By JOYANNA LOVE/Senior Staff Writer

The Chilton County Board of Education has hired LaVerne Williams as the new chief school financial officer.

The board unanimously approved Williams for the position during a special called meeting on Jan 6.

Board president Lori Patterson said the board chose Williams because of her knowledge and experience.

Patterson said Williams demonstrated also good communication skills during the interview, giving good explanations to each of the board members’ questions.

Williams has been the accounting and budget manager for the state Department of Education for the past three years. Prior to that, she worked with Local Education Agencies accounting for the state department.

The new CSFO will start on Jan. 23. Williams said the position appealed to her because “it’s the dream job for an accountant.” She sees the position as an opportunity to use all of her prior experience.

“I’m excited,” Williams said.

She plans to commute from Montgomery.

The CSFO salary will be $78,000 plus benefits.

Chilton County Schools received 12 applications for the CSFO positions. While there were some local applicants, none of them met the minimum requirements for the job.

The board held two rounds of interviews before making a final decision.

The former CSFO resigned on Nov. 18 with an effective date of March 1