Lakewood Treasurer Berdine Taking Brecksville Post

Lakewood's loss is Brecksville/Broadview Heights' gain.

That's what they're saying to the south, as Rick Berdine is expected to be hired by the  as that district's new treasurer.

The longtime Lakewood treasurer, who announced , is expected to be officially selected at Wednesday's board meeting in Brecksville.

Mark Jantzen, the Brecksville-Broadview Heights board of education vice president, told Brecksville Patch that the district was in need in a treasurer/chief financial officer.

Berdine will replace Karen E. Obratil, . Obratil spent 11 years with Brecksville-Broadview Heights and will soon be headed to .

Following Berdine's resignation last year, current treasurer of Whitehall City Schools Timothy Penton was . Penton begins his new gig in Lakewood in October 2012.

Berdine spent nearly 15 years in Lakewood serving in a variety of roles, including as a business manager. He has also worked in the Cuyahoga Falls and Sebring Local schools. Jantzen said Berdine has seen the way multiple districts operate, he has been involved in levy campaigns and he understands the importance of keeping costs down.

Berdine said he was always interested in the Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School District, calling it one of the premier districts in the state. When he saw the opening, he went for it.

Berdine said he enjoys working as a treasurer because no two days are ever the same. It’s a challenging job in this economic climate, but the end result—seeing students getting a quality education—makes it worth it.

“It’s very rewarding,” he said.

Berdine is set to begin on Aug. 1. His contract, including salary information, would be made available after Wednesday’s meeting, according to officials in Brecksville.

Since Berdine  to the Lakewood board in June, it has been unclear if he’s resigning of his own accord.

Lakewood Patch obtained Berdine’s employee evaluations, resignation letter and renegotiated contract through open-records requests in September, but the documents failed to indicate an explanation for Berdine’s retirement.

“Mr. Berdine is highly respected both inside and outside the District as an outstanding Treasurer,” said his December 2010 evaluation, the most recent available.