On March 5th, Scarsdale High School welcomed Mr. Gerry O’Neill as the school’s new Central Treasurer for Extra-Curricular Activities. Before joining the school district, O’Neill had worked as an accounting executive and a marketing manager.
Once he arrived at the high school, O’Neill served as the district’s Senior Clerk. As Senior Clerk, his work consists of approving classroom payment invoices from teachers. O’Neill now continues to hold both this job and the new Central Treasurer job. His full-time appointment, which puts him at the helm of overseeing club financial operations, should help quicken the club fund process.
O’Neill has already been preoccupied with parent phone calls and club members looking for assistance with electronic transactions to student transit discounts during his first few days as treasurer. Even with these new requests, he has been able to apply everything he has done from his past jobs. “All those jobs had the project management aspect to it, which is similar to what I’m doing here. It’s still project management in making sure things started correctly and are being processed correctly,” he remarked.

Compared to working in multiple time zones to meet the rigorous demands in the corporate world, he enjoys the local and more relaxing aspects of his new job. Although he is not a teacher, he still is able to help students: “Like a teacher, luckily in this role, I do get some interaction with students. I am in a training capacity as far as how to use this equipment and the process for the club, so to say. It’s more like a customer support role,” he stated.
On a daily basis, O’Neill plays an important role in supporting student-led financial projects, usually in the form of the management of club funds. The Central Treasurer acts as a watchdog to ensure that the financial practices of students comply with the law. He spares students from the intricate technicalities of fundraising, a crucial aspect of all clubs.
“Something like pretzels are tax free, but chocolate covered pretzels are not. So, we have to be clear on what’s being sold and how much, because if you’re selling the two items, then we have to pay the appropriate tax for the taxable items,” he explained.
O’Neill is also responsible for approving club requests for school funds. After a club submits a request for school funds with approval from their respective teacher advisor, he reviews the request before granting these funds.
While O’Neill’s presence and work is not visible to much of the student body, he does not mind working behind the scenes. He feels a sense of satisfaction when he sees students thrive outside the classroom.
“I don’t need the spotlight. It’s just good to know when you can contribute and see your contributions helping a bigger goal,” he concluded.