MILLBURY — A former Lake Local Schools Board of Education member will be the new district treasurer.
Monica Leppelmeier, who resigned from the board in February after seven years on it, was hired on
Thursday after a months-long search to replace Jeff Carpenter, who is retiring.
Leppelmeier will be paid $85,000 annually, and received a two-year contract. She starts Aug. 1.
Tim Krugh, board president, said that the board received 11 applications and 10 were viable.
“We whittled it down from 11 to five to interview and it was difficult to go from the five, to three
finalists,” he said. “But after we did the final interviews, and the exercises that they did, we
basically reached a unanimous decision that Monica was the best fit.
“There were some outstanding candidates, but Monica seemed … to be the overall capable and most
passionate, and most qualified overall for this position.”
Both Leppelmeier and Krugh said it will be a little unusual for her to go from being a peer to being an
employee of the board.
“There is a different dynamic. She will now be an employee of the board, rather than a member of the
board. But during her seven, eight years as a board member, we all got to know her and have confidence
in her ability to be a team member,” Krugh said.
Leppelmeier said that she thinks highly of all the board members and believes she can help them achieve
their goals for the district.
“That helps me, as I might know a little bit about how they might like financial data. That’s what will
give me a step above. I’ll know how to present things to them, maybe what some of their strengths and
weaknesses are and how I approach the reports I give them,” she said.
Leppelmeier had worked for the University of Toledo for the last 12 years in a few different roles,
including research accounting, in the budget office for the whole university and, most recently, as a
department administrator for orthopedic surgery. When she announced her resignation, she said that she
was taking on some personal challenges in career development that were causing her to step back from
Lake.
She has her bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA, both from UT.
The UTMC is struggling financially, according to a Tuesday Associated Press story. Toledo-area elected
officials are seeking Gov. Mike DeWine’s help in protecting the future of the University of Toledo
Medical Center, amid accusations that a rival health system, ProMedica, is unfairly poaching its staff.

“The uncertainty of UTMC is what led me to look at the next steps of my career,” she said. “About a year
ago, with the uncertainty of UTMC, I began the process of obtaining my treasurer’s license.
Leppelmeier said she was looking for a challenging career where she could continuously learn and grow
professionally.
“Lake is my home. I’m a graduate. I live in the district,” said Leppelmeier, who is 36 years old. “I’m
honored to be able to have the opportunity and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my career here.”
She and her husband, Kyle, who is turf manager for the Toledo Mud Hens, have three children. Two attend
Lake Elementary and the third will be in the preschool program next school year.
With Leppelmeier’s hiring, the board is continuing a trend to think outside the box when hiring
treasurers. Carpenter, who will stay on through September to assist Leppelmeier, had been in real estate
when he was hired.
Krugh said the two finalists had their licenses, but had not worked for a school district before.
“The training that Monica had to go through was amazing,” he said.
It included 300 hours of working with treasurers from other school districts, including Genoa, Oak Harbor
and Northwood. There was also class work.
“Monica’s background was really deep, though, in education through the University of Toledo, and then the
University of Toledo Medical Center,” Krugh said.
Superintendent Jim Witt said that he, too, was impressed by Leppelmeier’s credentials.
“Monica is uniquely qualified for this position after spending the past several years in higher
education. Her professional experience, her educational level —she has a MBA — and her knowledge of the
Lake community will allow her to hit the ground running,” he said.
Also at the special board meeting on Thursday, the board accepted the resignation of Pete Nafziger,
social studies teacher.
The board also went into an executive session to discuss employment and compensation, negotiations and
matters required to be kept confidential by federal or state laws.
No action was taken.
Krugh said before the session that the board would be discussing all possible options related to the
financial crisis caused by coronavirus.