At their regular meeting on April 11, 2023, the Salida School District Board of Education approved the hiring of Aaron Dobson to serve as the future Business Manager for the District.
Dobson will train with current Business Manager Shiela Moore through the next school year, and will officially take over leadership of the business office with the start of the ’24-’25 school year.
Dobson, a graduate of Salida High School, looks forward to serving his community through this important role with the District. He brings over 15 years of leadership and experience with efficient and sound financial strategies. His career has spanned varying industries, locally and nationally, and from corporate to non-profit organizations.
The District’s Business Manager plays a key role in assisting the Superintendent and Board of Education to ensure that the District’s financial structures are compliant and of high quality. Dobson will initially be cross training on all tasks conducted in the business office to increase the District’s capacity. Developing these skills will allow him to lead the District in continuing fiscal responsibility to taxpayers and helping to build budgets to support the goals of the District, schools and community.
“This is my home and has been since I was a child, and the people who work in our schools are the very beginning of what forms our town,” says Dobson. “They impact and develop the next generation and have given so much to this community, and I am excited to use the skills that I’ve gained over my career to support and serve the people that give all of themselves to enrich our children and grow the next generation. One of my core beliefs is that this place we all call home is extremely special because of the passionate people who live and work here. I’m extremely humbled to have the opportunity to match that passion and give what I can back to this District.”
Dobson brings his expertise after serving in service, outdoor recreation, and health and wellness industries with a focus in operations, financial strategy and leadership development training for other leaders.
In addition to growing up in Salida, Dobson is a familiar face on the soccer field. He has been a youth soccer coach since 2010 in Salida and became the Director of Operations for CCU in 2019. He also enjoys trail running, climbing Colorado’s peaks, and has a passion for ultramarathons and long distance endurance adventure trips into the mountains. He shares his love of the outdoors and the staying active with his wife and their two sons.
The Board approved a transition-to-retirement plan for Shiela Moore at their January 10, 2023 regular meeting. Moore has served as the business manager for the District since 2018, and the plan included detailed steps to ensure a smooth transition for the future of the District in support of the community as a whole. Moore and Dobson will serve as Co-Business Managers until Dobson takes over the role, at which time Moore will move into the grants manager position until she decides to retire.
