San Diego Education Report
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Lora L. Duzyk
Assistant Superintendent San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE)
California Association of School
Business Officials
CASBO Officers
The four officers of the
association are the president,
president-elect, vice president
and immediate past president.
The officers for the 2007-08 term
are as follows:
Bill C. McGuire - CASBO
President
Eric D. Smith - CASBO President-
Elect
Sharon Ketcherside - CASBO
Vice President
Lora L. Duzyk - CASBO
Immediate Past President...
Lora L. Duzyk
Immediate Past President/Officer
Asst. Superintendent, Business
Services
San Diego County Office Of
Education
Lora Duzyk, assistant
superintendent of business
services for the San Diego
County Office of Education,
serves as CASBO’s immediate
past president.
Lora has served public schools
for over 20 years, 13 of those in
various capacities in the San
Diego County Office of
Education. As assistant
superintendent of business
services, she oversees the
budgets of 43 local school
districts (including the county
office’s) with combined budgets
of more than $3 billion. She
previously served as the
director of finance at National
School District in National City
and as director of fiscal
services at Southwestern
Community College in Chula
Vista, Calif.
A member of CASBO since 1992,
Lora has served the past 3 1/2
years as a CASBO officer,
including service as the 2006-07
president. Her previous roles
include Payroll R&D Committee
chair, San Diego/Imperial Section
Directors I, 2 and 3, treasurer,
president elect, president and
past president. Duzyk also
served as chair of the local
Accounting and Payroll R&D
Committees. She is also a
member of the CASBO strategic
planning team.
A daughter of a Navy man, Lora
was born in Camp Zama, Japan.
She moved to the mainland as a
child, attending grade school in
various locations across the
United States. After returning to
Japan for middle school, she
returned to the United States and
graduated from Sherman E.
Burroughs High School in
Ridgecrest, Calif. After
graduating from California State
University, San Diego, magna
cum laude, with a bachelor’s
degree in accounting, she went
on to earn a master’s degree in
business administration from the
University of Phoenix.
Lora and her husband of 30
years, Ken, live in Chula Vista
and have three sons, James, 26,
who works for a local contractor,
Daniel, 21, a senior at CSU San
Diego, and Kenny, a sophomore
in high school.
Tuesday, December
19, 2006
Lora Duzyk and Dan
Shinoff say Shinoff
works for SDCOE
According to the San
Diego County Office of
Education's website, it
offers the following
slate of lawyers for
school districts to hire:
Atkinson, Andelson,
Loya, Ruud & Romo
Best, Best & Krieger
Lozano Smith
Parham & Rajcic
Link: List of approved
SDCOE attorneys.
[Sorry, SDCOE has
broken the link.]
But recently I sent a
public records
request to SDCOE
asking for "a
complete list of
attorneys currently
approved by the San
Diego County Office
of Education Joint
Powers Authority."
Lora Duzyk passed
the request to Dan
Shinoff. He wrote
that the complete list
consists of the
following lawyers:
Dan Shinoff of Stutz,
Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz
Randy Winet of Winet,
Winet, Patrick &
Weaver
David Monks of
Klinedinst P.C.
How can the lists be
completely different? It
apears that Shinoff is
talking about lawyers
who represent the JPA
itself, not lawyers
approved by the JPA to
represent school
districts.
Perhaps the JPA has a
contract with Shinoff
that hasn't run out yet.
Update:
I have learned from
(former) Grossmont
Union High School
District Superintendent
Terry Ryan that Shinoff
has an unwritten
"gentlemen's
agreement."
JPAs, insurance brokers, lawyers: who is profiting from
school litigation? Santa Clara v. Keenan & Associates
Who is profiting from inflated insurance premiums in San Diego schools?
Perhaps just about everyone involved in school liability insurance.
Sometimes my commenters know more than I do about a subject, and school
insurance is one of those subjects. A recent comment caused me to do some
research. I already knew that the San Diego County Office of Education-Joint
Powers Authority was paying millions of tax dollars each years for lawyers who
cover up wrongdoing in schools. I didn't know how far up (or down) the corruption
went.
I found this:
(See clipping about public entities suing insurance companies.)
County pushing suit alleging misdeeds in insurance industry
By Julie O'Shea
San Jose Recorder
Following New York's lead, Santa Clara County is suing several top insurance
brokerage firms, claiming they have duped customers out of millions through
secret "kickbacks" and other "lucrative" service deals.
"It's almost cartel-like," said the county's outside counsel, Louise Renne, a for-mer
San Francisco city attorney who wasbrought on board because of her extensive
experience with this type of litigation. "We believe that every public agency in the
state of California has been affected."
In a complaint filed in Alameda County Superior Court in November, Santa Clara is
alleging that industry giants Marsh & McLennan Cos., Driver Alliant Insurance
Service and Keenan & Associates are "steering" clients toward insurers that are
offering brokers undisclosed commissions, funded through insurance premiums.
"In the end," the complaint alleges,"clients paid more for less insurance, with
defendants siphoning off the difference to pad their bottom line..."
Here is part of what my commenter wrote:
"...Three insurance brokers namely Driver Alliant, Keenan and Associates and
Marsh & McLennan manage these super pools. These insurance brokers are
being sued in Alameda County where the allegations are for unlawful business
practices, in violation of California Business and Profession Code section 17200
et. seq. false and misleading advertisement where they cream millions of dollars in
public funds in violation of Business and Profession Government Code Section
17500 et. seq., breach of fiduciary duty, illegal and secret kickbacks, steering
premium dollars and getting public agencies to purchase services at high rates.
"...Keenan and Associates has a “HYBRID SELF-INSURANCE and REINSURANCE”
[SDCOE has SELF-JPA where Keenan is also a member of this “Super Pool”]
pooling program for nearly 400 schools and community colleges.
"Keenan advertised for its Super Pool’s conference at Lake Tahoe as, “The
Pudding is in the Pooling,” in their invitations. Yes, the pudding is good, they are
raking in Millions of PUBLIC FUNDS through their billable hours...
"Daniel Shinoff and his SASH firm takes the cream of the Southern District billable
hours for BOTH Keenan and SELF which are brokered by Marsh & McLennan.
The premium billable hours are steered to his firm with the blessing of Keenan,
SELF and Diane Crosier.
"Keenan and Marsh and McLennan as the agents of California’s public entities
have a fiduciary duty to recommend the best coverage at the best price for its
clients. They are to provide independent, objective advice, and to put ‘their clients
best interests’ ahead of their own. Keenan and Driver and Marsh and McLennan
are hired to act as consulting, billing/premium administration, and claims
administration. Their duty is to provide full disclosure, candor, and loyalty.
Disclose the amounts of income; Contingent Commissions Agreements and
remuneration they receive form all transactions to the public agencies they
represent. Keenan has a policy where every employee, associate and partner has
to belong to several churches, golf clubs, non-profit organizations and civic
groups. This is how they create friendships with judges, political figures, churches
and organizations who look the other way. While attorneys like Daniel Shinoff bully
public boards into contractual agreements and decisions that are not in the best
interest of PUBLIC AGENCIES but bring in a lot of billable hours to his firm and
bigger premiums for insurance Brokers and JPA’s.
"The agreements that the PUBLIC AGENCIES get pressured into signing with the
JPA’s have different names like: “Contingent Income Agreements” “Production
Service Agreements” “Volume Based Commission Agreements” “Profit-Sharing
Commission Agreements” “Commission Override Agreements” Premium Value
Contingent Commission Agreements” “Preferred Agency Agreements” and
“Platinum Profit Sharing Agreements.”
"These commissions create a blatant CONFLICT of INTEREST and a direct
financial interest for these brokers, JPA’s and preferred law firms. These
commission and preferred agreements cause CONFLICT of INTEREST, along with
premium prices in many cases with lower benefits. The insurance companies
recoup the kickbacks paid to marsh & Marsh and McLennan, Keenan and Driver
by higher insurance prices passed on to the public agencies. Whereby,
suppressing competition in the market of insurance.
"This is the reason why the PUBLIC AGENCIES in San Diego cannot get insurance
apart from the JPA’s. No insurance company can do business in California without
belonging to one of the three “insurance brokers.” The insurance brokers have
contractual agreements with certain JPA’s; like SDCOE SELF and these JPA use
the same law firms they have contractual agreements with like Best Best and
Krieger, Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff and Holtz “SASH” and Winet..."
(End of quote of commenter to this blog.)
It turns out that insurance companies were doing a lot of harm long before they
helped bring down the US economy in 2008 with their credit default derivatives.
The derivatives were too complicated and clever by half, a scheme to get rich
quick while promising that there would be no consequences. The government
failed to regulate these scams, pretending they weren't really insurance policies.
Institutions began to fail once it was discovered that the institutions didn't have
any protection against defaults because they were unknowingly insuring
themselves.
Many local school districts belong to the San Diego County Office of Education-
JPA. Diane Crosier is the Executive Director of the SDCOE-JPA, and she works
under the direction of SDCOE Superintendent Randolph Ward and Asst. Supt.
Lora Duzyk. Crosier represents the SDCOE-JPA at a bigger JPA called SELF.
Diane Crosier then goes on to represent SELF when the other JPAs come
together to form what it is called a “super pool,” then she reports back (delivers
instructions) to SELF and SDCOE-JPA (which she herself directs).
This complete circle leaves me wondering who is in charge, the people at the
bottom or the people at the top? There is some evidence that the person in
charge is Stutz Artiano Shinoff & Holtz attorney Daniel Shinoff, whom Diane
Crosier most often selects to represent school districts in San Diego.
CASBO top officials in 2010-11
CASBO Officers
The four officers of the association are
the president, president-elect, vice
president and immediate past
president. The officers for the 2010-11
term are as follows:
Renee Hendrick - CASBO President
Gary Matsumoto - CASBO President-
Elect
Michael Johnston - CASBO Vice
President
Sharon Ketcherside - CASBO
Immediate Past President
Renee HendrickRenee Hendrick
[top]
President/Officer
Executive Director, Business Services
Orange County Department of Education
Renee Hendrick is the executive
director, business services for the
Orange County Department of
Education. She began working at the
OCDOE in 1994 as a payroll supervisor
and steadily moved up to her current
position.
As director of fiscal services, Hendrick
is responsible for the district’s budget,
accounting, payroll and categorical
programs, as well as the internal
business functions of the 10,000
alternative education and special
education students in Orange County.
Prior to joining OCDOE, Hendrick was a
senior payroll technician for the Coast
Community College District. She also
was employed as a manager and staff
trainer for a major national retailer.
Hendrick has held a host of positions
with CASBO including: Eastern Section
director, Eastern Section president, vice
chair and member of the Eastern
Section Financial Services R&D
Committee, pre-conference co-chair,
professional development presenter
and member of various committees
associated with CASBO’s strategic plan.
She is currently completing her
bachelor’s degree in business
administration and management at the
University of Redlands.
Hendrick lives in Corona, Calif., with her
husband of 20 years and their teenage
son.
[top]
Gary MatsumotoGary Matsumoto
President-Elect/Officer
Associate Superintendent, Business
Services
Hacienda La Puente Unified School
District
Gary Matsumoto has been the
associate superintendent for business
services at the Hacienda La Puente
Unified School District in Los Angeles
County since 2006.
Prior to taking that post, he held various
positions with Southern California
school districts including time in the
budget office at Long Beach Unified
School District, more than eight years at
Hacienda La Puente USD as director of
fiscal services, an additional eight years
there as assistant superintendent
business and finance, deputy
superintendent of business services for
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School
District and assistant superintendent,
business services for Saddleback
Valley Unified School District.
As a longtime CASBO member,
Matsumoto has served in a number of
posts including director I for the
Southern Section, co-chair of pre-
conference in 2008, director II for the
Southern Section, program chair for
annual conference and co-chair of the
Financial Services R&D. He has also
been active on the state Financial
Services Committee, the Southern
Section Budget R&D and the state
Budget Committee.
Matsumoto earned a bachelor’s degree
in economics from Occidental College,
and lives in Orange County with his wife
of 18 years.
[top]
Michael JohnstonMichael Johnston
Vice President/Officer
Assistant Superintendent, Business
Services
Clovis Unified School District
Michael Johnston is the Assistant
Superintendent of Business Services
for Clovis Unified School District. He
has a Bachelor of Science Degree in
Business Administration, emphasis in
Accounting, and a Master of Science
Degree in Educational Leadership and
Supervision. Johnston has 17 years
experience in public education finances
and management of school districts by
working in school districts and county
offices of education. Johnston is
certified as a Chief Business Official
through CASBO’s Chief Business
Official certification program. He also
serves on the Education Mandate Cost
Network Committee.
Johnston has been instrumental in the
development and presentation of
CASBO’s Advanced Budgeting
workshops series. He also presents
throughout the state for the Association
of Certificated School Administrators
(ACSA) Human Resource Academy.
Johnston also serves as the Executive
Director of Central Valley Support
Services JPA and continues to be a
leader supporting schools.
[top]
Sharon KetchersideSharon Ketcherside
Immediate Past President/Officer
Sacramento County Office of Education
Sharon Ketcherside serves as the
procurement services manager for the
Sacramento County Office of Education
(SCOE). Prior to joining SCOE in July
2005, she served as the director of
purchasing and accounts payable with
the Folsom Cordova Unified School
District and as a buyer with the Rio
Linda Union School District.
An 11-year veteran of the California
Association of School Business
Officials, Sharon has served in various
capacities of the organization. Through
CASBO Sharon has built a reputation
as a leader in the procurement services
field throughout the state.
Prior to her employment with the public
schools, Sharon volunteered at her
children’s schools as a member of the
school site counsel and held the
position of PTA president. Sharon
believes this was the springboard to
her career in public education.
Sharon earned her bachelor’s degree
in business administration from
Alameda University.
Sharon and her husband, Jim, live in
Elverta, Calif.; have two children,
daughter, Jennifer, and son Jim. They
are the proud grandparents of three
lovely granddaughters, Madeline, Claire
and Amaya.
San Diego Education Report
|
San Diego
Education Report
Grand Jury Report Eviscerates
San Ysidro School Bond
Program
By Ashly McGlone
Voice of San Diego
May 25, 2016
While criminal charges against former San
Ysidro school officials focused on gifts from
contractors, the Grand Jury report
highlights lapses in San Ysidro’s bond
spending and record-keeping...
The San Diego County Grand Jury
lobbed criticism at County Office of
Education staff brought in to
oversee the beleaguered border
district after it earned a negative
budget rating in 2012.
The jury concluded officials –
like fiscal adviser Lora Duzyk –
“did not take an aggressive
enough role in correcting
problems” while fending off a state
takeover. Duzyk declined to comment
Maura Larkins' note: Lora Duzyk is also a
voting member of the San Diego County
Treasurer-Tax Collector's Treasury
Oversight Committee:
"The County of San Diego Board of
Supervisors enacted a Resolution
adopting Government Code section
27131, creating the County Treasury
Oversight Committee. Its purpose is to
"promote public interest by involving
depositors in the management of their
funds and by enhancing the security
and investment return on their funds
by providing a more stable and
predictable balance for investment by
establishing criteria for the withdrawal
of funds.""
Grand Jury says Lora Duzyk failed
to clean up worrisome lapses in San
Ysidro where hundreds of
thousands of dollars went missing