Staff Directory

Mike became FCMAT’s chief executive officer on July 1, 2017. Before joining FCMAT in 2015 as the agency’s chief administrative officer, Mike served a combined 13 years as interim superintendent and deputy superintendent of business services and governmental relations at the Riverside Unified School District. He has a long history in governmental relations, working closely with policy makers in Sacramento on behalf of California’s TK-12 students. Mike previously worked as assistant superintendent at Newport-Mesa USD and as financial administrator in accounting and indirect budgets at Hughes Aircraft Company and General Dynamics Corporation.  He has degrees in accounting and public administration from Cal Poly Pomona and California Baptist University. 

Mike is a regular presenter at many state and national conventions, workshops and professional development programs.

Mike is married to an elementary school teacher and together they have two adult children and one teenage cat that runs the household. He enjoys gardening and volunteers in his community as past president of the board of the Riverside Community College District Foundation and as a member of the City of Riverside’s Budget Engagement Commission.

Megan joined FCMAT in 2025 as the agency's chief administrative officer.  She brings a unique depth and breadth of experience, with more than 30 years in public education leadership and finance. Her career includes service as both deputy and interim superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District — the second-largest in the nation — where she led through complex operational and support challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also served as CBO at the Santa Clara County Office of Education and as comptroller at the Naval Postgraduate School, in addition to other public sector roles. Megan holds a law degree as well as an MS in management and a BA in history.

Megan is motivated by having been supported by role models and mentors throughout her career instilling in her the belief that our school business community is stronger and better when we support each other, building transparent fiscal systems that allow school communities to focus their attention where it matters most — on student learning. 

Originally from Northern California, Megan enjoys scuba diving, a good movie, and time with her husband, and family. 

Shayleen began with FCMAT in 2014. Prior to FCMAT, she served as superintendent of Maple Elementary School District, and as a management consultant in district advisory services for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, providing support to 16 school districts. She earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from California State University, Bakersfield, an administrative services credential from Fresno Pacific University, as well as a certificate in school business management from University of Southern California (USC). 

Shayleen is motivated by a desire to help schools to be successful and offer students the best education possible.

She is married to a retired CBO, has three adult children, three grandchildren, and enjoys spending time with family.

Tami joined FCMAT in 2018, having previously served as chief business official at a school district and as both assistant superintendent of business services and associate superintendent of administrative services at county offices of education. She holds a bachelor of business administration degree in accounting with a specialty in management and is a graduate of the USC School Business Management Certificate Program, a certified fraud examiner, and a member of the California Association of School Business Officials.

Tami has been involved in California’s three largest chief business official preparation programs as a mentor, teacher, curriculum developer, and designer of web-based classroom materials. She enjoys giving back to her profession through teaching others, and she finds her work at FCMAT rewarding because it helps others.

She is an accomplished baker and has two grown children who still benefit from her baking skills.

John began working with FCMAT in 2018. He has more than 30 years of private and public sector experience in a variety of management, fiscal, operations, and auditing roles. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from University of California, San Diego and a master's degree from California State University, Bakersfield. Prior to his current position, John served as Assistant Superintendent for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools and held leadership positions with the Business and Administration Steering Committee (BASC) for the California County Superintendents. John served with FCMAT previously as a fiscal intervention specialist, with the Lamont School District as assistant superintendent of business and personnel, and in management positions with both UPS and FedEx.

John leads FCMAT’s implementation of fiscal health risk analyses of districts under the new requirements of AB 1840. He finds it rewarding to help educators make the best use of the resources they have and be more efficient.

When not working for FCMAT, John enjoys travel and spending time in the local mountains.

Michael has been with FCMAT since 2017. He previously operated his own CPA firm specializing in governmental and nonprofit auditing, accounting, fraud examinations and litigation support. He has worked as a chief financial officer, chief ethics officer, and senior forensic accountant. Mike earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from California State University, Fullerton, and is a certified public accountant, certified fraud examiner, certified forensic accountant, and diplomat of the American Board of Forensic Accounting.

He has conducted numerous financial fraud audits and enjoys helping others learn by conducting fraud prevention, ASB and booster club workshops for FCMAT.

When away from work, he enjoys time with his two college-age children and hiking in Utah.

Carolynne joined FCMAT in 2021, having previously worked as a special education teacher, vice principal, director of pupil services, special education local plan area director, and associate superintendent of educational services. She has a master’s degree in special education and a doctorate from University of California, Davis, in educational leadership. 

Carolynne has a passion for teaching and a desire to make education better for all students. She continues to serve as a part-time instructor in the educational leadership doctoral program at UC Davis. 

Carolynne is also an outdoor enthusiast, an avid runner, and the busy owner of a golden retriever puppy.

Elizabeth Dearstyne joined FCMAT in 2025 as an intervention specialist. She brings nearly three decades of experience in state government, including 20 years with the California Department of Education’s School Fiscal Services Division, where she served as a fiscal consultant, administrator, and most recently as the division’s director. Prior to that, she spent eight years as an analyst at the Office of Public School Construction.

Elizabeth holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in government from California State University, Sacramento.

One of her most meaningful professional accomplishments was leading her team through the implementation of the Local Control Funding Formula in 2013, a significant shift in how California funds public education.

Elizabeth enjoys spending time with family and friends and is an avid reader. She is motivated by the opportunity to provide meaningful fiscal support to local educational agencies.

Erin joined FCMAT in February 2021, having previously served as chief business official at a charter school and at school districts. While with the charter school, Erin oversaw its expansion into the TK-8 grade levels and handled the financing, approval and permitting processes to start construction on a permanent facility for the school. She also worked as an administrator at a county office of education and has worked for both the California Department of Education and Department of Finance. She is a graduate of FCMAT’s Chief Business Official Mentor Program, Cohort 9. She has a bachelor’s degree in applied ecology from the University of California, Irvine and a master’s degree in public policy from the UCLA School of Public Affairs.

Her greatest motivation in working for FCMAT is to help provide what is best for students in the classroom.

She enjoys hiking, bike riding, and is an avid reader.

Alyssa Low joined FCMAT in 2025 after more than 14 years working in school business in Southern California. Her career spans service as a Director of Internal Business at a county office of education, Director of Fiscal Services, and Chief Business Official, with earlier roles in purchasing, student services, and as an adjunct professor teaching graduate-level courses in counseling and vocational development.

Alyssa holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and a Master of Arts. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s School Business Management Certificate (SBMC) program and holds certifications from both USC SBMC and the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) as a certified Chief Business Official.

One of the most meaningful aspects of her work is using both her technical expertise and counseling background to support and develop school business leaders. She is deeply committed to her work with the FCMAT CBO Mentor Program, the Coaching and Induction Program, and the USC SBMC program — helping new and emerging leaders gain the tools, skills, and confidence to succeed.

Outside of work, Alyssa enjoys running, thrifting, concerts, beach days, and traveling with her husband of nearly 30 years and their two adult children.

Roslynne joined FCMAT in 2023, having previously served as a director, external business, at El Dorado County Office of Education. She also worked as a chief business official at Black Oak Mine Unified School District and has held various business positions at a county office of education and a high school district. Roslynne holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a concentration in Asian American studies from California State University, Long Beach. She is a graduate of the fifth cohort of FCMAT’s Chief Business Official (CBO) Program and a certified CBO through the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO). She is a member of CASBO, the Association of California School Administrators, and the Government Finance Officers Association.

Roslynne takes pride in her role as a coach, mentor, and supporter of new CBOs during her tenure at the El Dorado County Office of Education. With over a decade of experience in the county office, she is excited for the opportunity to extend her service and support to school business professionals and educators statewide.

Roslynne has been married for 25 years to her husband, Cody. Together they have two adult children and a new grandbaby on the way. In her spare time, Roslynne loves to spend time with her husband outdoors, preferably hiking or kayaking.

Robbie joined FCMAT in 2020, having previously worked as the deputy superintendent for administrative services at the El Dorado County Office of Education. She also has served as the assistant superintendent, business services for two northern California school districts. Robbie has bachelor's degrees in French and in humanities from California State University, Sacramento. She is a graduate of the first cohort of FCMAT's Chief Business Official (CBO) Mentor Program, a certified CBO through the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) and a certified fraud examiner. She is a member of CASBO, the Association of California School Administrators, and the Government Finance Officers Association.

Early in her career, Robbie worked in a district that had a negative budget certification where FCMAT provided assistance. She decided then that her ultimate goal was to work for FCMAT.

Robbie loves to travel and learn languages (she is fluent in French). She also enjoys scuba diving.

Jennifer joined FCMAT in 2023, having previously served as an assistant superintendent, business services, at La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools. She also worked as a chief business official for a large charter high school and at Alpine Union School District. Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, Stanislaus. In 2014 she completed the University of Southern California School Business Management Certificate Program, earning the Carol Berg Student of the Year Award.

Jennifer led the successful passage of a $136 million school bond for La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools in 2020, providing vital funding for student safety and infrastructure. She is passionate about supporting school business professionals and educators in how to best use resources to support students.

Jennifer has been married for 30 years to her husband, Dan. Together they have three adult children and two Aussie golden doodles. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys home projects, family gatherings, and walks on the beach.

A member of FCMAT since 2015, Jennifer received her bachelor's degree in business administration and management from University of Redlands and spent several years working in fiscal services for districts, county offices and Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPAs) throughout the state. She cites as one of her favorite professional accomplishments assisting a district in overcoming a negative certification, necessitating close cooperation between administration, employee unions and other interested parties in making important decisions to enhance revenues and decrease expenditures.

Jennifer finds it especially rewarding when working with school district business staff, acting as a sounding board when they have questions. 

When she’s not immersed in school finance, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family.

Jeffrey joined FCMAT in 2018. Prior to joining FCMAT, Jeffrey was the chief business officer at the Alameda County Office of Education, where he spent 16 years overseeing 18 school districts with a combined $2 billion in funding. Originally from New York, he began his career in Silicon Valley and later audited numerous public and private firms throughout the southeastern United States. Jeffrey holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Arizona and is a certified fraud examiner.

When he is not helping school districts, Jeffrey can be found on the banks of a trout stream, chasing a covey of quail, or impersonating an Iron Chef.

Andrea has been with FCMAT since 2013 and serves as an instructor for the University of Southern California (USC) School Business Management Certificate Program. She has a bachelor's degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting, a master's degree, and has passed all portions of the certified public accountant exam. Before joining FCMAT, Andrea worked in both administrative and technology support, as a fiscal analyst, as a district fiscal services officer, and as a senior district fiscal services officer. 

She finds it rewarding to develop training and tools to help education agencies operate more efficiently and generate better information.

Andrea’s motivation to help California’s students comes from having had teachers and administrators who helped her overcome life challenges. Her love of finance began with a high school accounting class.

Outside of work, she enjoys camping, hiking, and spending time with family.

Before beginning work with FCMAT in 2020, Marcus served as senior director of human resources for the Riverbank Unified School District, and has held other human resources positions both in government and private industry. He is an adjunct instructor for the school business management certificate program at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education.

Marcus has bachelor's and master's degrees. He is a certified chief business official through the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) and a certified fraud examiner (CFE). He serves on CASBO's Central Section Human Resources Council, and is the 2019-20 president-elect for the Central Section.

Assisting with development of the Riverbank Unified School District's trilingual (English, Spanish and Mandarin) program was a highlight of Marcus' time with that district. The program allows students to experience multiple cultures and languages.

Marcus is married to his high school sweetheart and together they have four adventurous sons. When he's not spending time with his family or working, he enjoys riding his mountain bike.

Cassady Clifton joined FCMAT in 2022 as a technical writer. She brings a background in school business, health care, and communications, with prior experience as an account manager at Self-Insured Schools of California (SISC) and as a territory manager with Kaiser Permanente. At SISC, she led district-level transitions into a statewide joint powers authority and developed widely used health and wellness materials.

Cassady holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has completed UC Berkeley Extension’s professional sequences in both technical communication and graphic design. She is currently pursuing the School Business Management program through the University of Southern California. At FCMAT, she focuses on enhancing the clarity, accessibility, and visual impact of reports and statewide materials, with a particular interest in data visualization.

She lives in Northern California with her husband, four cats, and two dogs, and is working toward becoming an independently published author.

John joined FCMAT in 2005, having previously worked as a high school English teacher, communications manager, newspaper feature editions editor, and communications and technology manager. He has a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in theology, and has completed graduate coursework in graphic design. Some of his most rewarding professional work was for an international charity that helped Romanian orphans. He is motivated in his FCMAT work by the knowledge that our work helps students. When not working at FCMAT, he enjoys spending time with family and bicycling for transportation.

Leonel has been with FCMAT since 1998 after previously working as a news editor at the Arvin Tiller and Lamont Reporter newspaper and as a reporter for The Bakersfield Californian. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications studies from California State University, Bakersfield. His reporting career included first-hand coverage of the Los Angeles riots in 1992. He is pleased to be part of an organization that improves public education. He and his wife, Ester, enjoy spoiling their grandchildren and living in a home filled with family, books, and reading.

Kay has been with FCMAT since 2017, having previously worked as a receptionist, bookkeeper, office manager, and process server. She has taken college accounting courses, has completed the Kern County Superintendent of Schools’ business office training program, and has 35 years of experience in bookkeeping and office management. She is motivated by the team she works with at FCMAT. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her great-nephews Logan, Cody and Hunter. She also enjoys painting, gardening and crafting.

Veronica has been with FCMAT since 2007, prior to which she worked as a business manager, human resources assistant, and accounts receivable manager. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ashford University, San Diego, California, and chief business official certification from the California Association of School Business Officials. Veronica finds it rewarding to connect with and help others in their work at FCMAT. Outside of work, she enjoys time with family, crafting, and outdoor activities.

Amanda began with FCMAT in 2014, having previously worked in management at a bank and in retail. She is the mother of twins and enjoys staying fit. She enjoys working with the FCMAT team and striving to excel in her career.