After a decade overseeing the financials for the Troy Schools System, Mickey Daughtry is retiring and joining the private sector.

Dr. Lee Hicks, superintendent, said Daughtry went far above and beyond just crunching the numbers though.

“He has meant the world to the teachers and the staff and administrators – he’s not just the CFO, he worked with individuals with retirement and giving advice. He has done things that went above and beyond what a CFO does … Our staff weren’t just employees; in his eyes, he treated them like family and that is something that is going to be sorely missed.”

Originally from Troy and a product of the school system, Daughtry left to work with the state as an accountant and auditor for 21 years before returning home to do his part for the city schools.

“It’s been a humbling honor,” Daughtry said. “When I started with the school system, I was helping teachers with retirement that had taught me throughout high school. I was able to help them as they were winding down their careers and I was continuing on another leg in mine.”

In addition to his own education, Daughtry said his son and brother also came through Troy schools, so he understands the important work of ensuring the system continues to provide high-quality education.

“I really believe in this school system,” Daughtry said. “It’s critical to give good timely information to the board members so they can make good decisions. Being a CFO means constantly pulling information and sifting through it to determine the best course of action to take. There are so many different moving parts to it. There are dozens of fund sources each with different requirements and its hard to pull all of that into one consolidated budget.”

And part of budgeting means looking at the economy and planning for potential drops in revenue from areas such as local sales taxes, and the constant changes in funding at state and federal levels as new legislation is introduced and the education system continues to evolve.

Daughtry said he couldn’t do his work without a talented team of people around him.

“It’s wonderful; it takes all of us pulling together,” Daughtry said. “Each school has to roll information up to me and I have to consolidate those for the annual budget and the monthly financial statements. I couldn’t do anything without  those administrators. I just thank everybody for the encouragement and support I’ve had. I’ve been blessed to be able to be a part of this.”

Daughtry has been the system’s CFO since before Hicks arrived as superintendent.

“I hate to see him retire,” Hicks said. “He’s been a part of Troy City Schools the entire time I’ve been here and even before.  He’ll always be a part of the Trojan family and we wish him nothing but success. He leaves big shoes to fill.”

The board hired Tricia Norman Monday night to step into the role. Daughtry said she is a veteran of the financial department and he believes she will do a great job.

“She will have things to learn just like I did, but she will do a fine job,” Daughtry said. “She has a vested interest in the system and she wants to do the best for all the kids, just like we all have.”