LCSC CFO finds his new 'home' in Lebanon
Jun. 27—Zach Dennis has sat in countless school board meetings. He's been in the audience for many announcements but he never got his own — until recently.
Dennis was officially announced as the new chief financial officer for the Lebanon Community School Corporation (LCSC).
During a recent school board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Jon Milleman praised Dennis' hiring, saying he was a highly recommended person and educator from administrators around the state.
"We had an opportunity to meet with Mr. Dennis and other candidates and it became clear very quickly his enthusiasm for students, his business acumen, his vision, how he holds himself and those around him accountable in a productive way, that he is the right man for the job," Milleman said.
A native of central Indiana, Dennis has spent his schooling, life and career in many communities around Indianapolis. He grew up in Speedway where he played football before continuing his academic and athletic career at the University of Indianapolis (UIndy).
"After a year of being at UIndy, they told me I had to pick a major and I remember liking chemistry in high school, so I went with that," Dennis said.
In his post-graduate job search, Dennis found that a lot of the chemistry jobs didn't allow him to coach as well, which is something he wanted to continue.
He then found a transition to teaching program that allowed him to take a few extra classes that prepared him to become an educator.
He started at Cardinal Ritter High School, where he coached football and baseball.
"I really ended up enjoying interacting with the players and affecting the lives of young people," Dennis added.
He then went to Brownsburg High School and his final stop before coming to Lebanon was the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township.
At MSD Wayne Township, Dennis received his K-12 building administrators license.
With his new license, he wasn't able to become a principal but it led him to school finance.
Throughout his education, Dennis said he had to take a finance class and unexpectedly, he enjoyed it.
"It's an odd topic," Dennis admitted. "A lot of people think the CFO of a school would have an accounting background and certainly some people do, but there are some nuances to school finance that don't correlate to the corporate finance world."
Similar to LCSC, Wayne Township is going through many changes and Dennis was tasked with budgeting for an expansion and its various projects. He enjoyed the hands-on aspect of working on bigger projects, he said.
"I was incredibly happy at Wayne Township but I think that position was a stepping stone," Dennis said. "We joked around that there isn't really a farm system like there is in baseball for school finance officials. That position showed me the ropes and it helped me reach out and look for new positions."
Dennis said Lebanon was on his list of dream schools he had when searching for a job, as he liked the small town feel that was similar to his hometown.
"People don't really think of Speedway as a small town, but it really is," he said. "It's just nestled in Indianapolis. My wife is from a small town and we've always been members of small communities."
Dennis only recently started work here, but says he can already tell he's in the right place.
"I can't tell you how nice the people have been here," Dennis said. "Everybody in the administration center here and anywhere you go, it's just welcoming and people making sure you've got what you need and that you understand what these small communities have to offer. It's probably a little bit hokey to say, but I've only been here for nine days and this is home and that's the feel you get."
Dennis is excited to get working with the district and meet people in the community. He lives in Brownsburg with his wife Kelli and son Drake.
