spent more than twenty-five years in state and school finance. She joined Wellesley Public Schools in 2018. Prior to Wellesley, Cynthia served as the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations for Weston Public School and Director of Administrative Services for the Public Schools of Brookline. She is a Certified Administrator of School Finance and Operations and a Meritorious Budget Award recipient (Weston and Wellesley) from the Association of School Business Officials International, as well as the recipient of the President's Award from the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials (MASBO). Cynthia is a Past President of MASBO. Cynthia earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Hartwick College and her Master’s in Public Administration degree from Suffolk University.

Mary Ellen Normen is a knowledgeable and skilled leader in public education and municipal management. She has spent 30 years working in municipal and school finance roles for MetroWest area communities in Massachusetts. She has held the roles of Treasurer/Collector and School Business Administrator in six communities during her career in municipal finance after starting her career as a Presidential Management Intern with the US GAO. She often serves as an instructor and mentor for many school business administrators in the areas of municipal finance law, policy analysis, program evaluation, and is an advocate for fostering collaborative partnerships within schools and municipal departments.

Jay Sullivan is the Associate Commissioner for District & School Finance in the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education. In this capacity, he directs the Offices of School Finance, School Business and Regional Governance. He also oversees a variety of financial programs, including Special Education Circuit Breaker, School accounting, End of Year Financial Reporting and Auditing, Transportation, as well as federal compliance issues relative to maintenance of effort requirements and the calculation of district’s indirect cost rates. Jay has worked for the Department for over 43 years as an auditor, administrator and business manager.