Brian Tomamichel, Chief Financial Officer for the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation, recently was honored by the Association of School Business Officials International with its 2017 Pinnacle of Achievement Award for an innovative program that used credit card rebates to fund a 1:1 technology program in the district.
Purchasing almost 4,000 devices as part of the initiative and updating Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation’s infrastructure on a short timeline required a $2.5 million investment. Tomamichel spearheaded a strategy that entailed taking out a four-year $2.5 million loan from a local bank and offsetting most of the interest through a credit card 1 percent cash-back rebate program, according to a news release.
The district worked with the bank, credit card company and vendors to set up a process whereby the district could make large purchases with its credit card, thus taking advantage of the rebate program. Between 2015 and 2016, the district received almost $71,000 in cash back from the program — which helped the district to further expand the technology program.
As the Pinnacle of Achievement Award recipient, Tomamichel will receive $1,000, an all-expenses-paid trip to the ASBO Annual Meeting & Expo in Denver and a crystal Pinnacle of Achievement Award.
