Chanda Cleaves
Mesa
Summary
Executive finance leader with 15+ years of experience in K-12 public education finance, budgeting, operations, auditing, grant administration, and labor negotiations. Proven success managing multimillion-dollar budgets, leading finance and payroll functions, ensuring regulatory compliance, and presenting financial strategies to Boards of Education. Experienced in fund accounting, collective bargaining, financial reporting, and organizational leadership.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Executive Director of Finance
FLINT COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
08.2025 - 05.2026
- Remote-Based
- Responsible for the coordination, management and supervision of payroll, finance and business services.
- Provide direction to administrators for all aspects of business services including district purchasing, departmental budgets, and State and Federal grant reporting.
- Review and monitor costs associated with the budget.
- Review the general ledger to ensure the accuracy of postings: prepare and enter monthly adjusting journal entries; analyze and reconcile accounts as required.
- Overall responsibility for school district fund accounting activities to general, debt, food service, and student activities.
- Quarterly presentations to the Board of Education.
- Key member of the negotiations team for three bargaining units.
- Assist external auditors in the annual audit.
Shared-Time Finance Director-Flint Community Schools
GENESEE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT
07.2023 - 07.2025
- Assigned as the CFO for Flint Community Schools.
- Directed payroll, finance, and business operations for a public school district serving approximately 2,500 students and managing an annual operating budget exceeding $100 million.
- Provided direction to administrators for all aspects of business services including district purchasing, departmental budgets, and State and Federal grant reporting.
- Monitored district expenditures and implemented cost-control measures that maintained budget compliance and supported long-term financial stability.
- Reviewed the general ledger to ensure the accuracy of postings: prepared and entered monthly adjusting journal entries; analyze and reconcile accounts as required.
- Overall responsibility for school district fund accounting activities to general, debt, food service, and student activities.
- Quarterly presentations to the Board of Education.
- Key member of the negotiations team for three bargaining units.
- Assisted external auditors in the annual audit.
Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations
WAYNE-WESTLAND COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
06.2019 - 07.2023
- Responsible for the organization, operation, and evaluation of business functions.
- Provided direction to administrators for all aspects of business services including district purchasing, departmental budgets, and State and Federal grant reporting.
- Reviewed and monitored costs associated with the budget.
- Reviewed the general ledger to ensure the accuracy of postings: prepared and entered monthly adjusting journal entries; analyze and reconcile accounts as required.
- Overall responsibility for school district fund accounting activities to general, debt, food service, building and site, student activities, and long-term debt and fixed assets.
- Prepared the monthly district financial reports.
- Prepared state, county, federal, and internal financial reports and analysis.
- Conducted monthly presentations to the Finance Committee and Board of Education.
Auditor I and II – Office of Audit, Risk and Compliance
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
01.2017 - 06.2019
- Planned and oversaw complex financial transactions and operational audits of university units.
- Reviewed transactions and supporting documents for a multitude of expenses being charged against restricted and non-restricted funds to determine allowability and audit risk.
- Evaluated and analyzed records and procedures of the unit to be audited using interviews, questionnaires, and file reviews.
- Performed compliance and substantive testing.
- Designed and prepared audit working papers and verified records and accounts in order to disclose problems and uncover internal control structure weaknesses.
- Formulated audit recommendations and prepared reports from audit tests performed.
- Conducted audit exit meetings to convey findings to management.
- Attended trainings as needed to stay up to date on rules and regulations.
- Trained and supervised audit staff members.
Education
Masters of Science - Administration
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI05-2015
Bachelor of Business Administration - Accounting
University of Michigan, Flint
Flint, MI12-2003
Skills
- School Finance Administration
- Budget Development & Management
- Fund Accounting
- Financial Reporting
- Grant Management
- Payroll Administration
- Strategic Planning
- Collective Bargaining
- Board Presentations
- Internal Controls
- Audit Management
- Federal & State Compliance
- Purchasing & Procurement
- Team Leadership
Certification
- Certified Financial Officer
Timeline
Executive Director of Finance
FLINT COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
08.2025 - 05.2026
Shared-Time Finance Director-Flint Community Schools
GENESEE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT
07.2023 - 07.2025
Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations
WAYNE-WESTLAND COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
06.2019 - 07.2023
Auditor I and II – Office of Audit, Risk and Compliance
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
01.2017 - 06.2019
Bachelor of Business Administration - Accounting
University of Michigan, Flint
Masters of Science - Administration
Central Michigan University