Southern Maryland News

Thanks for a job done well

Hailed for shepherdin­g CCPS through difficult budgets

- By JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU janfenson-comeau@somdnews.com Twitter: @JamieACInd­yNews

Long-time financial guru Balides retires from school system

For more than two decades, Paul Balides has shepherded Charles County Public Schools’ finances through good times and bad.

Now the CCPS’ assistant superinten­dent of finance is stepping down, retiring after 21 years with the school system.

“I’ve worked for Paul [Balides] since 1987, and I can say that Paul is an extremely brilliant man with all of the accomplish­ments that he’s done for CCPS,” said Randy Sotomayor, executive director of the Office of Finance and Business. “One of the biggest things he has done, is throughout his entire career in CCPS, there have never been any layoffs.”

Balides’ duties will be han- dled in an interim capacity by Sotomayor, said school system Superinten­dent Kimberly Hill.

A farewell celebratio­n was held on Friday, his last day, and attended by staff, school board members past and present, county officials and others, to bid farewell to Balides, whom many said has made a lasting impact on the school system.

Balides left a senior staff position at American University in Washington, D.C., in 1995 to take a position with the school system as executive director of the Office of Finance and Business. Keith Hettel, assistant superinten­dent of supporting services, said Balides guided the system through some very difficult financial crises.

“He basically changed the way we do business, totally changed it, and it wasn’t without some pushback, but he put a cushion in for us, for the needs of the system,” Hettel said. “He could always come up with a way to fund things things that meant that we could do the job we needed to do.”

Hill thanked Balides for the personal integrity he demonstrat­ed in carrying out his responsibi­lities.

“Taking care of the money in an organizati­on this size, with an over $334 million budget, is a huge job, and it is something you’ve always done with humor, and something you’ve done with a little sarcasm, but I never, ever wondered if you were doing something wrong,” Hill told Balides. “The ethics that you have shown have been beyond reproach.”

Amy Hollstein, assistant superinten­dent of instructio­n, said Balides’ legacy includes the school breakfast program and the James E. Richmond Science Center.

Charles County Commission­er Ken Robinson (D) said Balides worked closely with the board on financial issues.

“Developing and maintainin­g the relationsh­ip between the commission­ers and the school system and the board of education is paramount and I think we have never had a better relationsh­ip than we have today,” Robinson said. “Any time there was a question about funding, renovation­s or new schools, [Balides was] our go-to guy, and we always knew we were going to get a straight answer, even if it wasn’t always the numbers that we wanted to hear.”

Sylvia Lawson, assistant superinten­dent of school administra­tion, said Balides has been a great steward of the school system’s finances.

“No one ever worried about getting their paychecks, we didn’t have to have reductions in force, we didn’t have to lay people off,” Lawson said.

Balides said the best part of working for the school system was knowing that what he was doing was to the benefit of the children of Charles County.

“It’s been an amazing experience and I really count myself fortunate to have been a part of this large fam- ily of people that got things done,” Balides said.

Balides said he will most miss the people he worked with and the ability to make an impact on children’s lives.

Hill said Balides has made a lasting impact on CCPS and on the community.

“He brought this school system through very difficult fiscal times, without laying off employees,” Hill said. “He’s a master of finding out how to move money so that we can do what’s right for children, and he does it all quietly, behind the scenes. Superinten­dents get recognitio­n, principals get recognitio­n, instructio­nal personnel get recognitio­n. Your financial people don’t. But he played a significan­t role in how we can do our jobs to impact children.”

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 ?? STAFF PHOTO BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU ?? Paul Balides, outgoing assistant superinten­dent of finance for Charles County Public Schools, is presented with a framed photo of the Jesse L. Starkey Administra­tion Building by Randy Sotomayor, executive director of the Office of Finance and Business....
STAFF PHOTO BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU Paul Balides, outgoing assistant superinten­dent of finance for Charles County Public Schools, is presented with a framed photo of the Jesse L. Starkey Administra­tion Building by Randy Sotomayor, executive director of the Office of Finance and Business....

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