Leslie Wagner of Hastings has been selected assistant superintendent of finance and operations for Wayland Union Schools, succeeding the retiring Patricia Velie.

Wagner, who will begin duties later this week, has been payroll manager as the insurance firm since last February. She also was payroll manager for Kentwood Public Schools, employee benefits coordinator at Kentwood and accounting clerk at the school district, and was accounts payable and receivable for Superior Environmental.

She earned a bachelor of business administration degree from Davenport University in 2014, a master’s degree in accounting from Bellevue University and now is working on her chief financial officer certification.

Her hiring comes at the same time Velie is leaving. After serving as the top financial officer for Wayland Union Schools since 2016, she has decided to retire, this time for real, to spend more time with her family.

Under Velie’s guidance, the school district’s fund balance has grown from less than 10 percent to 18.3% at the close of the 2022-23 fiscal year.

Velie also shepherded the difficult and contentious bond issue in May for major improvements to school buildings, particularly building a new swimming pool, to voters’ approval after several failed attempts.

She also pulled off a minor miracle several years ago by finding ways to fund artificial turf for the football stadium as part of the bond project then.

Supt. Tim Reeves, at Velie’s last meeting Monday night, commented, “The value Mrs. Velie has brought to this district is extensive, and it will be felt for a long time.”

Velie responded, “I’ve loved every minute of it.”

She and her husband, a Boy Scout troop leader, lived in Wayland years ago, when she was director of obtaining substitute teachers for the district. They moved to Massachussetts, where she was a corporate financial officer, and returned to Wayland seven years ago.

Their children both are Wayland Union High School graduates.