MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District announced the appointment of Mitch Thompson as MLSD’s new executive director of finance and operations Monday. Thompson’s appointment was effective June 14. 

"Mitch Thompson's extensive background and proven leadership in financial management and operations make him a valuable addition to our team. His expertise will be crucial as we navigate the financial challenges ahead," Acting Superintendent Carol Lewis said. 

According to the announcement, Thompson has extensive experience and a strong background in education which should help him be a good fit for the school district as it works to address significant budget shortfalls.

Thompson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting with a second major in Business Administration with an Emphasis in Management from Saint Martin’s College in Olympia.

His extensive background includes roles such as assistant fiscal officer at Washington Education Services District 112 in Vancouver, Wash. and director of risk management & business operations at Battle Ground School District, director of financial services at Tumwater School District, and executive director of fiscal services for the Centralia School District. 

He has also served as supervisor of enrollment and institution funding at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. 

In his most recent position, Thompson was directly responsible for business manager services or three school districts: Klickitat School District, Green Mountain School District and Trout Lake School District. 

MLSD is hopeful that Thompson’s proven record of instituting procedures and managing proper internal controls over accounting systems will help the school district’s finances move forward in a positive way. 

As the new Executive Director of Finance and Operations, Thompson will play a crucial role in ensuring the financial stability and operational efficiency of Moses Lake School District, the announcement said.

Thompson will fill seats left empty by former Chief Operating Officer Jeremy O’Neil and Finance Director Stefanie Lowry who left the district earlier this year.

The Moses Lake School District held a workshop at 6 p.m. Monday evening to brief the community on some of its budget issues and request community input. Coverage of that meeting will be in tomorrow’s edition of the Columbia Basin Herald.

Correction: The article above has been corrected to reflect the correct spelling of Jeremy O'Neil's name and to indicate that Thompson is taking on both the COO and Finance Director roles that were vacated earlier this year.