2022 GFOA Hero Award Recipients

2022 GFOA Hero Award Recipients

GFOA's Fourth Annual Hero Award recognizes finance officers who have demonstrated extraordinary actions during a time of health, financial, natural, or human-made crisis. View this year's recipients below.

Buffy Bullis, Administrative Services Director, City of Monrovia, California

In September 2020, the San Gabriel Mountains experienced a fire that grew to over 116,000 acres, including 278 acres of the Monrovia Wilderness Preserve and much of the eighty acres of Monrovia Canyon Park, a premier amenity of the city. During the weeks where the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was activated, Buffy served as the main financial liaison and reported to the EOC and fulfilled urgent financial needs as resources were deployed as a result of the fire.

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Amy Gnojek, Co-CEO/CFO, Eagle County Paramedic Services, Edwards, Colorado

In March 2020 Vail Resorts shut down its North American ski resorts for the season six weeks early, an unprecedented move that effectively emptied Eagle County (EC) (home to both Vail and Beaver Creek Mountains) of tourists. Prepping for the pandemic included securing PPE; revising job descriptions to ensure that all needs were being covered and creating a "surge crew." The “surge crew,” which Gnojek spearheaded as CFO to ensure adequate funding, tapped members of ski patrol to create a pool of part-time employees to be on-call in case of an outbreak of COVID among employees who were on the front lines.

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Jennifer Larson, Director of Finance & Budget, City of Dubuque, Iowa

When COVID-19 hit, Jennifer created four budget review teams: one to review staffing levels, one to review operating expenses, one to review capital expenditures, and one to review contracts and purchased services. Thanks to her leadership and skills,  the City of Dubuque was able to avoid cutting any positions or critical services or programs to residents during the pandemic.

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Brian Mohan, Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer/City Treasurer/Acting City Clerk, City of Moreno Valley, California

Despite the pandemic, and even through the continued tragedies the City faced with the sudden deaths of two City Council Members, Brian administered the City’s annual General Fund Budget as well as a number of other projects and programs.

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Timothy (TJ) Plante, Chief Administrative and Financial Officer (CAFO), City of Springfield, Massachusetts

Once on the brink of financial collapse (i.e., facing a $41M deficit in 2004), Springfield is far ahead of the curve in its recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and shows a commitment to building back even stronger. TJ has helped the city overcome tremendous fiscal challenges.

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