Jené Nichelle Jess, MPA, SHRM-CP, has been the finance and employee services director for Bondurant, Iowa—the second-fastest-growing city in the state—since 2018. Jené is dedicated to serving Bondurant’s community and employees, in her role that manages the finance department which includes a municipal utility, the HR department, and IT. In 2021, GFOA awarded her its Hero Award, which recognizes finance officers who have demonstrated extraordinary actions beyond their normal duties during a time of health, financial, natural, or human-made crisis. Jené earned an Master Public Administration with an emphasis in human resources from Drake University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Grand View University in political science and pre-law, with an emphasis in accounting.