District 308 Hires New Assistant Superintendent for Business Services and Operations

OSWEGO, IL — Community Unit School District 308 has hired a new Assistant Superintendent for Business Services and Operations to begin July 1, 2017. The Board of Education approved Asif Dada for the position at its recent meeting. Dada will serve on the superintendent’s senior cabinet and will oversee the Finance, Maintenance and Operations, Food Service, and Transportation departments.

District 308’s current Assistant Superintendent for Business Services and Operations Ali Mehanti has accepted a position as Assistant Superintendent for Finance at Township High School District 113 in Highland Park and Deerfield. He will remain with District 308 through June 30, 2017.

“We are happy to announce that Mr. Dada is going to be joining us,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Sparlin said in a news release. “Mr. Dada will play an instrumental role in the success of School District 308. I look forward to working with him.”

Dada has more than 21 years of experience as an assistant superintendent for business services/chief school business official, and he has been responsible for managing over $175 million of annual school district budget.

Dada worked for six years as Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations and Chief School Business Official at Cicero School District 99, where he oversaw finance and operations, prepared financial statements and treasurer’s reports, and managed investments.

Dada served for nine years as assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, Business Manager and Treasurer for Yorkville Community Unit School District 115. He has also worked as an internal auditor and financial auditor for the states of Illinois and Texas and as a business transformation consultant providing services and expertise in planning and building educational facilities, referendum, risk management, investments, accounting, food service, transportation and school operations management.

Dada has a master’s degree in business administration from Western Illinois University, Macomb, and he earned his bachelor’s degree from Loyola University of Chicago. He is also certified in creative thinking and professional education by the Harvard University Graduate School of Education Leadership Program, Cambridge, Mass.

There were 31 candidates who applied for the position, and semi-finalists were screened and interviewed by a team of district administrators. Finalists for the position were interviewed by parents and other stakeholders serving on the Board of Education Finance and Operations Advisory committees, district administrators, select school administrators and staff members.