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ALLIANCE - When Megan Reiter was a little girl, she used to pretend that she worked at a library.
The 2007 Marlington High School graduate doesn't have to make believe any longer after being appointed fiscal officer at Rodman Public Library.
"I'm very excited to be here," said Reiter, whose first day was Aug. 31. "I used to come to the library a couple times a week when I was little and I looked forward to checking out new books and taking them home."
Reiter recently found some of her own childhood books that she placed barcodes on so that she could pretend to scan them and circulate them to others, usually her little brother.
"Even though I pretended to work in the library, I never thought that I would ever actually work here," added Reiter, explaining that as an elementary student she wanted to be a teacher.
Like many childhood notions, Reiter's changed. After graduating from high school, she worked as a dental assistant for a short time.
"I quickly found that working in people's mouths wasn't for me," said Reiter. "But I did discover that I liked working at the front desk with people and doing the office work, especially the billing."
That prompted Reiter to pursue an education in business, and she enrolled at Stark State College.
"I found that I really liked accounting," said Reiter. "I was drawn to it. I liked the problem-solving aspect of it and the logic of it."
With her new-found talent, Reiter matriculated to Walsh University where she earned a bachelor's degree in accounting in May 2016.
By then she had already secured a position as a bookkeeper/accountant at the Massillon Municipal Court, starting in February 2016, following an internship at Robertson's Heating Supply Co. and a short stint in the accounts payable department at Akron-based Smithers.
Reiter, the daughter of Bryan and Amy Haidet, started a family of her own during the decade she worked in Massillon, marrying Cory Reiter, the son of Steve and Tammy Reiter. Megan and Cory, who are part of Reiter Farms LLC, recently celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary and are the parents of two young children, Wyatt, 4, and Maciee, 2.
When the position of fiscal officer at Rodman Public Library was advertised earlier this year, Reiter jumped at the opportunity to work closer to home for several reasons.
"The shorter commute is nice," said Reiter. "My work is only 10 minutes away from home now, which is definitely a plus with having two little ones. But what really attracted me to this job is that I can become more involved in the community that I live in. Being the mom of two small children, I want to help make a difference here. That's important to me because I grew up here and my children will grow up here. I also believe that libraries are an important part of a strong community and I am happy to now be a part of the staff at Rodman Public Library."
Rodman Public Library Board of Trustees President Guy Hall said he believes Reiter is the right person for the job.
"On behalf of the library board of trustees, I am very pleased to welcome our new fiscal officer to the library team," said Hall. "This is an important position that plays a vital role in maintaining the financial strength, accountability, and continued success of our library. We are confident that Megan brings the experience, professionalism, and dedication needed to serve our organization and our community well. We look forward to working with Megan and are excited about the knowledge and perspective she will bring to the library as we continue to build on our strong foundation and provide exceptional services and resources to the community."
Rodman Public Library Director Eric Taggart echoed those sentiments.
"Megan is going to be a great asset to the library," added Taggart. "In addition to having the skills and knowledge that will help her to excel in this role, Megan is very community-minded. Megan's desire to make a difference in Alliance – where she grew up and now chooses to make her home – was very evident during the interview process. We are thrilled to have her join the Rodman Public Library team."
Reiter said she has learned a lot during her first month on the job.
"I am learning so much about how the library operates and getting to know my new co-workers," said Reiter. "I am just excited to be here and excited about what I can do in this role for the betterment of Alliance."