Schools
Dearborn School Board Names New Business Services Director
Samuel Barna will replaced Robert Cipriano as the overseer of the district's $170 million budget.
Four months after the , the district has announced that they've found his replacement.
The Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education unanimously approved the hiring of financial analyst Samuel Barna to oversee the 18,500-student district’s general fund budget, dedicated funds and overall financial operations.
Barna’s appointment was solidified at the Monday night board meeting.
Find out what's happening in Dearbornwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
District Supt. Brian Whiston expressed confidence that Barna’s experience will bring the district the level of expertise the district requires during tough fiscal times.
“We interviewed a lot of people, and we thought Samuel was the person to guide the district’s finances during this time,” he said. “We’re pleased he’s joining the district.”
Find out what's happening in Dearbornwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Barna is joining the district during unprecedented times. The district’s budget has been in continual contraction for several years as revenues from the state, and from local property taxes, have dwindled. For the 2012-13 budget, the district was in part because of slow property tax collections.
Barna was not present at Monday night's board meeting.
According to his LinkedIn profile, most of Barna's experience is in the health care field.
His most current position is with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan, where he served as a segment financial coordinator responsible for budgeting, forecasting, analysis and reporting for the non-profit insurer’s group insured segment.
Previously, Barna held jobs managing budgets and finances at Beaumont Hospital and DTE Energy.
Barna’s hiring marks the second time the district culled a business services manager from the health care industry and private sector, as opposed to public education sector.
“Bob (Cipriano) was from Oakwood (Healthcare System), but we didn’t specifically look for someone from the private sector,” Whiston said. “We interviewed people with different experiences.”
The business service manager’s position opened up as a result of a tragedy when Cipriano, who held the position for 12 years, was . His son, Tucker Cipriano, is charged with first-degree murder in Cipriano’s death.
