GFOA Testifies on Municipal Liquidity Facility

Kathy Kardell joined Hennepin County, Minnesota in October 2010 as Senior Department Administrator in the Office of Budget and Finance. In her current position, she is responsible for the debt management function for the County, as well as other special projects within and across County departments and County partners.

Prior to joining the County, Kathy served as Assistant Commissioner for Treasury and Debt Management at Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) for nearly 3 years. During her tenure at MMB, she oversaw the issuance of $2.4 billion of state general obligation bonds (new money and refunding), $164 million of state revenue bonds, and $75 million of certificates of participation. In addition, she procured a $600 million line of credit to assist the state in managing its cash flow needs.

Before joining the State, Kathy worked as a financial advisor to state and local governments across the United States for 23 years, assisting her clients in financing capital projects in the transportation, environmental, education, entertainment, and housing and economic development sectors of the municipal market.

Kathy received her Master’s degree in public administration from Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota and her Bachelor of Science degree in urban studies (emphasis on economics and political science) from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She is a founding member and current president of the Minnesota chapter of Women in Public Finance and currently serves on GFOA’s Committee on Governmental Debt Management.

Senior Debt Administrator, Office of Budget & Finance, Hennepin County, MN

As special counsel in the Government and Public Finance group, Kelly Hutchinson knows how to advise governments who require access to the capital markets on how to issue general obligation and revenue bonds while adhering to regulations that govern municipal securities.

Before joining Katten, Kelly worked as director of capital markets for the State of Illinois, managing $30 billion of debt, raising over $10 billion of debt in the capital markets and helping create legislation to improve the efficiency of refunding transactions.

Prior to that, she worked on high profile projects with state and local governments as a municipal advisor, financing over $30 billion in debt issuances for a range of general obligation and revenue bonds.

At the start of her career, Kelly worked as an investment banking analyst in the oil and gas division.

Special Counsel, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

David Erdman has been a member of the State of Wisconsin Capital Finance Office since 1994 and Director since 2015. During that time, Mr. Erdman has been responsible for the preparation, sale, issuance, disclosure, and compliance of nearly 300 State of Wisconsin bond/notes issues in aggregate par amount of nearly $45 billion.  The Capital Finance Office is responsible for all State bond/note issuances over seven different credits, development of State-level borrowing credits, Master Lease Program, Environmental Improvement Fund, and a venture capital fund of funds.  Prior to working at the State of Wisconsin Capital Finance Office, Mr. Erdman worked for five years assisting Wisconsin municipalities in securing loans from the State of Wisconsin Clean Water Fund. Mr. Erdman is currently Vice-Chair of the State Debt Management Network (SDMN) and member of GFOA’s Committee on Governmental Debt Management.  Mr. Erdman has a Public Administration/Political Science Degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.  Mr. Erdman is also Chair of the Utilities Committee and a volunteer Advanced Emergency Medical Technician for his hometown of Stoughton, Wisconsin.

Capital Finance Director, State of Wisconsin

Jane is a Senior Director in the U.S. Public Finance (USPF) Government Group, and serves as a Sector Lead for local governments. Prior to her role as a Sector Lead, Jane was the Analytic Manager for the Midwest local government group for nine years. She has been with S&P Global since 2001.

In her role as a Sector Lead, Jane’s scope encompasses the entire U.S. local government market. Her areas of expertise include distressed credits and the impact of federal policy changes on local governments. 

During her tenure at S&P Global, Jane has worked with issuers throughout the country and served as the primary analyst for the city of Detroit through its historic bankruptcy. She is a member of S&P Ratings’ North American Credit Conditions Committee, sharing insights and expectations for the USPF market with practice representatives across all asset classes.

Before joining Standard & Poor’s, Jane was a Vice President in the Municipal Securities Group at Banc of America Securities, and an analyst at PaineWebber. 

Jane is a member of the debt committee for the Government Finance Officers Association and serves on the mentoring committee of Women in Public Finance. She is a member of the National Federation of Municipal Analysts and is working to establish a local chapter in Denver.

Jane is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Senior Director & Sector Leader, S&P Global

Director of Administrative and Financial Services, City of Topeka, KS

Director of Finance and Administration, City of Independence, MO

Kristin Hanson is a director at PFM. Her focus is serving a variety of government entities in Minnesota and Wisconsin as a financial advisor. She has been in public finance for over 25 years, as both a financial advisor and an issuer. She spent five years as assistant commissioner at Minnesota Management and Budget where she oversaw the Debt Management Division and was responsible for managing the state’s general obligation debt as well as other state revenue and appropriation debt programs. She worked with state agencies and local governments on the implementation of capital bonding appropriations. She has also served on various state agency governing bodies that had debt issuance or investment authority, drafted legislation for new debt programs and managed the state’s rating process.

While at the state, she oversaw the issuance of more than $6.6 billion of bonds including tobacco settlement revenue bonds, a new credit for the state, and state appropriation bonds to finance the public share of a professional football stadium. She advises on various types of financings and ancillary services. She has experience with capital project financing, cash flow borrowing, lease transactions, refundings, drafting of legislation and legislative analysis.

She is active in various professional associations and currently serves on the national board of Women in Public Finance and the board of the newly formed Wisconsin Chapter of Women in Public Finance and is a member of GFOA’s Debt Committee and the Debt Management Advisory Committee of the University of Minnesota.

Director, Public Financial Management (PFM), Inc.

Executive Director, UBS Financial Services

Eric Johansen retired as the City of Portland’s Debt Manager in October 2018 after more than 21 years at the City in various capacities, including Debt Manager and Treasurer.  While at the City he was responsible for all aspects of the City’s debt management program, including management of nearly $3.4 billion in outstanding debt, investment of proceeds, post-issuance compliance, debt budgeting and accounting, as well as rating agency and investor relations.  

In addition to working in city government, Mr. Johansen has over 14 years of experience as a financial advisor, most of which has focused on implementation of capital financing plans and debt transactions for local governments throughout Oregon and the Northwest.  

Mr. Johansen is a current member and past Chair of the Government Finance Officers Association Committee on Governmental Debt Management.  He is also a current member of the Executive Board of the Oregon Government Finance Officers Association and is the current chair of the Oregon Facilities Authority.

In his retirement, Mr. Johansen remains active in public finance and serves as an instructor of the GFOA’s live seminars relating to debt management.

Mr. Johansen graduated with honors from the University of Oregon in 1981 where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Debt Manager (Retired), City of Portland, OR

Sam L. Savage is Executive Director of ProbabilityManagement.org, a nonprofit devoted to the communication and calculation of uncertainty. He is the inventor of the SIP (Stochastic Information Packet), a data structure that lets simulations communicate with each other, and initiated the open SIPmath standard. Sam is also author of The Flaw of Averages: Why We Underestimate Risk in the Face of Uncertainty, and is a Consulting Professor at Stanford University.

After receiving his Ph.D. in computational complexity from Yale University in 1973, Sam spent a year in the Mathematics Department at General Motors Research Laboratory, and then joined the Management Science faculty of the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Here he discovered that an Algebraic Curtain separated the bulk of his management students from management science. In 1985, Dr. Savage led the development of software called What’sBest®, which coupled Linear Programming to Lotus 1-2-3. The package won PC Magazine’s Technical Excellence Award in 1986. Since then, Sam has continued working to bring analytical tools to managers in an algebra-free environment. In 1990, Sam moved to Stanford, where he teaches Management Science in the Engineering School. He has been a Visiting Professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business and the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, and is a Fellow of the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge.

Since 1997 Dr. Savage has consulted, lectured, and served as an expert witness through his consulting firm, AnalyCorp, Inc. The organization has just launched the SIPmath Group to bring the discipline of probability management to business and government.

Executive Director, ProbabilityManagement.org

Paula R. Worthington is a Senior Lecturer at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, where she also serves as academic director of the School’s Policy Labs program and faculty lead on its MPP program. She is consistently recognized for excellence in teaching, having received nine teaching awards since joining Harris in 2004. While on leave from Harris in 2017-2018, Worthington served as senior economist at the Council of Economic Advisers in Washington, D.C.

Worthington’s interests are in state and municipal fiscal policies. She is currently co-chair of the Metropolitan Planning Council’s Transportation Committee and a member of the state of Illinois’s Budgeting for Results Commission. She also serves on Cook County’s Independent Revenue Forecasting Commission. Worthington received her PhD in economics from Northwestern University in 1988, and prior to joining Harris, she served in numerous positions at the Federal Reserve Banks of New York and Chicago and at Northwestern University.

Senior Lecturer, Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago

Sarah Schirmer is a deputy director of the Center for Justice &  Safety Finance and a senior managing consultant at PFM. She leads the  Center’s work on fines and fees and is an expert on criminal justice  policy. Before joining PFM, Sarah served as the criminal justice policy  advisor to the former mayor of New Orleans and led the City’s progress  to reduce its jail population by more than 20 percent.

Deputy Director of the Center for Justice &  Safety Finance, Senior Managing Consultant at PFM

Director of Business Services, School District of Fort Atkinson, WI

Andrew is currently the Debt Manager for the City of Phoenix having started with the City on March 30, 2020.  Prior to joining the City of Phoenix, Andrew spent 5 years as the Treasurer for St Louis County, St Louis, MO where he was responsible for all investments and treasury operations which included organizational wide credit card acceptance.  Before joining St Louis County, Andrew spent 5 years as the Investment Officer for Hamilton County in Cincinnati, OH.  He is currently serving in his 2nd term on the GFOA Treasury and Investment Management Committee and has spoken at many events on treasury and investment topics.  He has earned his Certified Treasury Professional certification from the Association for Financial Professionals, has a bachelor’s degree from Miami University and an MBA from Xavier University.  

Debt Manager, City of Phoenix, AZ

Tim is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Sacramento Transportation Authority (STA), a Special District established in 1988. STA’s purpose is to administer a ½ cent sales tax to fund transportation programs throughout Sacramento County, home to approximately 1.5 million residents and the state capitol. Tim is responsible for all financial matters including accounting, budgeting, revenue forecasting, contracts, payroll and benefits, and overseeing a $380 million debt program. He reports to the Executive Director and a 16-member Governing Board consisting of five County Supervisors and councilmembers representing seven cities incorporated in the County – Sacramento, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Galt, and Isleton.

STA hired Tim as the Accounting Manager in 2016, then promoted him to Finance Manager in 2017, and subsequently CFO in 2018. After nearly 25 years in the construction industry as President of a contracting company, Tim started his career in the public sector about 15 years ago. Upon completing his Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in accounting from the California State University Sacramento, he was hired by the California State Auditor’s (CSA) office, where he worked for 10 years as a staff and senior auditor. While employed with the CSA, Tim completed the requirements for a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, having over 10,000 hours of audit experience. Subsequently, he pursued the Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO) designation. He is in the final step of becoming a member of the Qualifications Committee for the California Board of Accountancy.

Tim’s first exposure to the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) came when he was a junior in college and working as an intern for the CSA. He heard about GFOA’s Frank L. Greathouse Government Accounting Scholarship through his employer. He applied for and received the scholarship in 2006. As part of the award, Tim was invited to the annual conference in Montreal – commemorating the 100th anniversary of GFOA. While there he received the scholarship at a luncheon hosted by GFOA’s Executive Director. 

Tim’s relationship with GFOA was renewed several years ago when he offered up STA’s facilities to host CPFO exams as a proctor. Additionally, he has been a budget reviewer for GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award program for several years. Tim is looking forward to serving alongside his peers in the SGF.

Chief Financial Officer, Sacramento Transportation Authority

Courtney Sladek began her career in local government in 2001 in the budget office of the City of College Station. Courtney also worked for the State of Texas as a Budget Analyst before becoming the Budget Manager for the City of Friendswood, then serving as the Finance Director for the City of El Campo in 2007. 

Courtney currently serves as the City Manager for the City of El Campo. She has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Tyler. 

Courtney served on the 2019 Cohort of Emerging Leaders Development Program for ICMA and served on the GFOA Treasury and Investment Management Committee (2017-2020). She also served on ICMA's First Time Administrator's Handbook Task Force (2019) and currently serves on the Texas City Manager's Association's Professional Development Committee. Courtney also was a participant in Engaging Local Governments Leader's inaugural Small Places, Big Ideas Cohort. Courtney is an ICMA-CM candidate and has served as a distinguished budget reviewer for the last 18 years for GFOA. She has served as President of her local Rotary club and was recognized as large club President of Year for her district. 

Courtney and her husband Justin have a twelve-year-old daughter named Tara. She enjoys reading, being outdoors, and cooking.

City Manager, City of El Campo, TX

Tom Kelly has served as the Finance Officer for Township, MN from July 2012 to present and from August of 1994 through August 2007. He was the Finance Director at the City of Monticello, MN from August 2007 –July 2012, the Finance Director for the City of Falcon Heights, MN for five years. He served eight years in various finance positions for the City of Plymouth, MN. Tom is also a past member of the White Bear School District’s Finance Committee.

Tom was a member of the National GFOA Committee on Economic Development and Capital Planning from 2011 to 2016 and the National GFOA Committee on Governmental Budgeting and Fiscal Policy from 2001 to 2006. He has been an Independent Budget Reviewer for GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award program for the past twenty-plus years. He’s a 2007 graduate of GFOA’s Advanced Government Finance Institute. Tom also is a trainer for the GFOA on various topics.

Tom served on the Minnesota GFOA Executive Board, including serving as the organization’s President in 2003, and has been a member of various other Minnesota GFOA committees. He was the recipient of the Minnesota GFOA’s Thomas J. Moran Award.

Tom’s budget documents have been the recipient of GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, Popular reports (PAFR) has received GFOA’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting, and CAFRs have been a recipient of GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement in Finance Reporting Award.

He has his BA in accounting from the University of St. Thomas and has attended various GFOA National and State training seminars and classes.

Finance Officer, White Bear Township, MN

Jeffrey A. Hansen has been the Finance Director for the City of Golden since January 2003, where he oversees the accounting, budgeting, and finance operations of the City, as well as the fleet and municipal court functions. 

Mr. Hansen attended Colorado State University, where he studied Accounting and received his B.S. degree in 1984. Upon graduation, he spent eight years with the City of Longmont in the positions of Accountant, Senior Accountant, and Utility Billing Supervisor. Mr. Hansen has also spent six years as the Chief Accountant at the City of Lafayette and 4½ years as Finance Director for the Town of Castle Rock. Mr. Hansen is a Certified Public Finance Officer and a member of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and the Colorado GFOA (CGFOA). He was President of CGFOA in 2004 and served on the executive board from 2003-2005. In 2007, he was named CGFOA’s Finance Officer of the Year. 

Mr. Hansen currently serves on various committees for the Colorado Municipal League (CML) and CGFOA, and is also on the GFOA CAFR Review Committee. He has presented several times for CML, GFOA, and CGFOA at their annual conferences and educational workshops. Mr. Hansen served on the Board of Directors of the Foothills Animal Shelter and is currently on the board of the Colorado Surplus Asset Fund Trust (CSAFE) local government investment pool. Mr. Hansen coached youth basketball for many years and also spent six seasons coaching boys basketball at Longmont High School. He is currently a certified high school basketball referee and has officiated two state championship games. He also enjoys golf and bowling (and has three 300 games to his credit).

Finance Director, City of Golden, Colorado

Brittany Jumper is currently the Support Services Director/Comptroller for the City of Satellite Beach. She moved to Florida four years ago from Central Illinois.

Brittany worked side by side at her father’s successful Certified Public Accountant office for 15 years, expanded her skills by joining Business Masters Inc. to continue down the accounting path. She was the Office Manager for the City of Roodhouse, where she was able to help uncover fraud, which convicted a City employee. She relocated to Florida to be an accountant for the City of Cape Canaveral and then as Comptroller for the City of Satellite Beach. Brittany successfully received her Masters in Public Administration, was promoted to Support Services Director, and continues to work for the end goal of City Manager. 

Brittany received a Paul Harris Fellow award from District 6460 Rotary Club, and Employee of the Year in 2019.

Support Services Director/ Comptroller, City of Satellite Beach, FL

Adam Johnson has been the Finance Director at the Scott County Community Development Agency in Shakopee, MN, since joining the agency in June 2018. He earned his CPA license in 2010 while working in public accounting and has worked in the MSP/St. Paul metro area his entire career. Directly prior to joining the Scott County CDA, he worked as the Accounting Manager at a software company where he managed a growing team of about a dozen accountants at various levels, as well as interns and temporary staff. Before this position, he worked in the education field as the Business Manager at a PS-12 private school from 2011-2017 and managed the business functions of the school – he also worked with corporate and school management on strategic decision making including capital planning, marketing, and International student housing and recruitment. He graduated with a B.S. in Accounting from St. Cloud State University in 2008, and following college, he worked in public accounting in the tax and audit fields from 2008-2011. He also currently serves as a member of the Shakopee School Board Citizen’s Financial Advisory Committee.

Finance Director, Scott County Community Development Agency

Don has been the Finance Director for the City of Tualatin, OR since January 2008 and was promoted to Assistant City Manager/Finance Director in January 2019. In his 30 years of experience in the governmental arena, he has gained experience working with small, medium, and large organizations in three different states. His career began with the City of Walnut Creek, CA, before moving to Minnesota and consulting for government entities with Springsted, Inc., a financial advisory firm. After moving to Arizona and working for the City of Chandler and the Scottsdale Unified School District, Don decided to move to Oregon to become the Finance Director for the City of Stayton, before taking his skill set to Tualatin.

Don has a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from St. Mary’s College of California. Don is a Past-President of the Oregon Government Finance Officers Association, serves as the Chair of the League of Oregon Cities Finance and Taxation Committee and has become what is affectionately known as a “Property Tax Nerd”, presenting the need for reforms to Oregon’s property tax system.

Don’s hobbies include following his favorite San Francisco Bay Area sports teams, reading and working on jigsaw puzzles.

Assistant City Manager/Finance Director, City of Tualtin, Oregon

Kevin Greenville is the Treasurer for the Town of La Plata, Maryland, a beautiful small town of 9,631 residents, which serves as the county seat of Charles County. Mr. Greenville is responsible for managing the Finance Department and the Town’s fiscal resources, which include the development of the Town’s budgets, management, and investment of funds, collecting amounts due to the Town, paying employees and vendors, maintaining the Town’s utility billing system and preparation of reports documenting the Town’s financial activity and position. He previously worked as the Director of Finance for the City of Mount Rainier, Maryland, and in several accounting positions for a $1billion revenue health insurance company in the federal employee benefits health insurance program. Mr. Greenville is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and has a Master’s of Science, Accountancy from the University of Maryland, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Financial Economics from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Treasurer, Town of La Plata, Maryland

Steffanie has served as Greenwood’s finance director for over 21 years. She graduated from Lander University with a B.S. in Management. She earned the designation of Certified Public Finance Officer in the Winter of 2017 from the Government Finance Officers Association. Steffanie is a graduate of the SC Municipal Clerks and Treasurers. She has served on the SC Other Retirement and Employee Benefits Board and Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Association - boards affiliated with the Municipal Association of South Carolina. Steffanie will be taking a position with Greenwood County as Assistant Treasurer on September 14.

Finance Director, City of Greenwood, SC

Jennifer currently serves as the Director of Finance for the City of Monte Vista located in Southern Colorado. Monte Vista has a population of just over 4,000. She is responsible for the direction, planning, forecasting, and management of the City's finances, analysis, and accounting services. Along with this, responsibilities for the City include the annual budget preparation, utility billing, annual audit, monthly financial oversight and preparation, and the investment management of City funds for their governmental and enterprise funds. She came to the public sector after serving in the private sector for 15 years in accounting, banking, and legal work. While with the City of Monte Vista, she has overseen the growth of their General Fund and investment revenue, increased transparency through the implementation of financial best practices, created the City's first comprehensive Financial Management Policy manual, created the City's first Citizen's Academy to foster involvement and education, and assisted in the facilitation of a sales tax increase initiative for growth and development of City services. Her strengths are strategic planning, financial analysis, budgeting and forecasting, risk management, and financial policy.

Along with her responsibilities with the City of Monte Vista, Jennifer serves on the Board of Trustees for COLTRUST (Colorado Local Government Liquid Asset Trust). As well as being a member of GFOA, she is a member of the Colorado Government Finance Officers Association. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with an emphasis in pre-law and a minor in accounting from Adams State University as well as an associate degree in Business Administration and her Paralegal Certification.

Finance Director, City of Monte Vista, CO

Patty Navin has been active in government finance for over 20 years. She is currently the Fiscal Officer for the Village of Ada, Ohio. She received her B.S.B.A with a specialization in Accounting from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She is a licensed CPA in Ohio and Illinois. She was awarded the Tallerico Leadership award in 2015 from the EdGlen Chamber of Commerce. She enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Fiscal Officer, Village of Ada, OH

Brad Wilson has been with the City of Wood Dale for over 13 years, 12 of which he has served as the Finance Director. Prior to his time in Wood Dale, he worked for the Village of Glenview as the Accountant and Accounting Supervisor for three years, and at Smith Barney for five years in operations and compliance.

Brad is a member of the National Government Financial Officers Association (GFOA) and the Illinois Government Financial Officers Association (IGFOA). He served on the IGFOA Chicago-Metro Chapter Board for five years, has been a Budget Reviewer for GFOA for the past seven years, and served on the Executive Board of IPBC (a healthcare benefits pool in IL) for the past nine years and was its Chair from 2017 – 2019. 

Brad has a double BS in Finance and Economics from North Central College, a Master’s of Science in Accountancy from Roosevelt University, and is a CPFO.

Finance Director, City of Wood Dale

Accomplished local government manager, under the policy guidance of elected officials, plans, organizes, financially manages, directs, oversees, analyzes, and evaluates the functions, operations, and services of the municipality; including public safety, community development, administrative services, finance, public works, code, and parks. Provides leadership and direction in the development and implementation of short and long term plans and capital projects; ensures government operations effectively serve the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors in consideration of fiscal constraints and compliance with legal requirements. Background also includes audit, accounting, and consulting for nonprofits, small businesses, and local governments. Currently serves as secretary on the Luzerne County Tax Collection Committee and secretary for the Wright Environmental & Recreation, Inc. boards and is a member of the Fairview Township Recreation Board. Organizational affiliations include PSATS, GFOA, and IMCA. BS in Accounting from the University of Scranton, Certified Public Accountant, 2016 Leadership Wilkes-Barre program graduate, IMCA mid-level manager program graduate, Certified QuickBooks Pro.

Secretary/Treasurer, Wright Township, PA

Portland State University – Executive Masters of Public Administration

University of Phoenix – Business Management

State of Oregon – 2001-2015 Finance Manager (Oregon Housing and Community Services), Assistant Manager (Building Codes Division). Fiscal Analyst (Department of Human Services)

City of Newberg – 2015-2016 (Financial Analyst)

City of Portland – 2016-2018 (Financial Analyst)

Clackamas River Water (District) – 2018 to present (Senior Finance and Accounting Specialist)  

I currently live in the City of Newberg, Oregon, where I’ve resided for 21 years. I live in a house that was built in 1898, which I am constantly renovating. I also have an apartment building and a house that I am renting out in the same city. I have two dogs, a pit bull and a dachshund. I have a daughter that still lives with me and lots of plants. 

I was born and raised in the Philippines and still go back there almost every year to visit. 

I served in the Marine Corps and the US Army for over eight years. I am a veteran of the Afghanistan war (Operation Enduring Freedom). 

Senior Finance and Accounting Specialist , Clackamas River Water

Upon graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Tom began his career with the Auditor of State of Ohio as an Assistant Auditor, where he performed financial audits of school districts, cities, counties, and other taxing subdivisions. After six years with the Auditor of State, in which he was promoted to an Audit Manager, Tom accepted an Assistant Finance Director position with the City of Cleveland Heights, an inner-ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. After one year with the City of Cleveland Heights, he was promoted to Finance Director in which he served for five years before accepting a position as the Executive Director of the Office of Management and Budget with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. After deciding he wanted to get back into the municipal sector, Tom accepted the Finance Director position with the City of Brooklyn, an inner-ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, where he currently serves.

Deputy City Administrator/Finance Director, Brooklyn, OH

Presently, I am the Accounting Manager/Treasurer for the Town of Rocky Hill and directly assist the Finance Director in all aspects of finance, including budget, debt, accounting, grants, purchasing, and pension. I have been with Rocky Hill for over 20 years. Rocky Hill is a suburban community of 21,000 residents located in central Connecticut, two hours from both Boston and New York City. 

Prior to working in Rocky Hill, I was with the City of Hartford Public School system at various levels of the finance department for over ten years. Hartford is the state capital, with a population of over 126,000.

I believe having experience in large and small government as well as education and municipal environments lends me a valuable perspective on government finance. 

I am currently a CPFO and keep current with the GFOA topics impacting small governments. I welcome the opportunity to be a member of the GFOA Small Government Advisory Forum.

In my spare time, my daughter and I enjoy relaxing on our hobby farm with our mini horses, goats, pig, chickens, ducks, geese, dogs, cats, and one cow.

Treasurer, Town of Rocky Hill, CT

Joe is the Finance Director for North Branch, MN., a city with a population of 10,700 and an organization with roughly 50 employees. He has been responsible for updating/adding financial policies, leading the City's ERP system implementation, bond refunding, starting a revolving loan fund to help businesses during the pandemic, leading the annual audit, leading process improvement, and ensuring the City is financially resilient, particularly during a global emergency. 

He has also worked at the largest city in Minnesota, Minneapolis, with a population of nearly 500,000 and understands how a small government is much different than a larger government. 

Joe has a Bachelor's in Accounting and a Master's in Public Administration.

Finance Director, City of North Branch, MN

My career has been working for municipal governments in four different communities with four different types of small governments. I have served for an executive director in Wellesley, Town Manager in Hamilton, Mayor in Haverhill, and now Town Administrator in Marshfield. Having served in multiple capacities, I have a vast range of experience, which I feel can contribute to being a successful voice for the SGF.

I relocated my family to the south shore of Massachusetts to live in Marshfield, where I serve as CFO. I am a happily married father of four daughters, ages 14, 5, and identical twin two-year-olds. My father served and still serves as CFO of Melrose, and I grew up in Plymouth, where I watched him serve as CFO for 14 years and fell in love with Municipal finance and government. 

I have a proven track record of success in each community I have served, most recently as CFO of my Town, making our available fund balance increase 400% in 4 years by changing the way we have done business. 

I have a BS in Finance and enjoy market talks and discussion.

CFO/ Treasurer-Collector, Town of Marshfield, MA

Matthew Trine, CPA, is the Assistant City Manager and Finance Risk Management Director for the City of Rockledge. Previously, he practiced public accounting for ten years in the areas of small local governmental and DOL limited scope retirement plan audits. He believes in transparent and responsible fiscal management and enjoys identifying areas of financial reporting that can be made more understandable and translatable from the complex accounting and reporting standards. He also knows that a properly administered local government can and has provided a positive atmosphere for families to thrive, businesses to invest, and communities to flourish. For those reasons, he focuses on continued professional growth and deepening his understanding of the ever-changing financial, economic, and political environment as they apply to the business operations of the City of Rockledge.

He also believes in the financial reporting process and the transparency it provides to city management and the third party stakeholders who pay taxes and fees for services within the city. It is important for the individuals affected by the decisions and operations of a municipality to have the assurance of clear and accurate financial records with effective and practical internal controls.

He also knows the importance of maintaining a balanced focus between family and work, and is constantly striving to be better at both, and finds their mutual success intertwined. 

His current professional goals are to obtain the designations of CGFO, to refine his leadership capabilities, and to continually improve the quality of budget and financial reporting achievable for the City of Rockledge.

Assistant City Manager and Finance Risk Management Director, City of Rockledge

Mark has over forty years of treasury and finance management experience spanning two centuries in community banking, the regulated utility industry, higher education, corporate and municipal finance, treasury operations, and human resources. 

Mark is a CTP (Certified Treasury Professional) and has twice served on the Board of Directors of the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP). He is a member in good standing with GFOA and ICMA. Additionally, he has served for 22 years as a faculty member for the Graduate School of Banking at LSU in Baton Rouge. He has held the position of Treasurer for the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico, as well as the Assistant Director of Finance, Treasury, for the city of Fort Worth, Texas. Currently, he serves as the Director of Finance for the city of Hermiston, Oregon.

Mark received both his undergraduate degree and MBA from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Director of Finance, Hermiston, OR

Norman Eckstein has been providing valuable services to municipalities located in Morris and Passaic Counties in New Jersey since 1996. He has embraced the various functions performed in the municipal finance and tax collection offices. Furthermore, he served as a SHARE Chief Financial Officer for three communities in Morris County during a five-year period. 

Norman holds professional certifications from the State of New Jersey in a wide variety of areas, including Certified Municipal Finance Officer, Certified Tax Collector, and Registered Municipal Clerk. Additionally, he has a Master of Public Administration and a Certificate of Eligibility to become a School Business Administrator. 

Norman has demonstrated success in the public finance academic arena. First, he was a co-author for an article on the Technical Skills and Leadership in the Public Financial Management Profession (Government Finance Review - October 2018). In addition, he has developed presentations on budgeting and accounting for in-person and online training events. Also, he has required his college students to submit assignments that utilize critical thinking for their analytical, financial, and managerial courses. For example, in his Economics for Public Administration course at Rutgers University – Newark, the students have determined whether the government has been successful in creating partnerships with sports venues, cultural centers, and business improvement districts.

Norman looks forward to displaying a similar eagerness for the Advisory Committee for GFOA’s Small Government Forum (SGF) Networking Group.

CFO and Tax Collector, Boonton Township, NJ

Director of Finance, Town of Ashland, Virginia

Sarah currently works for the City of Twinsburg, Ohio as the Finance Director and has been in this position since February 2018. In Twinsburg, she recently completed the City’s first Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. Prior to accepting this position with the City of Twinsburg, Sarah worked at the City of Akron, Ohio in various Finance Department positions ending with Assistant Treasurer. Before joining the public sector, she worked in a small CPA firm that specialized in Non-Profit auditing. 

In 2020 Sarah accepted the position of Secretary in the Municipal Finance Officers Association and also volunteers with the Friends of the Richfield Library. She formerly served on the boards of the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation, the North Akron Community Development Corporation, and completed the year-long Torchbearers program. 

Sarah is a proud Buckeye, having graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology and Sociology from The Ohio State University. Her Master’s Degree in Accounting was earned at the University of Akron. After completing her Master’s Degree, Sarah obtained her CPA license and continues to pursue training and education opportunities.

Finance Director, City of Twinsburg, Ohio

Kimberly Warren serves as the Accounting Supervisor at Fairfax County Water Authority. Over the past five years, she has been a part of the auditing, strategic planning, banking, purchasing card, lock-box, contracts, retiree, and federal and state reporting committees/teams. Before Fairfax Water, Kimberly was an accounting manager responsible for comprehensive financial statements, cash flows, and audits. Additionally, she was in charge of negotiating contracts as well as invoicing in a federal government setting.

Kimberly has a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Mary Washington and holds a Master of Financial and Accounting Management degree from DeVry University. She is currently completing the Government Finance Officers’ Association’s (GFOA) Certified Public Finance Officers (CPFO) certification program through Radford University. She recently completed certifications from the American Water Works Association in Utility Management (AWWA), Virginia Government Finance Officers’ Association (VGFOA), and Leadership Management. She is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI), AWWA, VGFOA, GFOA, Association of Government Accountants (AGA), Women’s Business Leaders Association (WBLA), American Payroll Association (APA), and the Women’s Public Finance Network (WPFN).

Supervisor General Accounting, Fairfax County Water Authority

Kelly began her public sector career in 2005 with the City of Edmond, Oklahoma, where she served in many leadership roles in the Finance Department. In addition to her multiple positions for the city, Kelly also worked for Crawford & Associates, which assisted municipalities across Oklahoma with their financial reporting needs. In 2016, Kelly left her position as the Assistant Finance Director and moved to Texas to further her career as the Finance Director for the Town of Prosper.

During her three years with the Town of Prosper, Kelly and her team received several national awards and accolades for accuracy and efficiency. The most rewarding personal accomplishments were implementing a new Popular Annual Financial Report, receiving the budget award, and achieving Investment Policy certification for complete transparency and accuracy.

Kelly is a 1999 graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma at Edmond, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Since then, Kelly has expanded her education to earn the Certified Public Manager (CPM) certification from Texas State University. Kelly is a Certified Government Finance Officer (CGFO) through the Government Finance Officers Association of Texas and is a member of the Governmental Finance Associations and Treasurer Association.

Kelly oversees the Finance, Purchasing, Municipal Court, and Utility Billing teams for the Town of Little Elm.

Since her arrival, Kelly has implemented a PAFR (an annual financial message to residents), a comprehensive financial management plan, and received an investment policy GTOAT award.

Chief Financial Officer, Town of Little Elm, Texas

Cheri Freese has served as Director of Finance for the City of Ridgecrest, California since 2018. In this position, she provides leadership to the Finance department and serves as the controller and treasurer for the City. She is responsible for the development, implementation and supervision of the accounting, budgeting, financial planning and data processing activities of the Finance Department. 

Cheri received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and her Master of Business Administration in Management from California Coast University.

Finance Director, City of Ridgecrest, CA

Diane Reichard is currently the Chief Financial Officer for the City of Plant City.  She began her government career in 1986 with the City of Leesburg, and performed a variety of functions during her 19-year tenure.  From 2005 - 2013, as Finance Director for the City of Temple Terrace, and for two years as Chief Financial Officer/ACM for the City of Ocala, she oversaw the operations of the finance department, including audit, accounting, budget, financial reporting, utility operations, purchasing, treasury, investments, and debt.  In 2011, she began teaching as an adjunct professor with USF teaching government accounting.  She is a frequent speaker for GFOA and FGFOA on a variety of topics.

Diane holds a Masters degree in Accounting from University of South Florida in Tampa and earned a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration: Management and Accounting, summa cum laude, from St. Leo University.  She has received the designations of CPA, CGMA, CGFO, and CPFO.

Diane is a member of GFOA, FGFOA, and AICPA.  She served as President of the Florida Government Finance Officers in 2013, on many committees within the FGFOA organization, and President of the Central Florida Chapter of FGFOA in 2003.  She is ex-officio member for GFOA's Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting Committee (CAAFR).

She has been married for 40 years, has one son and one granddaughter.  She is very involved in her church and loves people, the outdoors, and playing the piano.

Brandon Kauffman serves as the Director of Finance for the City of Lincoln.  Prior to coming to the City of Lincoln, Kauffman served as the Finance Director in Topeka, Kansas and Assistant County Administrator/Finance Director for Butler County, Kansas. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in public administration from Wichita State University. Brandon serves on the GFOA committee on Economic Development and Capital Planning, is President-Elect of the Great Plains Government Finance Officers Association and served as President of the Kansas Government Finance Officers Association.

Will Jones is the City Administrator in Mequon, Wisconsin. As City Administrator, Mr. Jones is responsible for managing, coordinating and expediting activities across all City departments, serving as the City’s spokesperson and representative to other units of government, outside organizations and the local business community, and overseeing development of the City’s annual budget.

Prior to joining Mequon in 2015, Will was employed with the Village of Glencoe, Illinois for four years as Assistant Village Manager and the City of Highland Park, Illinois for fifteen years in a variety of positions in both management and finance.

Will has earned designation as a Credentialed Manager through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and as a Certified Public Finance Officer through GFOA. He holds a B.A. in History & Political Science from Boston College and an M.P.A. from Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public & Environmental Affairs.

Laura Allen is the City Treasurer for Green Belt, Maryland.

– Served on GFOA’s Committee on Retirement and Benefits Administration (2008 to 2013)

– Served on GFOA’s Executive Board Nominating Committee (2015 to 2017)

– Through strong financial leadership, the City of Aurora has received GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for 31 consecutive years and for 41 years total (currently the highest number of years for the award for entities in Colorado) and GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for 19 years

Contributions to the Profession/Jurisdiction

– Over the course of her career, she has implemented complex technology solutions for human resources, payroll, and finance

– Assisted city leaders with balancing the budget while facing the most difficult budgetary decisions during the Great Recession, and developed sound financial practices and policies, including recommending an affiliation with the State of Colorado Fire and Police Pension Association that resulted in significant financial savings and improved service to plan participants. She testified before the state legislature regarding the affiliation.

– Member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Colorado GFOA, Colorado Society of CPAs, and International City/County Managers Association

– Served on boards and committees including the Colorado Public Plan Coalition Committee (January 2018 to present), ICMA-RC Public Employee Memorial Scholarship Fund (June 2016 to present), ICMA-RC VantageTrust Company Board (July 2008 to June 2016), Colorado Technical University – Accounting Advisory Board (February 2007 to May 2011), and the Girl Scouts of America – Colorado Springs Finance Committee (May 2005 to September 2007)

– Encourage the growth and engagement of GFOA’s membership through social media and other methods

– Continue to look for ways to reach out to governments of all types and sizes to encourage participation in GFOA’s annual conference, learning opportunities, committees, legislative action, and research

University of Colorado, Master of Business Administration — Finance

University of Colorado, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration — Accounting

Susan Gaffney is a consultant to the Research and Consulting Center for GFOA where she assists with GFOA's Treasury and Investment Management Committee and coordinates educational sessions on debt management, and treasury and investment management.  Susan also is serving on GFOA's project team to relaunch the CPFO program.

Susan also serves as executive director of the National Association of Municipal Advisors.

Senior Manager

Rafiu O. Ighile is the finance director for Howard County Government. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with an MBA. Prior to joining the County, he also worked for the City of Gaithersburg, the Howard County School System, the American Trucking Associations, Inc., the National Children’s Center (NCC), Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute and Institute of Applied Human Dynamics (IAHD).  Rafiu started his career as Project Accountant with Shell Oil Corporation of Nigeria. He currently serves on GFOA's Executive Board.

Darrel graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida Atlantic University and holds a Master’s of Science in Finance with a concentration in financial risk management from Florida International University.  He is a currently a member of the GFOA Treasury & Investment Management Committee, the Florida League of Cities Investment Advisory Committee, and the Florida League of Cities Legislative Policy Committee on Finance, Taxation & Personnel.  He is a past Board Member of the FGFOA and a past president of its South Florida chapter.

Darrel has been a speaker at the GFOA and FGFOA Annual Conferences and other events.  He has attended the Leadership Broward Senior Executive Orientation and he has attended the GFOA Advanced Government Finance Institute.  Darrel is also a recipient of the Florida League of Cities Home Rule Hero Award for outspoken protection for municipal home rule.

Darrel has been working with the City of Weston since 2006 and is currently the City’s Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer.  His responsibilities vary from investment and risk management; oversight of accounting and budget; and oversight of technology services, building code services and code enforcement.

Assistant City Manager/CFO, City of Weston, Florida

John Grady, CTP is a managing director with Public Trust Advisors responsible for investment advisory services and analytics and manages the client relationship function. Mr. Grady has more than 19 years of government, investment management and public finance experience providing public funds investment advisory and financial advisory services nationally.

Prior to joining Public Trust, Mr. Grady worked as an asset manager with Cutwater Asset Management where he held the position of Vice President for investment advisory and client relationships for government and institutional clients. Mr. Grady was also a senior managing consultant for PFM Asset Management LLC wherein addition to serving as the primary relationship manager for many investment advisory clients, he developed and enhanced client specific investment and cash flow models. He also served as the Fiscal Administrator for Orange County, Florida.

Mr. Grady’s specific areas of expertise include providing technical and analytical resources, development of investment policies, portfolio strategies, and developing customized cash flow and investment reports.

Mr. Grady received a bachelor's degree with Majors in Finance and Insurance and a Minor in Economics from the University of Florida. He also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business. He holds the designation of Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) through the Association for Financial Professionals.

Managing Director of Investment Advisory Services, Public Trust Advisors

State of Minnesota

Travis County, Texas

City of Phoenix, Arizona

Lori Thomas joined the City of Rock Hill in 2007 and is currently Operations Revenue Administrator.  Prior to serving in this role, Lori served as Performance Manager II of General Services.  Before joining the City, Lori was a Chief Financial Officer and Controller in the private sector where she specialized in business development and financing for over twenty years.

Lori received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina and her Master's in Business Administration from Winthrop University.  She is a Certified Government Finance Officer, a member of the Government Finance Officer's Association and serves on the GFOA Committee on Retirement and Benefits Administration and is a member of the National Women in Public Finance Network.  Lori is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association of South Carolina and serves on the Certification Committee and the Finance Committee and formerly served on the Executive Board.  She is a member of the South Carolina Municipal Finance Officer's Clerks and Treasures Association, the Business Licenses Officials Association, the Public Risk Management Association, Public Risk Management Association of South Carolina.

Operations Revenue Administrator, City of Rock Hill, SC

Bob Eichem is the internal financial advisor in the city manager’s office for the City of Boulder, Colorado.  He was the CFO for the city from 2005–2016 before moving into his current role. Bob has 40 years of experience as a finance officer in local government. During this time, he has experienced the highs and the not so highs of debt management.  He is currently a member of the Debt Committee, was a past member of the GFOA Board of Directors and served as president of GFOA in 2014-15.

At the state level, he is a past president of the Colorado Government Finance Officers Association, served as the Education Chairman of the organization for 10 years, and is a past recipient of their finance officer of the year award. Mr. Eichem is frequently asked to be a panel member, speaker or instructor at national and state conferences on a variety of local government finance topics.

Chief Financial Advisor, City of Boulder, CO

My thirty three years of professional experience began in the City of Boston where I was the Budget Manager at the Neighborhood Development and Employment Agency. I spent a number of years in the private sector, in positions of increasing responsibility, in the Finance Departments of a variety of organizations before joining the University of Massachusetts / Boston as the Assistant Dean in the Graduate College of Education. My career has come full circle, returning to the City of Boston in 2008, first as the Assistant Director of Central Payroll in the Auditing Department and now, as the Budget / Finance Director for the Public Works Department, since July 2009.

I am the past president of the Massachusetts Women in Public Higher Education, Inc., a graduate of the Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Institute at Wellesley College. I am currently on the Budget Committee for the GFOA.

Educationally, I have earned both a BSBA and an M.Ed at UMass Boston and an MCP from Boston University.

Former Budget Director, Public Works, City of Boston

Chris has provided consulting and advisory services to numerous local governments across the country. His consulting experience has focused on public entities at all levels, advising top municipal managers, department heads and program directors from over 60 organizations concerning the fundamental business issues of local government. Of most significance, his work has centered on the budget process as a lever to produce results, accountability and change; performance and outcome-based management; purpose, productivity, and efficiency in operations; and rigorous financial analysis and strategy. Pursuing the objectives of Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO), Chris was a partner of the consulting team that implemented BFO in Ft. Collins, Colorado, one of the leading organizations using this approach. Most recently Chris has served as a budget practitioner with Jefferson County, Colorado, where he incorporated the lessons learned from BFO into the development of the Budgeting for Priorities process.

Chris has been a featured speaker at numerous national and regional conferences and workshops sponsored by ICMA, GFOA and the Alliance for Innovations. He and Jon Johnson have co-authored a two-part article appearing in the September and October 2009 issue of PM magazine entitled It’s All in the Questions: The Manager’s Role in Achieving Fiscal Health. He holds a B.S. in engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.

Co-Founder, ResourceX

Patrice Sutton is the Finance Director of Lake County, Illinois. Previously, she served as the Finance Director of the Villages of Libertyville and Round Lake Beach as well as the Deputy Finance Director of Lake County and the City of Highland Park. She is a CPFO and chairs the CPFO Team of the Illinois GFOA Professional Education Committee. Prior to her work in government finance, she was a consultant working with government organizations on technology assessments and system procurement and implementations. She has a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

Finance Director, Lake County, IL

Chris is a regional industry leader for BKD National Governmental Group and is a member of the firm’s Not-for-Profit & Government Committee.  He has more than 18 years of experience in accounting and auditing, working with a variety of governmental entities in audit, compliance and general business consulting.

GFOA logo

Executive Board

Executive Board

Marion M. Gee

Michael A. Bryant

Terry Stone

Laura Allen, CPFO

Laurie Brewer

Chris Daniel

Cynthia Evangelisti

Tanya Garost

Dan Huge

Rafiu Ighile

William Jones, CPFO

Brandon Kauffman, CPFO

Matthew Lentz

Amelia Clark Merchant

Margaret Moggia

Diane Reichard, CPFO

Tina Tapley

Terri Velasquez, CPFO

Chris Morrill