Plum School District business manager leaving to take same job with Fox Chapel Area

Fox Chapel Area School District officials have selected an administrator from another school district as their next business manager.

Ryan Manzer was hired to be the next financial leader of the Foxes at a special meeting on Oct. 28. His start date was not determined as of press time.

Manzer, 42, of Penn Township, is the current chief financial officer at Plum School District. He has been with Plum since July 2021.

Manzer takes over for Kimberly Pawlishack, who has been Fox Chapel Area’s business manager since April 2017.

She resigned effective Dec. 10 to become Shaler Area School District’s business manager.

Fox Chapel Area officials said they conducted an extensive and thorough search for her replacement, and Manzer was the leading candidate based on multiple interviews, his experience and qualifications.

“Mr. Manzer’s proven expertise will be an asset to the Fox Chapel Area School District in his role as the director of finance,” Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac said. “He is a (certified public accountant) and also has experience in both the public and private sectors. He brings a wealth of experience in school district finances and budgeting, as well as long-term financial forecasting.”

Manzer talked about his pending job transition on Nov. 4.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join a premier school district in the region,” Manzer said. “I was really impressed in the interview process with the time I spent with Dr. Reljac and (deputy superintendent) Dr. (David) McCommons. They seem like two really high-quality administrators, and they made me feel really comfortable through the process. That was a primary factor in my decision-making.”

Resume and background

Manzer has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

He was involved in corporate accounting for about five years, working with PricewaterhouseCoopersand PPG before entering the public sector.

“I really wanted a meaningful experience, and schools definitely provide that,” Manzer said. “You can really see how your work transitions every day into the teaching and learning process, and impacts students directly. That’s pretty valuable experience.”

Manzer served as the business manager in the Freeport Area School District for eight years, and was the assistant director of finance and director of transportation for the Pine-Richland School District for three years before the Plum job.

During his time at Plum, he developed a long-term financial vision for the district, including a detailed five-year financial forecast and improved the district’s bond rating by strengthening cash reserves and expanding the budget through grants and donations.

“I really enjoyed my time at Plum,” Manzer said. “The biggest thing I’ll miss is the people. I have a great administrative team I work with there. A great business office staff and really enjoyed working with everybody in operations in the district as well.”

Plum Superintendent Rick Walsh said Manzer was a valuable employee who will be missed.

“Mr. Manzer has been a member of our leadership team for four years, navigating many financial challenges with skill and professionalism,” Walsh said on Nov. 5. “We will work closely with Mr. Manzer during this transition period to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities. We appreciate everything he has done for the Plum Borough School District community and wish him success in his new position.”

Manzer, a 2001 Mars Area High School grad, credited business education teacher Diane Iman with instilling a love of accounting.

“She always made the class exciting,” he said. “Some people don’t think accounting is very exciting, but she always made it an interesting process. I just enjoyed being in the classroom and learning about accounting. And I’ve been in the field ever since.”

Manzer said he had a few brief conversations with Pawlishak and would welcome her assistance in the changeover.

Before Fox Chapel Area, Pawlishak was a human resources and employee benefits administrator at Pine-Richland School District for about eight years, from June 2008 to July 2016.

Manzer’s new salary is prorated at $177,000.