Thomas County Schools is pleased to announce that Joey Holland, SFO, Deputy Superintendent for Finance, has earned the Certified Administrator of School Finance and Operations® (SFO®) by the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). School business professionals who earn the SFO certification have proven that they have the required knowledge, expertise, and fiscal credibility to lead their school district and effectively manage the district’s finances.
“Even though I’m going into my twentieth year in school finance for Thomas County Schools, I wanted reassurance that I had the knowledge and professional competencies to lead the school district in not only finance, but other areas of school operations,” Holland said. “I was also eager to find out if my finance and operations knowledge was on par with other school finance officials across the country.”
ASBO International’s SFO certification is an internationally recognized standardized assessment for school business officials.
“Increasingly we are seeing that certification is a driver that helps to raise the bar for sound fiscal management across all school districts,” says ASBO International executive director David J. Lewis. “SFOs are keenly sought after due to their experience and expertise in appropriately allocating resources to meet the current and future needs of their constituents.”
In addition to this personal achievement, under Holland’s management, the Thomas County School System has been recognized every year since 2013 by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts for “Excellent Financial Management and Reporting.” The award of distinction encourages Colleges, Universities, and Local Boards of Education to go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles and recognize organizations that are successful in achieving that goal.
“We are very fortunate to have someone of Joey Holland’s caliber managing our finances,” said Thomas County School Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams. “Mr. Holland manages an annual budget of more than 60 million dollars with precision, transparency, and integrity.”
“The Thomas County School System strives to be transparent and accountable to the taxpayers for every dollar that we spend,” Williams added. “Monthly financial reports are presented at public board meetings and posted on-line for the general public to view. Joey’s new certification along with this annual award should give the public confidence that their county school tax dollars are being spent wisely and managed with excellent stewardship.”
The SFO designation is granted to highly qualified school business professionals who fulfill multiple requirements, including demonstrating certification eligibility (through work experience and education); passing a comprehensive two-part exam that tests competency in accounting and school business management topics; and adhering to the ASBO International Certification Code of Conduct. School business officials who have earned the SFO certification commit to ongoing professional development, renewing the certification annually, and undergoing recertification every three years.
Holland added, “I’m a firm believer in being a life-long learner, and preparing for and taking the SFO certification is validation of that belief.”