MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) named a new chief financial officer, Milwaukee Board of School Directors President Marva Herndon announced Tuesday.

Aycha Sawa assumed the CFO role on Tuesday. She’s a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Business.

Sawa has previously worked as the comptroller for the City of Milwaukee. She was elected to the role in 2020, becoming the first woman to take that office.

She did not run for re-election, and Bill Christianson has since taken over the comptroller role.

Before that, Sawa held various positions with the city, including auditor, internal audit manager, accounting director and deputy comptroller.

“I’m excited to begin my new role with Milwaukee Public Schools,” Sawa said. “During my tenure as comptroller, I led the strong fiscal oversight of the City of Milwaukee. I look forward to using my years of experience in government auditing, accounting and management to lead the district’s Office of Finance.” 

Sawa also has personal ties to MPS; she has a child enrolled in first grade in the school district.