Diane Allison joined the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office in May 2021 as the Director of Local Government Services, having served as chief financial officer in three different local governments for a combined total of 17 years. LLA’s Local Government Services oversees the work of more than 200 independent CPA firms that conduct over 3,600 audits and other types of engagements, prepares fiscal notes for the Louisiana Legislature, educates local governments on governmental accounting and internal controls, and performs various advisory services.

Diane’s areas of expertise are accounting and financial reporting, financial management, budgeting, fiscal policies, school activity funds, accounting for the expenditure of tax-exempt bond proceeds, tax and fiscal compliance, and internal controls.

Diane has over 30 years of accounting experience, including in the for-profit manufacturing, not-for-profit, public accounting, and local government sectors. She has been a Certified Public Accountant for over 25 years and also holds certifications as a Chartered Global Management Accountant and Certified Government Finance Officer. In 2019 she received the Woman to Watch Award from the Society of Louisiana CPAs.

Diane has presented at national, state, and regional accounting conferences, including the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA), Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance, and both the Southern and Louisiana Associations of School Business Officials. In addition, she has written articles for various professional publications. She has served on and chaired various LCPA state and chapter committees. She currently is Chair of the national GFOA Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting committee; serves on the LCPA state and local Governmental Accounting and Auditing committee; is President-Elect of the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance, New Orleans Chapter; and serves on the board of the Women in Public Finance, Louisiana chapter.

Diane is a graduate of Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio with a Bachelor’s degree in English and Accounting. She is a member of the following professional associations:

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants
• Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada
• Louisiana Government Finance Officers Association (past President)
• Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance (past President of the New Orleans chapter)
• Louisiana Association of School Business Officials
• Association of Government Accountants
• Institute of Internal Auditors
• Women in Public Finance
• National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers