LeeAnn Pasquini has resigned as Springfield budget director to take a job at the University of Massachusetts
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, center, is flanked by former Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Lee C. Erdmann to his right, and Budget Director LeeAnn Pasquini to his left, in this file photo from 2011. Erdmann resigned in December and Pasquini will leave soon.
SPRINGFIELD – City Budget Director LeeAnn Pasquini is resigning her city job, effective next Friday, to become the director of budget and planning at the University of Massachusetts.
Pasquini has served as city budget director for three years, at an annual salary of $90,900, and previously worked as the budget director for the state Office of Administration and Finance.
Her resignation follows the December resignation of Lee C. Erdmann, who served as the city’s chief administrative and financial officer in December.
“I want to thank LeeAnn for her service to the city and wish her well,” Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said Friday, in announcing the resignation. “LeeAnn has worked tirelessly on behalf of the residents and businesses of Springfield. Her aptitude in finance combined with her personality and work ethic make LeeAnn very special.”
Sarno has appointed Senior Management Analyst Jennifer Winkler of the city’s Finance Department to serve as acting budget director, effective April 1.
Pasquini, a Springfield resident, starts her new job on April 2, serving the college system for the University of Massachusetts in the Office of the President. Her new annual salary is $120,000.
Timothy J. Plante has served as Springfield's acting chief administrative and financial officer since the resignation of Erdmann. The Finance Department, having numbered 14 employees several years ago, now consists of Plante, Winkler and three other employees. Plante is also seeking to fill two vacant financial management analyst positions.
The job at UMass was “a golden opportunity” for Pasquini, and one that the city could not match, Sarno said.
Sarno described her as “young, knowledgeable and aggressive” in her work.
“It’s bittersweet,” Sarno said. “Boy, am I sorry to lose her. She was a very dedicated professional. It was an opportunity to move her career forward.”
The city has struggled with budget challenges and tight revenues for several years, and another challenging year is expected in the coming fiscal year, Sarno said. City departments have been directed to prepare budgets that reflect a potential 10 percent cut in funds, he said.
Pasquini said she is grateful to Sarno and Plante and the Finance Department staff “for having confidence in my work and for supporting me during my time with the city.”
“I am proud of the Finance Department and the accomplishments we have made as a team,” Pasquini said. “As a resident, I look forward to seeing the department’s and the city’s continued success.”
Winkler, a Springfield resident, has worked for the city since 2007 in budget and finance roles, and previously worked for the budget department of Baystate Medical Education and Research Foundation. She was also recently appointed as a member of the Board of Assessors.
As acting budget director, her annual salary will be $80,327.