Spotlight on: Chad Hess
School Business Manager
Q. When did you start in this position?
A. April 2023.
Q. What is your background experience that led to this position?
A. I worked in a family business growing up, I studied business management in college, and I served as a petty officer in the United States Coast Guard, so I always knew that I wanted to be involved in a business leadership role. However, it was not until I was hired as a clerk at Herkimer BOCES that I realized school districts have a lot of opportunities for support staff in fields such as food service, building maintenance, transportation, computer technology, and of course business.
Q. What is the best part of your job as school business manager?
A. The best part of my job is helping the district obtain resources that benefit kids. Seeing students get excited about a piece of equipment or maybe a building improvement that I was involved in is very rewarding. I am very excited to be working on Capital Project 2024 and can’t wait for the district’s vision for this project to come to fruition.
Q. What makes you excited about working at Herkimer CSD?
A. For me, working in Herkimer has been a bit of a homecoming. I grew up in the valley and then spent the last 20-plus years working at a couple of great schools just outside the valley. Coming back to the valley has been a special experience for me.
Q. What do you think makes Herkimer CSD special?
A. Growing up across the river, I am not sure I always felt this way, but there is some truth to the saying that “The Magic Happens Here.” The students, faculty and staff at Herkimer truly make it a special place to work.