The Germantown Central School District recently hired new Business Administrator Ryan Smith. Please join us in giving him a warm welcome to GCS! Learn more about him and his work below.
Can you tell us about your professional experience?
I worked for Albany Leadership Charter School for Girls for the past 10 years in their Business Office. The last five years I was their School Business Administrator. I attended The College of Saint Rose, where I earned my Master’s Degree in Business Administration and my School District Business Leader (SDBL) Certification. I am currently working under my Internship Certification while I complete the final requirement of the SDBL certification.
What made you want to get involved in this field, and ultimately work in education?
I have always had a love for working with numbers and problem-solving. In 2012, I was required to complete an internship for my Associate’s Degree in Accounting. I ended up getting a placement in a Business Office of a Charter School. I remember talking with my sister one day after I started the internship and she asked, “Are you going to ask them about the possibility of a job after the internship?” I remember thinking she was nuts because I was going to end up working at an Accounting firm somewhere. On my last week of my internship, I asked my supervisor if I could come back in two weeks to sit in for the Annual Audit and, instead, he asked me if I wanted a full-time job as the Business Office Assistant. Over the years working with many different teachers and students, I developed my passion for education and found myself diverting my personal educational path away from accounting and more toward business administration, and then I took the next step to become a School District Business Leader.
What made you want to work in the Germantown Central School District?
I was born and raised in Columbia County and love the small-town vibes and connections. When I saw that Germantown CSD had an opening, it just felt like the perfect place to start the next chapter of my career.
Can you tell us a bit about your job responsibilities and priorities?
As the District Business Administrator, I oversee all financial aspects of the school, which includes the monitoring of the District’s financial position, accounts payable, accounts receivable, investments, long-term financial planning and analysis, payroll, annual budget development, and state and federal grants. In addition to the District’s finances, I support Human Resources with the management of benefits and onboarding employees.
What’s your life like outside of school?
I am a family man who is all about my kids and spouse. We love to spend our summer weekends exploring, either camping or going to zoos and aquariums. On my down time around the home, I enjoy working on house projects or working in the yard on different projects.
Fun Fact! What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?
I used to play amateur paintball up and down the East Coast and was sponsored by two local facilities in Columbia County.
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