ENCORE: Ankeny School Board Hires New CFO to Replace Craig Hansel

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Jackie Black, the current education finance director for the Iowa Association of School Boards, has been hired as the chief financial officer, according to a district news release.

The hiring was approved at Monday's Ankeny school board meeting and is effective June 25.

“I am very excited to join the Ankeny Community School District. The opportunity to serve the students, staff and community of such an outstanding school system is one for which I am truly grateful,” said Black in the release. “My commitment is to provide support and recommendations to our board, backed by data that supports transparent, clear and precise understanding, that creates trust and confidence that we are operating in the best interest of our students and our community.”

Black replaces Craig Hansel, who has served as Ankeny's CFO since 2007. He resigned to assume the position of executive director of business resources and organizational effectiveness with Iowa City schools effective July 1.

At IASB, Black led professional development and training on school finance for school board members and was an advisor for several financial programs for schools, such as the Iowa Schools Joint Investment and Cash Anticipation Programs. She was the coordinator and instructor for the Iowa Superintendent Finance and Leadership Consortium, and developed tools, training and programming on school finance.

“We were particularly impressed with Jackie’s strong content knowledge and background in school finance,” said incoming Ankeny Superintendent Bruce Kimpston in the release. “Combined with her strong communication skills, she is an outstanding choice for CFO. We look forward to having her on our team.”

Black has served as the education finance director for IASB for nearly three years. She has close to 30 years of experience in school-related finance, and prior to joining IASB, she was the director of business services for the Newton School District from 1997-2009, and the business manager of the Sigourney Community School District from 1984-1997.

A past president of the Iowa Association of Business Officials, Black also earned the Iowa Association of Business Officials Professional Leadership Award.

She holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix, a bachelor of arts in business management from Buena Vista College, and is a graduate of, and presenter at, the Iowa Schools Business Management Academy.

Black has been married for 35 years to her husband, Gary, who works at Van Meter Industrial in Des Moines. They have four grown sons, three daughter-in-laws, and three grandchildren.