Matt Robbins named KASBO Outstanding School Business Official

Matt Robbins, the Daviess County Public Schools district’s assistant superintendent of business and operations, was honored by the Kentucky Association of School Business Officials with the Goldenrod Outstanding School Business Official Award. The announcement was made at a surprise ceremony last week at the meeting of the DCPS Board of Education.In making the presentation, Jeff Travis, finance officer for the Muhlenberg County Board of Education and past president of KASBO, noted Robbins’ many contributions to the  Daviess County Public Schools district, including his diligence in identifying opportunities for reducing operational costs and increasing the efficiencies of the district’s business procedures. Robbins has also established an expectation for outstanding customer service and developed a system of procedures to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the district’s financial system.

The Daviess County Public Schools Board of Education and Superintendent Owens Saylor nominated Robbins for the award. In a letter of recommendation, Board Chairman Frank G. Riney III said, “Matt Robbins exemplifies the highest ideals of school finance. It can truly be said that Matt does the right things, the right way, for the right reasons. Innovative, ethical, principled, reliable, professional, creative, honest, resourceful, efficient … these are all words that come to mind when describing Matt. And yet Matt remains one of the most humble and ‘service oriented’ people you will ever meet. He is quick to give credit and generous with praise, acknowledging the contributions of other members of the DCPS finance team, never calling to attention the fact that their work is done under his guidance. The stereotype of a business and finance officer is one who sees things in black-and-white … a ‘facts and figures’ mentality. But Matt has demonstrated a vision of possibilities, taking the initiative to explore options and opportunities in the areas of both revenue and expenditure that have benefited our district, and thereby the students for whom we are responsible.”

Robbins expressed appreciation and humility in accepting the award, giving credit to those who have supported him both professionally and personally. “There are many well-deserving recipients of this award across Kentucky,” Robbins said. “I am fortunate that I work in a GREAT school district that is focused on the right things and I’ve had GREAT superintendents (Bill Chandler, Stu Silberman, Tom Shelton and Owens Saylor) who have developed my leadership and at the same time, have allowed me the freedom to make changes and implement appropriate innovation. All the while, I have been blessed with great school board members who understand financial stability is a cornerstone of a GREAT school district so the focus can be placed in the area of greatest importance – the classroom.”

Robbins continued to praise with other members of the Daviess County Public Schools team: “In my view, this award is given to an individual, but this really is a team award,” he said. “The team of people who work with me every day are the reasons for our success. I humbly accept this award on the behalf of all of us who strive for the same mission. We work with a servant’s heart and realize that academic success for our kids is the singular focus we all share as a district. With this in mind, our role in achieving ‘Great Expectations’ is to operate in the background, ensuring that systems run on time, all the time, and operational areas are a ‘non-event’ for our principals, teachers and support staff. If this happens, our staff can remain focused on student success.”

The area of education finance is increasingly important. The KASBO Award recognizes Robbins as a responsible, visionary steward of the Daviess County Public Schools district’s resources. “The last 5 years in public education have been a daunting challenge in the world of school finance,” Robbins said. “State budget reductions have been large and often. We operate on the premise that we want to insulate our schools from these tough issues, with the idea that a school’s job is tough enough, without adding financial stress into the equation. Kids should not have to ‘feel’ financial pain that the district is experiencing as this translates into distractions that derail our true mission and purpose.”

Owens Saylor, who joined Daviess County Public Schools as superintendent in July 2012, said Matt Robbins’ support and assistance are invaluable. “Matt Robbins is a person who makes everyone around him better,” Saylor said. “He finds ways to build bridges and establishes a true sense of teamwork with the goal of supporting our district’s great expectations for students and academic achievement.”

Blake Haselton, dean of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Louisville, added his words of support, saying, “Matt has demonstrated the unique ability to analyze the issues and correctly identify the school community agendas, never losing focus on student benefits rather than adult agendas.”

Bill Chandler, former superintendent of the Owensboro Public Schools district, shared his insights from the time Robbins worked as chief financial officer for OPS: “Matt Robbins treats everyone with respect and is a caring individual. I have written many letters of recommendation and I have never made the following statement about anyone – Matt Robbins is the most talented professional with whom I have been associated in my 37 years in elementary, secondary and higher education.”

Former Daviess County Public Schools Superintendent Tom Shelton, now superintendent of the Fayette County Public Schools in Lexington, echoed those thoughts. “Matt is a quality person and a great friend,” Shelton said. “He is a bright young man with a positive attitude, and has an exceptional personality. Matt has tremendous leadership ability and is excellent in addressing and managing change. An obvious strength is his communication skills and his ability to relate to all types of people. He is able to lead, manage, and develop staff because of these skills. He is an outstanding young man in every regard.”

Robbins expressed appreciation to his family, friends and colleagues who attended the surprise presentation of the Outstanding School Business Official Award. In addition to thanking his co-workers, Robbins acknowledged the support of his family. “Most of all, I have been blessed with great parents who taught me, early on, the value of hard work, values and the importance of an education. I can only hope that I can provide my children (Olivia, Lily and Brady) with the same level of support my parents provided to me. I am blessed to have a spouse (Luanne) who has supported me through long days and stressful moments with patience and understanding. For this, I am eternally grateful.”