Orcas Island Park and Recreation District has hired Orcas resident Leslie Rae Schmitz, MPA, for four months of contract work to assist the district in accounting system management, office procedures and controls and in overseeing the installation of a new online registration and payment system for Orcas Island’s recreation programs and services. Schmitz will start work immediately.

“Leslie will help assure that OIPRD has solid accounting structures and practices in place at the outset of operations and she is uniquely qualified to make sure the new online registration system is fully vetted before unveiling it to the public,“ said commissioner Martha Farish.

The OIPRD board seeks to provide an accounting system that is transparent to the community, donor and grant makers and also provides a tracking system that encourages wise business decisions and longer term planning and budgeting.  Since OIPRD also depends on tax revenue, the accounting needs to answer to the year-by-year budgeting favored by the state auditing system.

“The board felt hiring Leslie was the most efficient way for us to navigate the complexities of setting up diverse systems and making sure everything works well together,” Farish said.

Schmitz has more than 15 years of business project management experience with expertise in “System Development Life Cycle” methodologies. Since moving to Orcas, she has done independent contract work for OPAL, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS) and has served as the Alumni Association President for Camp Orkila. Prior to moving to Orcas, Schmitz was senior project manager for the installation of an automated computer system for a major, multi-branch bank.

Schmitz, her husband Brian and their seven-month-old daughter Vivian live in Vusario.