Last June, Levings was awarded the Philip B. Fredenburg Memorial Award for Outstanding Service from NYSASBO.
Michele “Shelly” Levings announced her retirement from Questar III BOCES, effective April 28, following a 36-year career with Questar III.
Levings, who started her BOCES career in the business office as an accounts payable clerk, will leave as the director of the largest BOCES service in the state.
One of New York’s experts on state aid and school finance, Levings has been nearly every school official and superintendent’s “school business official on call” for the past three decades. She helped district leaders navigate countless changes at the local and state level.
During Levings’ tenure she and her colleagues positioned the State Aid & Financial Planning Service into Questar III’s flagship service, serving nearly every district in the state. This included overseeing the evolution of the service from “pencil and paper” to one utilizing the latest technology to provide real-time updates and individualized training and assistance.
She said her proudest professional accomplishment was the day-to-day support provided to school districts and BOCES.
“I enjoyed hearing how we made people’s jobs a little easier through the support we provided to school superintendents and business officials,” Levings said.
Levings was known for her strong working relationships with districts, BOCES and the New York State Education Department. She played an active role in the New York State Association of School Business Officials, where she served on the board of directors and numerous committees.
She also supported and mentored countless new and emerging leaders throughout her time at Questar III. In fact, a number of State Aid & Financial Planning staff went onto become business officials and superintendents across the state.
Questar III District Superintendent Dr. Gladys Cruz, who worked with Levings for more than 20 years, said everyone benefitted from her work.
“No doubt we will miss Shelly’s leadership and expertise but she leaves the organization and its clients in wonderful hands. She has done a wonderful job of building the State Aid Planning team. This is one of her lasting legacies and demonstrates her commitment to public education. Congratulations on a wonderful career and thank you for your considerable efforts to support students of all ages, abilities and backgrounds across the state. You will be missed,” Cruz said.
