About

Susan Harkin - Illinois ASBO

HarkinFavicon_Website.ico A Long History with Public Education

Public education has been an integral part of my life from a very early age. At three months old, I had my first exposure to public education as a passenger on my mom’s school bus route. As I grew older, my mom transitioned into a school secretary position and my dad became a school board member. My parents’ best friends were the superintendent, business official and principals for our school district. We had many lively conversations about public education. Growing up in a diverse, blue collar community in the '60s and '70s, my family took on the charge to fight for the access to high-quality education for all. This early exposure is the core of why I am a school business official today. I am honored and humbled to serve as a director on the board of the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBOI) as my next step in this effort.

HarkinFavicon_Website.ico Promoting the Highest Standards of School Management

I am passionate about providing high-quality education and collaborating with school business professionals. While serving on the ASBOI board, I will be committed to providing programs and services that promote the highest standards of school business management, professional growth and the effective use of educational resources. I will actively use my passion for our profession to find ways to engage in this work and be a champion for school business professionals around the world.

HarkinFavicon_Website.ico A Network of Colleagues Worldwide

While Illinois ASBO is a great resource for me, ASBOI provides the opportunity to network with other state SBOs to understand how they are addressing challenges they are facing in their roles. This network energizes me to be a better school administrator. I believe being an SBO is one of the most important careers and the best profession in the entire world. My involvement in ASBOI has provided me with resources that ensure I am the very best I can be in this very important role. On the ASBOI Board, I will work to ensure ASBOI continues to be a valuable resource to all SBOs to uphold the vitality of our profession.