It’s the Fairfield Twp. administrator’s way of networking. It’s something she has practiced most of the 32 years she’s worked in various government roles in Butler, Warren, Montgomery and Hamilton counties.
When she retired at the end of last year as the administrator for Symmes Twp., it didn’t last long – maybe a day or two. She was back at Fairfield Twp. — this time as administrator — effective Jan. 1.
Her change in heart? She said she wanted to stay active.
Lapensee was also familiar with the township, having worked there as its assistant administrator for seven months in 2016-2017.
“I was planning on taking off some time to chill and eventually do something else – I like to keep busy,’’ said the Madison Twp. resident.
“But then this job opened and I thought, ‘Aw, I’ll just go ahead and apply and see what happens’ and that’s how I ended up here.”
But that’s not her only job. Last month she started her ‘retirement’ job as Madison Twp.’s fiscal officer – a position she was elected to before the Fairfield Twp. job opened, but under Ohio law, doesn’t begin until the April after the election. At the time she filed her petitions, she thought it would be her only job in retirement.
“I’m a glutton for punishment. ‘I thought I’ll put my name on the ballot and if I get it, I’ll do that as my retirement gig.’ One job’s not enough, I’ll just take on another.”
Lapensee said she ran for fiscal officer because she enjoyed the financial aspect of her job in Symmes Twp. She’ll do her Madison Twp. work in the evenings and weekends.
There’s some familiarity with the people and the operations that brought her back to Fairfield Twp., where she can use plans to apply some of her fiscal experience to the budgeting process.
“I’m very familiar with Fairfield Twp. and the way they run their operations. I always enjoyed the people I worked with,’’ Lapensee said.
“I knew all the trustees and I was familiar with the way their policies were shaped, their vision for the community. It’s an attractive community. It’s had a lot of growth over the past eight years.”
Since her arrival, she has made one major change around budgeting — giving more responsibility to the department heads.
“We didn’t really have a good budgeting process. We are constructing a new way to look at the budget and go forward with that. I’ve put it on every department head now,’’ Lapensee said.
“They are going to be in charge of their own budgets and tell us — me and the finance department – what they need. Before it was always the fiscal officer dictating what those budgets would be. This time the department heads are going to be telling us, ‘Hey, here is what I think I need.’ Then we’ll present it to the board.”
Her strength, Lapensee says, is her experience with government at all levels along with being highly organized.
“I understand the government process in its totality — meaning all the different layers. I’ think I have a lot of knowledge about government to give and to teach and help my (employees). I’ve had the privilege of working for many jurisdictions – city, township, and county,” Lapensee said.
“If there is something (my employees) don’t understand, I am right there with them to help them understand it. I think I’m highly organized. I’m a very hard worker and I will get in the trenches. I wouldn’t expect any of my employees to do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Besides her work in planning/zoning for Butler County and Trenton, Lapensee has worked as an assistant city manager in Madeira, executive director with the Warren County Regional Planning Commission, and township administrator in Butler Twp., in Montgomery County.
Outside of work, Lapensee enjoys boating with her family at Lake Cumberland.
“There’s a whole crew we hand out with — our boat friends,’’ Lapensee says.
LEADING LADIES OF BUTLER COUNTY
This is part of a series of stories featuring women in Butler County who shape their communities. These stories will feature women who are leading small and large businesses, institutions, and organizations.
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