ImagePinnacle Award-Winning Practices from 2007

ASBO International and Virco Inc., established the Pinnacle Awards Program to honor the innovative spirit of school business officials. Four Pinnacle Awards are given each year: one Pinnacle of Excellence Award and three Pinnacle of Achievement Awards.

Image Download the press release announcing the 2007 Pinnacle Award winners.

Image Read about the winners in the recent article from School Business Affairs (310K file).

Pinnacle of Excellence

ImageLisa Z. Morstad
Chief Financial Officer
Fayetteville Public Schools
Fayetteville, Arkansas
 
Enhancing Quality of Life Leads to an Energized Staff with Minimal Cost to the District
 
Quality-of-life benefits can be as important as monetary benefits for both the employee and the school district -- keeping employees happy, healthy, and the organization running more efficiently.  Under Lisa Morstad's guidance, the Fayetteville Public Schools launched a Get Fit health program in partnership with a local university. Get Fit began as a 10-week personal training course for 50 district employees by university graduate students and has evolved into a fitness center for all district employees and retirees, complete with stress management and nutritional counseling.
 
Other aspects of the district's benefit campaign include a discount card that's good at more than 90 businesses, and exclusive shopping nights at local stores. The Centers for Disease Control even cited Get Fit as a model for wellness programs in public schools.

Pinnacle of  Achievement

ImageRon McCulley
Assistant Director of Purchasing
Douglas County School District
Castle Rock, Colorado

District Wide Copier/MFD Initiative
 
Most of us wouldn't think of the office copier as a cost-cutting target. But for Ron McCulley, it was the focus of a major money-saving project. For years, copier services were bid “as needed†using a non-centralized RFP process. As a result, there were 247 different copiers scattered throughout the district. Per copy costs varied from site to site, and some facilities were saddled with machines up to 8 years old. 
 
To address this situation, McCulley lead a site-by-site analysis to determine overall cost per copy, then helped craft an ironclad RFP that enabled the district to standardize on digital equipment and to pay a very low per-copy rate. His copier program is targeted to save an estimated $1,500,000 over the next 5 years!

Pinnacle of Achievement 

ImageLouis J. Pepe
School Business Administrator/Board Secretary
Oakland Public Schools
Oakland, New Jersey
 
First Who, Then What: Implementing Effective Change through Quality Team Building
 
Teamwork is a key to any school district's success. When Louis Pepe arrived in the Oakland school district in 2003, classrooms weren't clean, the grounds were unkempt, building systems were constantly breaking down, and morale was low. Through an emphasis on teamwork, Pepe helped bring pride and teamwork back to the district.
 
Custodial staff leaders were identified and promoted; successful new employees were brought in from outside; and the district's custodial staff began working as a team.
 
This energized team now provides a wider range of more efficient services throughout the district and they've earned a coveted Statewide Safety Award for each of the past three years.


Pinnacle of Achievement 
Image
Robert A. Schoch
Director of Business Administration
Council Rock School District
Newtown, Pennsylvania

Energy Management Program Reduces Consumption by 31% By adopting an energy management policy in late 2005, Council Rock School District moved to address rising fuels costs and reduce unsustainable energy waste. Under the leadership of Schoch, their first steps involved setting indoor temperature guidelines and creating an Energy Committee, which partnered with an expert consultant to develop wide-ranging strategies.

Each school received an individual energy evaluation followed by suggested improvements for saving energy.  Wide-ranging communication efforts promote energy-saving through newsletters, e-mail alerts, and presentations at district meetings. The district also involves students in the campaign by including conservation in the curriculum.  As a result, from November 2006 through March 2007, energy-related savings exceeded $1.5 million.