A seasoned business professional and educational leader with 30 years of experience in accounting and finance will join the Lewis-Palmer School District 38 executive team after Brett Ridgway emerged as the successful candidate for the district’s Chief Business Officer position.
Ridgway joins the D38 team from District 49 where he held the same role, and brings to D38 more than 15 years of leadership experience in school systems and 15 years in the private sector.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Brett to the D38 team. In the last year, we’ve made great progress, and we have many opportunities ahead of us. From helping us innovate solutions to our most pressing challenges to bolstering public confidence in our fiscal stewardship of taxpayer dollars, Brett is the right person to help D38 forge forward,” said KC Somers, D38 Superintendent.
At District 49, Ridgway helped pave the path towards becoming a fiscally responsible and financially healthy school district, and he accomplished a number of goals, including helping finance the purchase or construction of five new buildings. Ridgway also recently saw a state-wide success as Governor Jared Polis signed into law SB22-202, also known as the State Match for Mill Levy Override Revenue, which Ridgway worked on for nearly six years in tandem with bipartisan lawmakers.
“I’m looking forward to joining D38, where I believe I can have a lasting impact by creating and adjusting existing business processes to serve the needs of the organization by delivering information that is complete, valid, and accurate; as well as relevant, useful and timely,” Ridgway said. “It’s my goal to hit the ground running, especially as the district looks to create solutions for a range of challenges.”
Board of Education Treasurer Ron Schwarz, who sat on the search committee, remarked on Ridgway’s ability to be a power listener, among other leadership traits.
“I was pleased with Brett’s capacity to be a doer who measures success by his greater teams’ lasting results. He proved to be a quality listener who solicits feedback and concurrence. Both characteristics make for a strong leader. He has the fiscal prowess to maximize return on D38’s assets in a manner that delivers lasting student and staff results,” Schwarz said. “He has a proven track record of working with local industry to diversify educational opportunities for our students such that they have career choices beyond traditional academic mediums. We were specifically looking for a quality individual with business prowess who can navigate the regulatory educational environment. We’ve found him.”
Ridgway will be stepping in following the departure of Kitte Overton, who retired in the position of Chief Financial Officer, effective June 30. He will begin onboarding with the D38 team beginning July 1.
D38 leadership redesigned the position of CFO into the Chief Business Officer role with responsibilities that will include direct oversight of the finance team and structural alignment across all business functions (Human Resources, Operations and Planning, Learning and Student Services) across the district.