Former fiscal chief will oversee business operations until a replacement is named

IUSD recently bid farewell to Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Lisa Howell, who after 11 years in Irvine – including the last three as the district’s fiscal chief – has accepted a job much closer to her Palm Springs-area home.

Howell is a savvy veteran of school finance, and her departure to the Palm Springs Unified School District leaves some pretty big shoes to fill locally. Yet the district has tapped an experienced and familiar leader to temporarily fill the void. Dr. Vern Medeiros, who was IUSD’s deputy superintendent of business services up until his retirement in 2008, will reprise his former role and oversee fiscal operations during the transition, pending approval by the Board of Education. “We could not be more grateful to secure the expertise of Dr. Medeiros, who is very familiar with our staff, our community and the culture of this district,” said IUSD Superintendent Terry Walker. Meanwhile, Walker said, the search is on for a permanent replacement. District officials are anticipating a deep pool of talented and experienced candidates, with the expectation that the position will be filled by the holidays. “Until then,” the superintendent said, “our district’s finances remain in good hands.”