2020-2021 WASBO Award Recipients

2020 WASBO Custodian/Maintenance Professional of the Year Award Recipient

Beth Dotter-Begay, Head Custodian of the Wausau School District

The Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) has selected Beth Dotter-Begay, Head Custodian of the Wausau School District, as the recipient of one of four 2020 WASBO Custodian/Maintenance Professional of the Year awards. Dotter-Begay is the recipient from the Northeast Region of Wisconsin. Dotter-Begay will be officially recognized at the 2021 Facilities Management Conference on March 2-3, 2021, in the Wisconsin Dells.

This award acknowledges the outstanding contributions of those who are making a difference in their local school district, community and the custodial and maintenance profession. Dotter-Begay — who was nominated by Randy Blaschka, Maintenance Supervisor, Wausau School District — is being recognized for her strong work ethic and leadership qualities. Dotter-Begay has worked to rapidly progress through the district’s custodial ranks. She was hired as a full-time custodian back in 2014. She then worked to get promoted to Head Custodian at the district’s largest elementary school by mid-2018, which Blaschka said was “one of the best assignments my director and I have made in the District.”

Not only has Dotter-Begay developed very good mechanical abilities, and an understanding of building management systems, building security protocol, snow plowing duties, roof maintenance and deep cleaning, she also “engages daily with the needs of the principal, staff, and participates in all meetings; she looks forward to lunch and interacting with students and knows most of the kids by first name,” her nomination letter states.

This honor carried with it a complimentary registration to the Reopening Safe and Healthy Wisconsin School Facilities Conference on July 15. Dotter-Begay also will be awarded a complimentary registration to the 2021 Facilities Management Conference.

Award Sponsored By:

2020 Mike Roshar WASBO Shining Star Award Recipient

Mary Jo Filbrandt, former WASBO Mentorship Coordinator

The Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) has selected Mary Jo Filbrandt as the recipient of the 2020 Mike Roshar WASBO Shining Star award. Filbrandt will officially be recognized during WASBO’s Fall Conference on October 15-16, 2020 at the Osthoff Resort and Conference Center in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

The purpose of the Shining Star Award is to recognize, celebrate, and encourage outstanding contributions to WASBO through member participation in committees, regional leadership and/or program development. Filbrandt was selected because of her great work serving as the coordinator for WASBO’s Mentorship Program.

Filbrandt helped grow the program by identifying more mentors and developing an enhanced version of the Mentorship Handbook. When the mentor pool numbers fell, she did not let that deter her. Filbrandt sought out WASBO members to mentor those new to the profession through relationship building with her peers. If she did not have a current mentor to serve in an area, she was on a mission to find one. Her passion to serve the profession was fueled by her many colleagues who served as mentors.

“Mary Jo’s highly respected moral character and exceptional work ethic make her an excellent candidate for the Shining Star Award,” her nomination letter states.

Filbrandt also has fulfilled many volunteer opportunities through WASBO, serving on the board of directors, co-chairing the Scholarship Selection Committee, serving on the WASBO Professional Improvement Committee, and presenting on various topics to her colleagues. Before serving as WASBO Mentorship Coordinator, Filbrandt was an active member. She served as both a Service Affiliate when she worked for Ansay & Associates and a District Professional when she served as Business Manager for the Antigo Unified School District for years.

Filbrandt retired from her position as mentorship coordinator in July of 2020. WASBO thanks Mary Jo for contributing mightily to the growth and development of the WASBO mentorship program and her passion to serve her peers.

This honor comes with a $1000 professional development grant, sponsored by Quarles & Brady. Beginning in the 2017-2018 fiscal year, the name of the WASBO Shining Star award was changed to recognize the service and passion modeled by Quarles & Brady attorney Mike Roshar. Roshar was a Shining Star by the relationships he developed within the many school district communities for which he provided sound legal advice.

Award Sponsored By:

2020 School Facilities Manager of the Year Award Recipient

Allen Behnke, Director of Facilities Services, Howard-Suamico School District 

The Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) has selected Allen Behnke, Director of Facilities Services, Howard-Suamico School District, as the recipient of the 2020 School Facilities Manager of the Year award. Behnke will officially be recognized during WASBO’s Fall Conference in October of 2020 at the Osthoff Resort and Conference Center in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

This award acknowledges the value and need to recognize outstanding school facilities managers in Wisconsin. Behnke is being recognized for his innovative practices, leadership in the district and surrounding community, and commitment to the profession. He has made vital contributions to many important projects in his district. This includes the prototype innovation studio at Bay View Middle School, which opened at the end of the 2018 school year. Since then, the space has inspired community leaders to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars and partner in workforce development initiatives for the students’ behalf. Behnke also was instrumental in creating the Bay Harbor Elementary Inclusive Playground, which is zero-entry and fully accessible. Annually, he manages more than $4 million a year in combined maintenance expense and capital improvements and makes sure the one million square feet of learning space is pristine.

Behnke is an active member of WASBO. He also serves on the board of directors for the Wisconsin School Safety Coordinators Association and the Wisconsin Sports Turf Managers Association. Locally, he also sits on a number of district committees and represents his district as a member of Packerland Sunrise Rotary and the Sunrise Optimist Clubs while consistently pursuing professional development and leadership training opportunities.

One of his nomination letters states that Behnke “makes our district better with his impressive work ethic, consistent high-end results on any project, and his enjoyable personality.”

Another nomination letter noted, “Al takes a tremendous amount of pride in the work that he does and puts in countless hours. His organization and attention to detail is a strength, and he is highly visible at a number of different events. It is not uncommon to see him at evening events at the high school, not because he is required to be there but simply because he wants to be a part of the community.”

This honor carries with it a $1,000 cash award, sponsored by Dude Solutions and Stalker Sports Floors, for continuing professional development.

Award Sponsored By:

2021 School Business Manager of the Year Award Recipient

Lynn Knight, Business Manager, School District of Nekoosa

The Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) has selected Lynn Knight, Business Manager, School District of Nekoosa, as the recipient of the 2021 School Business Manager of the Year award. She will be officially honored in January of 2021 during the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) - the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (WASDA) - WASBO State Education Convention in Milwaukee, Wis.

The purpose of the School Business Manager of the Year award is to recognize the recent outstanding contributions of the recipient to their local school district and community and to the business manager profession. Knight is being recognized for her innovative practices, leadership in the district and surrounding community, and commitment to professional development. Affectionately called a “Knight in Shining Armor” by her colleagues, Knight began her latest position at a time when Nekoosa School District’s financial situation was “grim.” According to her nomination letters, her plan of fiscal responsibility and total transparency brought the district from a fund balance of under half a million dollars to $3.5 million during her tenure. In her district, Knight also has replaced a “broken” nutritional system with a much healthier model, helped forge a connection between the school board and the city, and proved vital in helping the district pass a five-year operating referendum in the spring of 2020.

Knight’s leadership extends to WASBO, where she has served as president of the Board of Directors. She even is a director candidate for the ASBO International 2021 election. Additionally, she has shared her expertise by speaking at countless WASBO sessions. She also helps plan a portion of WASBO’s professional development by serving on the Accounting Committee and is active in the WASBO Wisconsin Valley Regional.

In her community, Knight has served actively in the United Way of South Wood and Adams Counties as a Director, Treasurer and President, and she volunteers at her local TracyPawsRescue.

One of her nomination letters states that Knight “possess the rare an innate ability to lead in a forthright manner without being condescending or excluding people. She is a perfectionist who expects excellence from those she works with and demands even more from herself. Lynn is a leader who can effectively manage the current needs and problems of the moment while collaboratively working to develop a vision for the future.”

Another nomination letter noted, “anyone who listened to Lynn speak for the first time after her election (as WASBO Board President) could easily identify her as a fearless leader. She is not afraid to chart new territories and has served WASBO not only as a director but as a speaker, all-around volunteer, and perhaps most importantly is someone who is approachable and loyal to her peers in a service-oriented manner.”

This honor carries with it a $1,500 cash award, sponsored by M3 Insurance, for continuing professional development. Knight also has the privilege of presenting a $1,500 scholarship to a 2021 graduating senior in the School District of Nekoosa.

Award Sponsored By:

2020 WASBO Custodian/Maintenance Professional of the Year Award Recipient

Chad Brandau, District Maintenance, School District of Holmen

The Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) has selected Chad Brandau, District Maintenance, School District of Holmen, as the recipient of one of four 2020 WASBO Custodian/Maintenance Professional of the Year awards. Brandau is the recipient from the Northwest Region of Wisconsin. Brandau will be officially recognized at the 2021 Facilities Management Conference on March 2-3, 2021, in the Wisconsin Dells.

This award acknowledges the outstanding contributions of those who are making a difference in their local school district, community and the custodial and maintenance profession. Brandau — who was nominated by John Daily, Buildings and Grounds Supervisor, School District of Holmen — is being recognized for his positive impact on both his district and community. Before his current role, Brandau has served the district as a bus driver and food service worker, where he built long-lasting relationships with both students and staff. He also has delivered meals to senior centers, the YMCA and private schools that have contracted with the district.

Brandau has even become a mentor to some students. This includes one student with Downs Syndrome in the district, who Brandau coached several times a week while on his food delivery route. Thanks to Brandau, this student “blossomed under his guidance,” earned the respect and admiration of the food service staff, and eventually was the first special needs student the district had ever hired.

“While Chad is a skilled communicator and develops positive relationships with his customers, he also realizes what the ultimate mission of the school is: to develop and help our students grow to become good citizens,” his nomination letter states.

This honor carried with it a complimentary registration to the Reopening Safe and Healthy Wisconsin School Facilities Conference on July 15. Brandau also will be awarded a complimentary registration to the 2021 Facilities Management Conference.

Award Sponsored By:

2020 Wallace E. Zastrow Award Recipient

Joe Ledvina, Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds, La Crosse School District

The Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) has selected Joe Ledvina, Supervisor of Buildings & Grounds, La Crosse School District, as the winner of the 2020 Wallace E. Zastrow Award. Ledvina will officially be recognized during WASBO’s Fall Conference on October 15-16, 2020 at the Osthoff Resort and Conference Center in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

The Wallace E. Zastrow Award is the highest legacy honor WASBO bestows on its members. Wallace E. Zastrow was a charter member of WASBO and served as the Association’s first Executive Director. The purpose of the award is to honor the legacy career accomplishments, outstanding contributions, and years of service of active WASBO members who have displayed visionary leadership, commitment and dedication. Award winners like Joe Ledvina have made significant contributions to better the profession, public education, the school districts they serve, and WASBO.

One of Ledvina’s key phrases when he meets with all of his new custodial staff members is “we’re not in the cleaning business; we’re in the customer business.” He brings that public servant attitude into every aspect of his life. Not only is his district considered a leader in energy conservation, Ledvina is a consummate leader and mentor. He has served as the co-chair of the WASBO Facilities Committee for the last six years. He also has presented at countless WASBO professional development sessions, including as a keynote speaker at the 2019 Midwest Facility Masters Conference. A true philanthropist, Ledvina also has raised thousands of dollars over the last five years for the La Crosse Public Education Foundation with the organization’s golf outing. Ledvina isn’t just a model public servant for the school district. He also served on the city council and is a past president. His deep connection to the outside community has been vital for the school district. In fact, his idea to build a school in downtown La Crosse has “greatly enriched the educational opportunities for students, staff and local businesses,” one of his nomination letters noted.

“You often hear the cliché that the tone is set at the top. Joe has set the tone for excellence in everything he does. His exemplary leadership has created a culture of distinction in La Crosse. He has already created his legacy as the best buildings and grounds leader that La Crosse has had,” another letter notes.

This honor carries with it a $2,000 cash award, sponsored by the Wisconsin Investment Series Cooperative, for continuing professional development. Ledvina also has the privilege of presenting a $1,500 scholarship to a 2020 graduating senior in the La Crosse School District.

Award Sponsored By:

2020 WASBO Business Services Award Recipient

School District of Waupaca

The Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) has selected the School District of Waupaca as the recipient of the 2020 Business Services award. The school district will officially be recognized during WASBO’s Fall Conference on October 15-16, 2020, at the Osthoff Resort and Conference Center in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

This is the third year in a row the school district has received this award, which recognizes outstanding practices and new ideas that result in significant contributions to school entities or the profession of school business management.  The WASBO Business Services Award is presented annually to an educational institution in Wisconsin which has implemented a business practice that has resulted in an improvement in service, increased efficiency, or more simply, a better way of doing business. This award gives districts the opportunity to share these innovative efforts with peers and colleagues across the state.

The School District of Waupaca received this honor due to the creation of a brand new National Award-winning $3.2 million athletic complex. The complex was built with no money down in less than one year without a referendum. The project was made possible with a strong community and district collaborative effort to prioritize student and staff wellness. The project was paid for using the revenue from selling its offsite football field that was in need of bleacher and press box renovations for safety reasons as well as a fundraising campaign and a short-term Trust Fund Loan.

According to the nomination letter, another goal of the project was to improve overall student wellness to make sure students were better equipped for the workforce. This included involving them in the process, which has included graphic arts design opportunities as well as a student-ran concession stand.

This honor carries with it a $1,000 cash award, sponsored by Baird Public Finance, for continuing professional development.

The School District of Waupaca received the Business Services Award in 2019 for the creation of the on-site Comet Café, which gave staff and students nutritious offerings throughout the school day to emphasize wellness. The district won the award in 2018 for the creation of an on-site clinical telemedicine program.

Award Sponsored By:

2020 WASBO Safety, Security and Wellness Award Recipient

Safety Committee, Sparta Area School District

The Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) has selected the Sparta Area School District’s Safety Committee as the recipient of the 2020 Safety, Security and Wellness award. The school district will officially be recognized during WASBO’s Fall Conference in October at the Osthoff Resort and Conference Center in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

The Safety, Security & Wellness Award recognizes and promotes Wisconsin school districts for their efforts to create safe and healthy learning environments. This program is designed to help lessen districts’ financial burdens, while at the same time acknowledging their initiative, creativity and dedication to healthy, safe and secure schools. It also provides the opportunity for districts to share their bright ideas with their peers.

The Sparta Area School District is receiving this award due to the efforts of the district’s safety committee to lower its 2016 workers’ compensation mod of 1.31. This high of a mod meant the district was at risk of losing its worker’s compensation coverage. Due to the committee’s efforts, the district’s workers’ compensation mod has reached an all-time low of 0.76. This historic low for the district happened due to the committee’s efforts to create a culture of safety by improving safety communications, programming and best practices. Some of the efforts included:

• Creating a return-to-work program.
• Revising employee handbook language regarding the expectation of reporting injuries. All injuries must be reported within 24 hours of the occurrence, whether or not medical attention is needed.
• Implementing a nurse triage line.
• Creating a district-wide slip, trip and fall campaign and purchasing new signs and equipment to remind people to be safe.
• Displaying the message “no injury is too small” on forms, posters and staff communications.
• Transitioning the district’s paper injury forms into electronic forms through Skyward, which allowed for an easier analysis of trends.
• At the beginning of this year, staff performed a “Safety Scavenger Hunt” in which they were encouraged to upload a picture of a safe activity listed on the scavenger hunt for the potential to win a prize.

For more information on Sparta’s campaign as well as other district’s campaigns that were nominated for this award, click here.

This honor carries with it a $1,500 grant sponsored by M3 Insurance for ongoing risk management efforts.

Award Sponsored By:

2021 George Gray New School Business Manager of the Year Award Recipient

Leah Hauser, Director of Business Services, Sparta Area School District

The Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) has selected Leah Hauser, Director of Business Services, Sparta Area School District, as the recipient of the 2021 George Gray WASBO New School Business Manager of the Year award. She will be officially honored in January during the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) - the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (WASDA) - WASBO State Education Convention in Milwaukee, Wis.

This award was renamed in honor of George Gray, who was responsible for creating the School of Business Management Master of Science degree program at UW-Whitewater that trained several Wisconsin’s school business managers through the “Fairly Normal School District” budget mock Annual Meeting. Hauser was named George Gray WASBO New School Business Manager of the Year in recognition of her leadership in schools, innovative practices, and role in her community.

Just as George Gray before her, Hauser’s “skills curiosity, drive and caring are second-to-none.” Her business office is often described as running “like a well-oiled machine,” according to her nomination letters. Hauser also is “masterful” at making the complicated jargon associated with the business office easily understandable to the school board and community. In addition to being fiscally responsible, she was instrumental in reworking her district’s Teacher Compensation Model, which went from a complicated “selected performance” model to a detailed lane-and-step system that implemented incremental pay increases over a career. This was based on an actuarial study of every single employee in the district’s system. Sparta is in the middle of a major district expansion, including building a new elementary school, a new wing and selling two buildings. Hauser has been instrumental in every step of that process. Her planning goes far beyond the actual buildings, though, as she has created long-rang technology and staffing plans that have helped the district clearly prioritize resources.

As a leader in the areas of risk management and employee benefits, Hauser helped oversee various accident prevention projects that cut the number of incidents from 2015 to 2019 in half. She often serves as the district’s spokesperson on the Chamber of Commerce Board. One of her nomination letters notes that she was crucial in orchestrating the Sparta Area Young Professionals group. She also works with the Sparta Area Boys and Girls Club and can often be seen volunteering at local events like the Tail Gate Party with the Packers and the Sparta Santa Scrambler Race.

One of her nomination letters notes that “Ms. Hauser is a reflective, lifelong learner with a passion for ensuring our resources are providing the most that they can for the students we serve.”

This honor carries with it a $1,000 cash award for Hauser’s continued professional development, sponsored by Hays Companies.

Award Sponsored By: