The Educational Services Commission of New Jersey has hired Timothy Havlusch to serve as the new business administrator/board secretary and to help chart the future for the largest educational services commission in the state.
Havlusch, who served as business administrator for the Hackettstown School District for the past five years, takes over a position that requires a strong acumen in educational financial management, operational leadership and business development.
In his new role, Havlusch will oversee all business affairs of the specialized school district, with sprawling campuses in Piscataway, Monroe and Sayreville. He also will be responsible for the financial success of the largest public cooperative purchasing program in New Jersey, as well as a professional conference center and an aquatics and fitness center, among many other administrative responsibilities at ESCNJ.
“I have admired and respected this position during my entire professional career,” Havlusch said. “As an individual who worked for years in business development in the private sector, as well as served as a school business administrator for nearly a decade, I am uniquely positioned to serve ESCNJ in this vital role.
“I look forward to working closely with ESCNJ’s leadership, staff and stakeholders to accomplish the district’s short- and long-term goals.”
Havlusch’s entire career has focused on budgeting, financial planning, resource allocation and policy development. He served in business development as a client advisor for Control Building Services in Secaucus for 14 years, managing more than $8.5 million in assets, before becoming a school business administrator. He worked four years for the Great Meadows Regional School District before moving to the Hackettstown schools in 2019.
ESCNJ Schools Superintendent Nadia Romano applauded the announcement.
“Our search committee was tremendously impressed with Tim’s experience in budget development and management, as well as strategic planning and leadership,” she said. “He has a critically important role at ESCNJ as we plan for future growth, and I look forward to working closely with him to meet the district’s many objectives.”
Romano noted that the co-op, as well as the conference center and the aquatics/fitness center, are all growing revenue-generators for ESCNJ. The profits from these enterprises, as well as other ongoing initiatives including transportation services, drives down the cost of special education for sending school districts. These revenue sources ensure ESCNJ has the lowest possible tuition costs for sending school districts, while the quality of student learning remains second to none.
“We need a business administrator who understands the unique role that ESCNJ plays statewide in providing our students with the latest technologies and supports available,” Romano said. “Tim is the ideal choice, as we move forward with initiatives that create new revenues and support our overall goal of providing the best public education possible for our students.”
