The board approved a three-year contract for Rucker that includes a $135,000 annual salary.
“Penny came across as not only strong with her financial knowledge, but her skills at delivering that information to us as a board, and clearly that would transfer also to the public, set her apart from other candidates,” said Al Nels, the board president.
Rucker, one of seven candidates interviewed for the job, will oversee the school district’s $72 million budget.
“I’m thrilled to have somebody with her level of experience and enthusiasm join our team and take us forward,” said Krista Hunt, a board member.
The district hired a new treasurer seven months after its former treasurer, Stephen Maag, resigned in October after an investigation related to signature discrepancies on the district’s 2011 and 2012 audits.
Criminal charges were not filed against Maag.
Rucker graduated from Franklin University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s of education in school treasury. Her career, which spans more than two decades, includes working for Upper Arlington City Schools as a assistant treasurer in in 1992. Four years later, London City Schools hired her for a treasurer and CFO position. She left the school district three years later and started a consulting company providing financial services for schools.
Rucker went back to working for local government in 2005 when she accepted a treasurer and CFO position with Springfield City Schools. Four years later she accepted a similar position with Columbus City Schools, where she oversaw a one of the largest school district budgets in the state — $1.2 billion.
Rucker said she made the move to the Beavercreek school district because it was time for a change.
“ I was excited to be a part of a district that has an excellent rating and a very efficient use of budgeted funds,” she said.
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