Spotlight
Kathleen Crain, Division Manager, APSCN Financial Applications at the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, notes that Arkansas educators should be very proud of what DESE has done in setting up a statewide financial system. “When I attend federal meetings related to collecting data, Arkansas is miles ahead,” she says.
The secret to Kathleen Crain’s success is in her love for numbers. She holds a degree in accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. However, she found a passion for education when she was the Plant Accountant for Union Camp Corporation in the early 90s. “The plant had adopted a new inventory program,” she recalls. “At that time, I realized I had a gift in addition to my accounting experience and education. And that gift was teaching adults computer software.” In 1994, Kathleen came across an ad for a financial analyst for the Arkansas Public School Network (APSCN), and, along with her 10 years’ experience at a school district, she thought her love of accounting and teaching would make her a perfect fit for the position. Her goal? To become the most accomplished person within the APSCN FMS unit. APSCN was established in 1992 by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (then the Arkansas Department of Education) for the purpose of implementing a statewide computer system linking all Arkansas public school systems and the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) as required by Act 4 of 1992. Kathleen’s hard work paid off. She was promoted to supervisor over the finance unit and moved to Little Rock to a staff of ten and was tasked with overseeing the completion of 322 district conversions to the APSCN eFinance1995 version. Flash forward to the present, Kathleen now has 25 years with APSCN. “I now lead and supervise 20 staff members, and our workload continues to increase at the Department and school district finance offices, because of staff turnover and increasing changes in local, state, and federal reporting requirements.” As Division Manager for APSCN Financial Applications, she collaborates with software sales representatives, programmers, and support staff, and other state agencies, such as the Arkansas Legislative Audit Division, Employee Benefits Division, Arkansas Teacher Retirement, and the Arkansas Association of School Business Officials. If someone is considering going into a similar career, Kathleen is quick to point out to be ready for challenges and some stress. “Every day is non-stop, so there is no such thing as ‘catching up,’” she admits. “Every day brings support calls from districts in dire circumstances needing assistance with analyzing and correcting accounting issues.” Another secret to her success is to be generous with your knowledge. “Learn everything you can about the business and responsibilities and impart that wisdom gained to others.” Continued on next page September 2020
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