A new perspective
When setting out into the world after high school, however, East Holmes Schools' new treasurer thought nursing was her future.
"It was when I was really young, the nursing, but it just didn't fit," Lester said. "I was actually studying to be an ER nurse. I started to notice something was wrong when we got around all the needles."
Looking for a change in direction, Lester moved her academic efforts to something that felt a little more natural.
"I've always loved numbers and puzzles, so it all flowed," Lester said. "A lot of our work is problem solving: We want to do this, this is how much money we have. What do we have to do to make it work?"
After graduating with a degree in computer accounting, Lester went to work in the Tuscarawas County Courthouse before moving on to school treasurer work at Garaway, Tusky Valley and Chillicothe City Schools.
The East Holmes School Board hired Lester in June 2013. Lester replaced Marsha Clark, who left East Holmes to take a job with Dover City Schools.
The job opening caught Lester's attention because she was interested in moving back to the area, having grown up in Tuscarawas County.
Lester's main focus since starting with East Holmes in August has been on in-house matters. Once those matters are in place, Lester said her future plans include expanding her duties as school treasurer to that as a liaison between the school and the community.
Lester previously fostered this kind of relationship while working for Chillicothe City Schools. She said the positive relationships helped pass a new levy for Chillicothe on the first try.
First, however, administrators, the faculty and school board need to reach that level of experience where they are working smoothly together, Lester said.
"A school district is a community entity that the taxpayers actually own," Lester said. "The schools need to find that unity inside first, and then find out from the community the direction they want the district to move in."
Lester said the ideal relationship between school district and community is that where the two share information and ideas back and forth. Lester said it is her job to provide information about finances to the public in a form that is easy to understand. The community helps a school district by providing guidance and an outside perspective.
"It helps when you get the community involvement, the input from businessmen, businesswomen, to find out what we can do more of," Lester said. "Their feedback lets me know that we are, or are not, getting enough information out there."
East Holmes Superintendent Joe Edinger said he has faith in Lester's abilities to carry out the job ahead of her. Edinger said Lester's credentials were boosted in July, when she received an Auditor of State Award with Distinction for her recordkeeping at Chillicothe City Schools.
The award was announced after the school board had hired Lester and Lester started work as interim treasurer.
"It reaffirms the board's decision," Edinger said. "Kellie is bringing those skills to us. With a clean budget, we have more credibility that we are being good stewards of taxpayer money."