New RBHS business manager worked as school district auditor

Chris Whelton has been waiting patiently for the chance to run his own show. He will get that chance at Riverside-Brookfield High School. Last week Whelton was named the business manager at RB to replace John Gibson, who is leaving the school on June 30 to become an assistant superintendent at Kankakee Unit District 111.

Whelton will begin working at RB on July 1. He comes to RB after nine years as the director of fiscal services at Maine Township District 207, a three high school district. There Whelton worked under an assistant superintendent for business.

“I’ve been anxiously waiting my chance to be the business manager for many years,” said Whelton.

Whelton was a finalist for the job of assistant superintendent for business at his old district when his boss retired this year. But he did not get the job, as a new superintendent brought in someone he was more familiar with. So Whelton jumped at the chance to come to RB.

Whelton is coming to RB at an important time. The school is in the beginning of a nearly $64 million renovation and expansion project and is facing its first operating deficit in many years.

But Whelton said he is ready for the challenge.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” said Whelton. “I cannot wait to get started. It seems like it is an exciting time with the new construction.”

Whelton stood out from the crowd in his interview, according to those who interviewed him.

“He was by far the best candidate,” said Riverside-Brookfield Township High School District 208 school board President Larry Herbst. “He stood out head and shoulders above the other candidates we were looking at. He worked for an auditing firm that audited schools. He’s done some financing for renovation. He has a lot of experience in bonding. He’s extremely confident.”

Prior to working for District 207, Whelton worked for eight years in the private sector, including three years for McGladrey & Pullen, a leading national CPA firm. In the private sector, Whelton specialized in auditing school districts. He is a certified public accountant.

Whelton, 39, was raised in Broadview. He graduated from Fenwick High School and Loyola University where he majored in public accounting. He holds a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University. He now lives in Glen Ellyn with his wife and three young children. Whelton’s annual salary at RB will be $123,000.

At District 207 Whelton worked for a district with a budget of roughly $110 million for some 7,000 students at three high schools. At RB he will be responsible for a budget of almost $20 million.

The superintendent of District 207, Joel Morris, praised Whelton’s work at District 207.

“He dealt with all of our accounting services, worked with the budget, worked with looking at all of our purchasing and had a critical role for us in budget and negotiations,” said Morris. “Chris did a great job for us, and I’m sure he’ll work well with the staff members at Riverside-Brookfield.”