The Criterion Team
Dr. Frank Costanzo
Dr. Frank Costanzo
Dr. Frank Costanzo
As a former Superintendent and State Department of Education intervention team member, Dr. Costanzo understands the adminstrative challenges that school systems are sometimes faced with. Dr. Costanzo has experience with evaluations, human resources, job descriptions and organizational restructuring, creative resource allocation and virtually all other facets of executive leadership for school boards. He can assist with strategic planning to evaluating both personnel and school system operations to training to providing leadership and direction in the event of a Superintendent vacancy. Dr. Costanzo can conduct training for administrators, and, in partnership with AASB, can do your whole board training as well.
Contact info: fcostanzo@criterionk12.com
Dr. Phil Hammonds
Dr. Frank Costanzo
Dr. Frank Costanzo
From heading one of the largest school systems in Alabama to starting a new school system from scratch, Dr. Hammonds has vast education experience and is recognized by his peers as someone who has a gift for building a positive school system culture.
He can provide hard-won advice on internal, intergovernmental, media, and public relations; crisis management; and school system separations and formations. He is also available to provide administrator evaluations, mentoring, customized training, needs assessments, guidance regarding school foundation formation, CSFO/Bookkeeper/Finance support, and litigation support/consultation.
Contact info: phammonds@criterionk12.com
Mary Veal
Todd Weeks
Todd Weeks
Mary Veal is an experienced educator with decades of experience in public education. Ms. Veal served as the Human Resources Directior for Hoover City Schools until her retirement.
Ms. Veal brings a wealth of expertise in many aspects of school administration, but especially in the area of human resource management. In particular, she can offer assistance with the practical implementation of the Alabama Students First Act, hiring processes, salary schedule analysis, Family Medical Leave Act, various Department of Labor Wage and Hour issues, job description development processes, as well as a myriad of other human resource and school administration solutions.
Contact info: mveal@criterionk12.com
Todd Weeks
Todd Weeks
Todd Weeks
Todd Weeks brings to Criterion a breadth of experience - Science Teacher, Coach, Assistant Principal, Principal (both Middle School and Elementary), Director of Personnel, Assistant Superintendent and even Superintendent.
Well known and well respected throughout the “wiregrass” and the entire State, Mr. Weeks can provide help and assistance in all areas of administration, but especially in Human Resources. He has been through layoffs, cutbacks and complex restructurings, in addition to tackling the day-to-day issues that came up in a school system with over 1000 employees. He can offer guidance in application of the Students First Act, Contract Principal Law, EEOC Investigations, Overtime issues, record keeping and organizational administration and a host of other human resources related areas.
His practical advice and experience is also useful for leadership training, principal mentoring, job coaching and administrator evaluations.
Contact info: tweeks@criterionk12.com
The Finance Team
Kim McPherson, CPA
Kim McPherson, CPA
Kim McPherson, CPA
Kim McPherson has spent her career helping school boards and the State Department of Education in the area of school finance. She has served as a Chief School Financial Officer (CSFO), State Examiner, expert witness and a member of the State Department's troubleshooting team for a number of years. She has a knack for solving financial problems. She knows the "tricks of the trade" for making sure that positions are properly coded and reported so as to capture appropriate funding. She can help with training local and central office bookkeepers, solving problems, assisting systems without a current CSFO or while the CSFO is unavailable, assisting with central or local school budgeting, assessing financial health, audits and just about any other facet of school board fiscal operations.
Contact info: kmcpherson@criterionk12.com
Mara Walls
Kim McPherson, CPA
Kim McPherson, CPA
Mara Walls has spent the last six years as a consultant to school boards in the area of finance as a member of the State Department of Education's intervention team. She has extensive knowledge in coding, budgeting, preparing financial reports, financial forecasting, human resource development and management, and salary schdules. Her background as a County and City CSFO for 12 years, a state auditor, and as a professional assistant to the Superintendent and principal in a local system gives her a unique perspective into a system's needs from both a management and employee perspective. Team building and fostering collaboration are her strengths. She has served and is a talented mentor for CSFO's and can help boards manage and leverage the local, state and federal funds relationship to better serve students. She can assist with training local and central office bookkeepers, solving problems, assisting systems without a current CSFO or while the CSFO is unavailable, assisting with central or local school budgeting, assessing financial health, audits and just about any other facet of school board fiscal operations.
Contact info: mwalls@criterionk12.com
Marie Plowman
Kim McPherson, CPA
Marie Plowman
Marie Plowman is one of Criterion's payroll experts for local school boards. She knows the payroll systems for boards of education like the back of her hand and spent many years troubleshooting payroll issues in local school boards for the State Department of Education. Marie has a knack for teaching and training payroll staff is where she really shines. Mistakes in payroll can be costly and they tend to compound. A good system and proper training are imperative to payroll fidelity. In this area, an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure. Marie can help with training of payroll staff, audits, troubleshooting payroll and other financial problems, emergency assistance with payroll where staff is unavailable or having difficulty, year end close out and assistance with W-2's and other reporting obligations.
Marie can help with training of payroll staff, audits, troubleshooting payroll and other financial problems, emergency assistance with payroll where staff is unavailable or having difficulty, year end close out and assistance with W-2's and other reporting obligations.
Contact info: mplowman@criterionk12.com
Amy Sherer
Pat Benefield
Randy Dunlap
Amy Sherer is one of Criterion's payroll experts for local school boards. She has years of experience as a payroll professional but also sees the big picture, having also served as a school system CSFO. While she can assist with all aspects of school finance payroll is really her passion.
Amy can help with training of payroll staff, audits, troubleshooting payroll and other financial problems, emergency assistance with payroll where staff is unavailable or having difficulty, year end close out and assistance with W-2's and other reporting obligations.
Contact info: asherer@criterionk12.com