AASD’s business manager set to retire after 26 years

Altoona Area School District Business Manager Camilla Houy will retire after 26 years in the district’s business office.
Courtesy photo

After 26 years in the Altoona Area School District’s business office, Camilla Houy has passed the torch as the district’s business manager on to Sue Franks and is ready to enjoy the next chapter of her life.

Upon her retirement Dec. 31, Houy plans to volunteer with Altoona’s Kiwanis Club, Altoona Area’s adult education program and serve as a Sunday school teacher at her church. She also plans to participate in some ceramics classes and take her grandchildren to see some performing arts productions.

“Those are the ones that are off the top of my head,” Houy said of her retirement plans, noting she has several home projects to work on. “I’ll pretty much wait to see what God puts in front of me and then try to make sure I listen.”

According to Houy, God has “opened all the doors” for her throughout her career and life.

Houy joined the Altoona Area School District in March 1998. She served eight years as the district’s federal programs coordinator, eight years as its federal programs director and 10 years as the business manager.

Before joining the district, Houy served as a state auditor in Texas from 1981-85, was a stay-at-home mother for seven years and worked as a public accountant in Texas and Pennsylvania.

Many people guided Houy to be successful in her roles at the district, she said.

Mary Louise Ray, a former assistant superintendent at Altoona Area, taught her about the educational side of the job when she started, Houy said, adding she also learned a lot from Michelle Krebs, who preceded Houy as business manager, former superintendent Dennis Murray and many others.

Current administrators, like Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Elementary Programs Haley Fleegle, are also great mentors and leaders who make Altoona Area “a great place to work,” Houy said.

Fleegle, who succeeded Houy as the district’s federal programs director when she became the business manager, said Houy was instrumental in helping the district manage its usage of various Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief grants during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“She masterfully planned, advised and assisted with how these grant funds could be best utilized to assist with closing a very large deficit, all while making sure we were putting the district on solid financial footing moving forward,” Fleegle said, noting Houy is a model of hard work and dedication.

Fleegle said she and Houy share June 30 as a special day of the year since it’s Fleegle’s anniversary date and Houy’s birthday. It was also the deadline for the various federal grants they worked on together, she said.

“This date and so many memories will always make me think of her and all that she’s done for the district,” Fleegle said.

When Houy’s retirement was announced at the Aug. 19 school board meeting, many board members — including Val Mignogna and Mike Pappas — thanked her for her years of service.

“There’s no better steward of the district’s money than you,” Mignogna said to Houy at the time.

Of all the current school board members, David Francis, who was on the school board when Houy was hired, has the closest bond with Houy, she said, noting Francis golfs with her husband and they’ve attended various birthday parties and baseball games together.

Francis said Houy “came a long way” as she worked her way up through the district.

“She’s done such a wonderful job with our finances,” Francis said. “She’s a wonderful person and we’re going to miss her sorely.”

Houy’s retirement is “well deserved,” Superintendent Brad Hatch said.

“Camilla is one of the most genuine, hard-working people I’ve ever known,” Hatch said. “Her knowledge of school finances, budgeting, the audit process and understanding federal funds have benefited the school district tremendously in her time.”

Fortunately for the district, Hatch said, Houy has spent “a number of years” working closely and sharing her wisdom with Sue Franks, who took over the business manager responsibilities Nov. 1.

Franks said learning the business manager position was “a little overwhelming” at first because there was much to learn. But Houy was patient and supportive throughout the transition, she said.

Franks, who started working for the district seven years ago, said she and Houy quickly struck up a friendship after realizing they shared many connections through their faith.

“We both wholeheartedly believe that there was divine intervention in putting us together and in this position,” Franks said.

When asked what she’ll miss about the district, Houy said it’s the people she worked with who will make her retirement bittersweet.

“I worked with great people,” Houy said, but added she’s eager to spend more time with her grandchildren and helping others where she can.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.

The Houy file

Name: Camilla Houy

Age: 65

Family: Husband, Bill Houy; daughters, Patti Connolly and Jen Houy Showalter; sons-in-law, Denny Connolly and Justin Showalter; grandchildren: Tomas, Sam, Emmy, Leah and Evan Showalter and Dash and Kora Connolly

Education: Burnet High School, Burnet, Texas, Class of 1977; Southwest Texas State University, Class of 1980, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in accounting

Employment: State auditor, Texas, 1981-85; stay-at-home mother, 1985-92; worked for accounting firms in Texas and Pennsylvania, 1992-98; federal programs coordinator, federal programs director, business manager, Altoona Area School District, 1998-2024

Hobbies: Participating in art classes