Jen Carlson is the finance director for the city of Duluth, Minnesota. She has been a government finance manager for 19 years and has been with city of Duluth for nine years. Before she was appointed finance director, Jen served as the city’s budget manager for five years. Before working for the City of Duluth, she was the senior accountant for the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District and the finance director for Spirit Mountain Recreation Area. Jen is a certified public accountant and holds an undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin Superior, and graduate degrees in business administration and management from the College of St Scholastica.  She serves on the GFOA’s budget committee and is a graduate of the GFOA’s leadership academy.