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 COA Program 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

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 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

Mike Mucha joined GFOA in 2006 and is now GFOA's Deputy Executive Director and the Director of the Research and Consulting Center. In this role, Mike oversees GFOA consulting projects, research activities, the Government Finance Review, the Certified Public Finance Officer program, planning for the GFOA conference program, the GFOA website, and other strategic initiatives for GFOA. Mike also leads GFOA’s consulting practice and focuses on providing guidance to local governments on how to use technology more effectively, improve business processes and administrative practices, and implement best practices in financial management. Mike has managed projects for both large and small governments, regularly speaks at GFOA training events, and has written numerous articles on public sector enterprise technology applications, budgeting, performance management, and strategic planning.  Mike also serves on the governing board for the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP).

Deputy Executive Director / Director, Research and Consulting

Dr. Hei-ock Kim has devoted over a decade to nonprofit administration in the arts, environmental conservation, and social issues. She has also been a passionate educator for more than 30 years as a teacher, professor, and lecturer.

Her professional involvements include being a member of the San Diego County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, MANA de San Diego, Women in Public Finance, and the Lawyers Club of San Diego. A frequent speaker, Hei-ock has served as a subject matter expert for KPBS Midday Edition, San Diego Grantmakers, Ashford University, Women in Public Finance, and the Lawyers Club.

After graduating from Princeton University and The Juilliard School, Hei-ock earned her doctorate in classical piano performance from The Catholic University of America. Her favorite pastimes include rock climbing, kayaking, and furniture building.

Executive Director, Kim Center for Social Balance

Kim is a Program Associate in the Technical Services Center. She performs technical reviews of state and local governments’ Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports for compliance towards earning the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. Kim reviews all comprehensive annual financial reports including general-purpose governments, school districts, stand-alone enterprise funds, pension and other postemployment systems reports. She also reviews Popular Annual Financial Reports. Kim graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Master of Science in Accounting. Prior to joining the GFOA, Kim was a tax consultant at Illinois Tool Works

Program Associate

Michele Mark Levine serves as the Director of GFOA's Technical Services Center. (TSC) Prior to joining GFOA, Michele served as Deputy Comptroller for Accountancy and Chief Accountant of the City of New York, where she oversaw the City’s accounting and financial reporting, including the preparation of Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports which have consistently been awarded GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.  Under Michele’s leadership, the City issued its first Popular Annual Financial Reports (PAFR), which also received GFOA’s awards. Michele’s previous positions include serving as the Director of Accounting Services of the New York City Office of Management and Budget, Comptroller of seven City-related public authorities and local development corporations, and on the audit staff of Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers).

Michele was graduated Summa Cum Laude by the State University of New York at Binghamton, and holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the Maxwell School of Public Administration at Syracuse University. Her professional activities include having been a member and past chairperson of GFOA’s Committee on Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting, past president of the New York State GFOA, service in technical and leadership positions within the American Institute of CPAs and the New York State Society of CPAs, and membership on the Editorial Board of the CPA Journal. She has also served on numerous taskforces of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board. Michele was honored to have been named the 2011 Outstanding CPA in Government by the New York State Society of CPAs.

Director, Technical Services

Susan Gooding-Liburd has over twenty-five years of governmental financial reporting and auditing experience, which also includes work as a Senior Consultant and Advisor with reputable fortune 500 corporations like KPMG, Deloitte, Arthur Anderson and McGladrey. A highly trained Senior Level Administrator, Gooding-Liburd’s career has entailed several progressive opportunities. In this vein, she previously held one in the City of Miramar’s organization as the Assistant Director of Finance from 2003-2009. In her current senior executive role as the City of Miramar’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and coming off the heels of her contribution as Deputy City Manager for the City of Lauderdale Lakes, are evidence of a wide range of experience in critical municipal areas of:

This has prepared Gooding-Liburd with knowledge supportive of organizations that are at various stages of their growth and management. She holds Executive Level Certificates from Harvard University, John F Kennedy School of Government; she is Certified as a Government Finance Officer (CGFO); certified by Florida International University Executive Development and Leadership program; a Certified Public Accountant (CPA); holds two Masters Degrees from Nova Southeastern University in Accounting and Business Administration (MBA) and two Bachelor’s Degrees in Finance and Business Administration from Florida State University.

Chief Financial Officer, City of Miramar, FL

Dawn Lang has been with the City of Chandler Arizona (population 265,000) for over 13 years, appointed as Management Services Director in January 2012. Dawn is the Chief Financial Officer for the City, responsible for overseeing multiple divisions including Accounting, Budget, Tax and Licensing, Utility Services and Purchasing. 

Dawn has over 22 years’ experience in municipal government finance and has served on the national Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Executive Committee, previously on the GFOA committee of Budget and Fiscal Policy, and Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting. Prior to coming to Chandler, Arizona, Dawn was the Finance Officer for a small City in Oregon, and then became the Assistant Finance Director, then Budget Director for the City of Dubuque, Iowa (population 60,000) for 7 years. Prior to her career in municipal government finance, she obtained experience in trust accounting (including retirement and pensions), public accounting, and tax and corporate finance. Dawn obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Accounting from Montana State University – Billings and has her CPA.

Management Services Director, City of Chandler, AZ

Mike Bailey is the Finance Director for the Town of Cave Creek, Arizona. He has worked in local government finance since 1980 and was a finance consultant for the Municipal Research and Services Center after spending ten years as the Finance & Technology Director for the City of Redmond. He is a former president of the Washington Finance Officers Association (WFOA) and served on the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Executive Board. He was chair of the GFOA Budget and Management Committee, and is the local government representative to the Streamlined Sales Tax Project. Mike is a CPA and his BA and MBA are from the University of Puget Sound. He conducts workshops on local government financial management, budget, and financial leadership and leads council retreats and strategic planning processes.

Finance Director, Town of Cave Creek, AZ

As the former Controller for Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third largest school district, Melinda oversaw the Corporate Accounting, Disbursements and Business Services, Grants Accounting and Reporting, Financial Reporting and Compliance and the Revenue and Accounts Receivable functions. Currently, Melinda serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the Manor Independent School District, where she supports the instructional, financial and administrative needs of Manor, TX scholars. She leads her staff in developing and implementing districtwide financial policies and internal controls, oversees employee payroll and benefits, cash and debt management and plans to issue the District’s first Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Popular Annual Financial Report in 2021. In previous roles, Melinda has also managed annual budgets of over $6 billion and debt portfolios exceeding $24 billion dollars. 

With nearly 20 years of governmental finance experience, Melinda has previously served in senior finance roles at the federal, state and local levels, namely with the States of Illinois and Texas, the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District and Illinois Finance Authority. She is a past Chair of GFOA’s Committee on Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting and is a nationally recognized leader in her field. Melinda holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Accounting, a Masters of Business Administration from Roosevelt University and is a licensed certified public accountant in the State of Illinois.

Chief Financial Officer, Manor Independent School District, TX

David M. Schoen recently retired as a Director in the City of New York Department of Finance. Previously he was a Director in the Public Services Practice for BearingPoint in New York City, a Senior Principal in the Government and Education Management Division of a large systems firm and a Consulting Services Partner in a “Big Four” accounting firm. 

He has served as a Project Director and Advisor for the implementation of capital asset accounting systems for the City of New York the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and New Jersey Transit. Schoen has been involved in the implementation of financial systems for a number of governmental units including the cities of Los Angeles and New York, and in the audit of the City of New York. 

Mr. Schoen frequently speaks on capital asset accounting and reporting, regularly conducting seminars for the Government Finance Officers Association. 

He is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA), and the New York State GFOA, and a former member of the NYSGFOA Board of Governors and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Capital Assets Task Force. 

Schoen was an active CPA for a number of years and has a Bachelor of Science degree from Brooklyn College and a Master of Business Administration from New York University. 

His community activities have included frequently volunteering with City Harvest, the nation’s oldest food rescue organization and being a frequent platelet donor for the New York Blood Center.

Director (retired), New York City Department of Finance

Attorney

Laura Allen, CPFO, ICMA-CM is currently serving as the Town Manager of Berwyn Heights, Maryland. Ms. Allen has over 30 years of local government experience, eleven at the executive level in California and Maryland specializing in small communities.   

As a member of GFOA she has served as a reviewer for the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award program for over twelve years.  Ms. Allen became a CPFO in the spring of 2012.  She joined the Committee on Economic Development and Capital Planning in 2013 and became the Vice Chair in 2016.  She joined the Executive Board in 2019. 

Ms. Allen has presented at GFOA and ICMA conferences on topics ranging from capital planning and infrastructure to creative placemaking for small communities.   She co-authored What Governments Look for in a CFO, Government Finance Review, February 2016. 

Ms. Allen has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno. She is a graduate of Leadership ICMA and the Senior Executive Institute (SEI) at the University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business.  Ms. Allen currently serves as the Vice-President of the Maryland City/County Management Association (MCCMA). 

Project and Governance Manager

Cory Kampf, CPA (inactive) is the Finance & Central Services  Division Manager for Anoka County, Prior to Anoka County, Cory served as  the Finance Director for the City of Brooklyn Park and as the Finance  Director for the City of Robbinsdale. He has also with the City of Coon  Rapids and Office of the MN State Auditor. Cory has a BA in Accounting  with a minor in Computer Science from Bemidji State University. Cory  currently serves on the Treasury and Investment Management Committee for  GFOA and is a Past President for MNGFOA.

Finance & Central Services Division Manager, Anoka County, MN

Commissioner, Franklin County

Matt Bubness is a Senior Manager with the Research and Consulting  Center. Currently, Matt leads the outreach efforts related to the best practices in budgeting for school districts and community colleges that are centered on improving the budget process.  Matt also staffs GFOA's Committee on Governmental  Budgeting and Fiscal Policy and leads consulting engagements related to process improvements. Prior to joining GFOA, Matt worked for Chicago Public Schools and City Colleges of Chicago. Matt served most recently  as the operations and finance director for all special education  programming at CPS and previously held roles in operating and capital  budgeting and revenue forecasting. In addition to his local government  experience, Matt worked in the municipal bond field, including credit  rating analysis and structuring bond issuances. Matt holds a B.S. in  Public Affairs and Masters in Public Administration, both from Indiana  University Bloomington.

Senior Manager

Director of Accounting and Finance Department, Washington County, MN

Finance Director, Town of Eaton, CO

Currently leads the State Agency in Minnesota that is charged  with responsibility for financing all private Higher Education financing  in Minnesota

Oversaw digitization of all files, transcripts and other  documentation accumulated over 40+ years by the Minnesota Higher  Education Facilities

Financial advisor on over 400 bond issues with a par value of over $6.0 billion.

Enhanced client service efforts of the Minnesota Higher Education Facilities Authority to add value to Authority services

Liaison with investors, Rating Agencies, Trustees, Internal Revenue  Service and others for private institutions of higher education in  Minnesota

Educating & informing industry on effects of proposed legislation, regulations and court cases

Progressive, forward looking leader working to insure the long-term  financial success of Minnesota Private Colleges and Universities and  ensuring the Minnesota Higher Education Facilities Authority is a strong  partner for the future.

Mitchell | Hamline School of Law                   Juris Doctorate                        May 1980

University of Minnesota                                  B.S. – Economics                   June 1977

Certified Public Accountant                            CPA Certificate                       June 1982

MINNESOTA HIGHER EDUCATION FACILITIES AUTHORITY

Executive Director      July 2016 – Present

The Minnesota Higher Education Facilities Authority (“MHEFA”) a  Minnesota State Agency which finances capital projects for Minnesota  private higher education institutions. The MHEFA has approximately $990  million of conduit debt outstanding. Since its founding in 1971, MHEFA  has served as conduit issuer for nearly 300 bond issues for $3 billion  of conduit financings.

Member                        April 2018 – Present

Chairperson                  April 2019 - Present

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH & EDUCATION FACILITIES AUTHORITIES (NAHEFFA)

Board member              October 2017 – Present

SPRINGSTED (Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors LLC)

Senior Vice President    February 2000 – July 2016

Other Executive posts   January 1989 – Jan. 2000

Baker Tilly/Springsted is a full-service financial and management  advisory firm, serving the public and not-for-profit sector.  I led the  Higher Education, Student Loan, Healthcare and Not-For-Profit groups. I  provided clients with debt financing, refinancing & restructuring,  investments, construction management, strategic planning, as well as  policy development and implementation.

Executive Director, Minnesota Higher Education Facilities Authority

Mark has worked in local government finance for sixteen years, all with Clark County, Washington. He has been in his current position as Finance Director since January, 2014. Mark currently is a member of GFOA’s CAAFR Committee, Clark County’s Finance Team, and past Chair of the County’s Strategic Leadership Team. Previous to working in government, he worked 18 years in private industry including public accounting and major corporations. Mark received a Master’s Degree in Accounting from Brigham Young University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Washington State University. He is a licensed CPA. In the community Mark is Treasurer of the high school booster club, referees high school and competitive youth soccer and in the summer guides whitewater raft trips on several Pacific Northwest rivers.

Finance Director, Clark County, Washington

Mary Yung is the Coordinator of the Statewide System of Support at the San Mateo County Office of Education. She works with schools and districts to learn and implement practices in their classroom to improve inclusive opportunities and outcomes for all students. Mary focuses on building environments that are safe and welcoming of all students, across dimensions of race, language, and ability. She combines her experience as a teacher, coach, and administrator, to systems work addressing significant disproportionality in our schools.

Coordinator of the Statewide System of Support, San Mateo County Office of Education

Allison Carter leads a portfolio of grant-funded projects, which includes three networks of school districts working together to solve shared problems of practice, several research-focused projects, and a project focused on working with districts to redesign state-mandated Local Control and Accountability Plans. Through these projects, Allison manages partnerships with organizations including Policy Analysis for California Education at Stanford, WestEd, American Institutes for Research, EdTrust-West, the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, and the California Department of Education.

In her first five years at Pivot, Allison served as a Program Manager focused on designing and implementing large-scale change projects with school districts, including Los Angeles Unified School District (USD), Chicago Public Schools, Seattle Public Schools, and Sacramento City USD.

Prior to joining Pivot, Allison was a Fellow at Alameda USD with Education Pioneers, and an elementary school teacher in New York City. Allison was a 2005 NYC Teach for America Corps Member. Allison has an MA in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies from Stanford University and an MST in Elementary Education from Pace University in New York.

Vice President, Education Programs, Pivot Learning

Zach Smith is a graduate student working on his doctorate in education leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Prior to his time in graduate school, Zach worked in Sanger Unified, a 12,000 student district in California’s Central Valley, as an instructional coach, special education administrator, and special education teacher. Zach has spent his career working to make more inclusive educational experiences for all students – with a special emphasis on students with disabilities. Zach is a deep background in Universal Design for Learning as a practice to support inclusion and he hopes to continue work back in a school district upon completion of his degree.

Graduate School of Education, Harvard University

As City Treasurer, Kimberly Carter  oversees the Cash Management, Investment, Public Finance and Development Finance sections of the Division, and is responsible for the collection, safekeeping and allocation of City monies. 

Kimberly has a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting from the University of Missouri -St. Louis, and has more than 15 years of experience in the accounting and finance profession, including service to the City as Cash Manager for ten years.

City Treasurer, City of Kansas City, MO

Jake Kowalski joined GFOA’s Research and Consulting Center in 2018. He does research on a wide range of topics including equity in budgeting and exploring how the budget process can be more responsive and representative of citizen demands. Additionally, Jake leads the Urban Forum which offers training and networking events that cater to the uniquely urban issues finance officers encounter in large metro areas. He also supports GFOA’s consulting practice by assisting governments in risk-based reserve consulting, business process improvement, and navigating the enterprise resource planning system procurement process.

Prior to GFOA, Jake worked for the City of Austin’s Mayor’s Office and Housing Department as well as the Texas State Legislature. He received his B.A. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin.

Consultant/Analyst

Kristine Brock serves as the Assistant City Administrator for Finance and Administration for the City of Franklin. She has oversight of the following departments: Finance; Information Technology; Municipal Court; Purchasing; and Transit.

Kristine started with the city in January 2017. Prior to her work at the City of Franklin, she served as Director of Management and Budget for the City of Maryville, Tennessee. She also worked with Gwinnett County, Georgia as Budget Director, and in the private sector for Public Financial Management as a Senior Managing Consultant. Brock holds a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Arts from Maryville College.

“I am humbled for the opportunity to join the team of the City of Franklin, one of the most highly regarded places to live in the State of Tennessee. With its long tradition of sound financial management and services of the highest quality, the City of Franklin has long been an example of best practices for local governments across our state and even the nation. I look forward to working together with elected officials, administration and staff to continue the highest quality of life expected by the residents of the city,” said Brock.

“Kristine will be a great asset to the City of Franklin as we move forward,” said City Administrator Stuckey. “We look forward to adding Kristine to our City Leadership Team. She is not only a skilled professional, but also a respected leader in her profession.” In addition to her strong professional background, she was recently selected as an Executive Committee member for the Tennessee Government Finance Officers Association (TGFOA) and has been appointed to the prestigious Debt Committee of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). She is also a board member of the Tennessee Chapter of Women in Public Finance.

Assistant City Administrator for Finance and Administration, City of Franklin, TN

Kent Hiteshew is a Deputy Associate Director in the Office of Financial Stability at the Federal Reserve Board. He was hired in March 2020 to bolster the Fed’s municipal market expertise in the wake of the sharp market dislocations resulting from the COVID pandemic. He has been responsible for developing the Fed’s crisis response, including the Municipal Liquidity Facility.

Hiteshew has more than 35 years of experience delivering public finance solutions to both state and local government debt issuers and federal policy makers. Prior to joining the Federal Reserve Board, Hiteshew was a Strategic Advisor to EY’s infrastructure advisory and municipal restructuring businesses. Hiteshew was also a Senior Fellow for Municipal Finance at the Marron Institute of New York University. From 2014 to 2017, Hiteshew served as the first Director of the Office of State and Local Finance at the US Department of the Treasury. At Treasury, he designed policies to inform senior officials at Treasury and the White House concerning infrastructure finance, the municipal bond market, public pensions and fiscal distress. In particular, he served on the President’s Build America Infrastructure Task Force to promote federal policies to encourage greater private investment in public infrastructure. He led the team at Treasury that responded to the financial and economic crisis in Puerto Rico and developed the legislative proposals that became the basis for Congressional enactment of PROMESA in June 2016.

Before joining Treasury, Hiteshew was a public finance banker with JP Morgan and its predecessor firm, Bear Stearns, where he was lead banker for major issuers across the municipal finance sector, including state and local general obligation bonds, tax-backed and enterprise system revenue bonds and mortgage and real estate-related revenue and project finance debt instruments. He led financings over the course of his career that raised billions of dollars in the municipal capital markets for infrastructure and affordable housing.

Hiteshew is a graduate of Rutgers University and holds a Masters in City Planning from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Deputy Associate Director, Office of Financial Stability, Federal Reserve Board

Chief Information Officer, City of Lincoln

Nathan Levenson is a managing director at DMGroup. With a depth of past experience as a public school superintendent, school board member, and private sector CEO, Nate brings a unique perspective to his work with superintendents and their leadership teams to identify and implement practical solutions to pressing challenges and to guide sustained efforts that turn opportunities into realities. Across all types of projects, Nate is focused on helping school districts better serve students despite tight financial times.

In over a decade working as a partner to school district leaders, Nate has led efforts to improve equity and outcomes for all students in nearly 200 districts across 25 states. He has deep experience working with district leaders to cost-effectively improve special education and social, emotional, and behavioral supports for students, to build student-centered schedules that support teaching and learning best practices, to create budgets that align with district priorities, and more. In addition, he frequently provides professional development for school district leaders, including training for new or aspiring superintendents in Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, and Vermont.

Prior to joining DMGroup, Nate served as superintendent of Arlington Public Schools (MA). Under his leadership, the district reduced the number of students reading below grade level by 65% and decreased the special education achievement gap by 66%. In addition, some schools within the district were commended by the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, by the National Blue Ribbon Schools program, by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Compass Schools program, and by School Matters—all for outperforming schools in like communities. Nate also has previous experience serving as school board chair of Boxford Public Schools (MA) and as CEO of North American Industries, an engineering and manufacturing company.

A recognized thought leader in the K-12 education sector, Nate frequently speaks at national conferences, conducts primary research, and publishes resources for school district leaders. Nate has authored several books including A Better Way to Budget and Smarter Budgets, Smarter Schools. Nate’s latest work, Six Shifts to Improve Special Education and Other Interventions, offers a set of bold, yet practical new ideas for dramatically raising the achievement of students with disabilities and lays out a road map for improving social and emotional, and behavioral services.

He has also published numerous white papers in conjunction with leading think tanks, including “Something Must Change: Rethinking Special Education” (American Enterprise Institute), "The Promise of Education Information Systems: How Technology Can Improve School Management and Success" (The Center for American Progress), "Applying Systems Thinking to Improve Special Education in Ohio" (The Thomas B. Fordham Institute), and “Doing the Most Good: Academic Return on Investment” published in Educational Leadership.

Nate holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and a Master of Business Administration with distinction from Harvard Business School. He is a graduate of the Broad Foundation’s Urban Superintendents Academy. He has experience serving on both private and non-profit boards, including a number of family businesses, local chapters of UNCF, Habitat for Humanity, and Boxford Public Schools.

Managing Director, District Management Group

Dr. Joyce Highhouse has led our work around building organizational leadership capacity using a user-centered design approach. Dr. Highhouse has been responsible for deepening learning around continuous improvement with an equity lens.  She facilitates a Professional Learning Network supporting Local Education Agencies in fostering improvement centered on the California School Dashboard and Local Control Accountability Plan  Additionally, Dr. Highhouse provides leadership in the facilitation of equity work and systems improvement. In addition, Dr. Highhouse directs key aspects of our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work. Joyce supported the design of MTSS frameworks specifically focused on foster, homeless and systems-involved students. Also, in collaboration with district leaders, Joyce co-facilitated the change design process and was instrumental in overseeing the testing and refinement of prototypes that will ultimately be integrated into the districts’ tiered systems of support.  Dr. Highhouse’s work has also focused on board members’ fiduciary role in governance of the strategic planning and budgeting process as well as stakeholder engagement training.  Her work with school boards, district superintendents, charter management organization leaders and leadership teams has included the development of resources and curation of evidence-based practices in support of identifying as well as funding district priorities towards creating more equitable education systems.

Dr. Highhouse has almost 15 years of experience in education and over 15 years of business experience. She began her career in education through The Broad Residency in Urban Education. Dr. Highhouse completed her residency with Durham Public Schools, serving as Administrative Services Analyst and Special Assistant for Planning and Performance Management. Dr. Highhouse’s school district-level work also includes Special Assistant to the Chief Academic Officer of Baltimore City Public Schools as well as independent consulting engagements.

Joyce Highhouse received her doctorate in Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College.  She earned her M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and received her B.A. from Tufts University in Massachusetts.

Director, Education Programs, Pivot Learning

Since joining ERS in 2008, Betty has worked with numerous partner districts on resource use analysis and student-based-budgeting (SBB), including Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, Duval County, Memphis, Nashville, and Rochester. She also works on many of our internal knowledge management projects including planning the Fair Student Funding District Summit, working with the Aspen CFO Network, working on the development of ERS Tools like Budget Hold’em and Resource Check, and the writing of ERS publications like the School Funding Systems Resource Guide and Transforming School Funding: A Guide to Implementing Student-Based Budgeting,

Before joining ERS, Betty was an Analyst at Eduventures where she supported leading K-12 and higher education corporations with business planning and strategy. She also taught English in Valence, France, where she found her French slang dictionary to be one of the most critical tools for connecting with her students.

Director, Education Resource Strategies

Nita is a case team leader in EY-Parthenon’s education practice and has been at the firm for six years. Since 2014, she has served several of the largest and most influential school districts in the United States, multiple large foundations, and numerous education service providers. She has led and supported projects in New Orleans, Boston, Providence, Aurora, and Chicago.

Nita has worked on a range of projects including strategic planning, growth strategy, project management and implementation support. She has extensive experience in financial and organizational restructuring and redesign, resource reallocation, and long-term financial sustainability planning.

Prior to joining EY-Parthenon, Nita was a high school biology teacher in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Public Policy from Stanford University.

Senior Consultant, EY-Parthenon

Managing Director, PFM

Manager, Information Systems and Techology Department, Midpeninsula Open Space District

Phil Vaccaro is a partner in the EY-Parthenon Education practice of Ernst & Young LLP.

Phil works across the education sector, though he specializes in strategy design and implementation for K-12 public sector clients, including state and local education agencies. His work often focuses on ways to strategically deploy resources and people to activate levers for school improvement in complex delivery systems. Specific to district finance, Phil has led projects in Providence, Memphis, Newark, Camden, Puerto Rico, Knoxville, and Detroit on: long-term financial sustainability planning, annual budgeting, return on investment analysis, weighted student funding, and resource re-allocation.

Phil has also led numerous projects for foundations that support education, non-profits that serve education, and companies that invest in education. In particular, Phil has led a number of projects with early childcare providers and is an active speaker at early childcare conferences.

Phil has over 15 years of experience as a teacher, district administrator, and consultant to the education sector. Prior to joining EY, Phil spent five years working for the NYC Department of Education as the Executive Director of School Performance, where he ran the city’s accountability system. Phil also taught high school for two years in the Bronx as part of the New York City Teaching Fellowship program.

Phil received an AB in Economics with distinction from Harvard University and a Master’s in Education from City College of New York.

Managing Director, EY-Parthenon

Mary C. Gentile, Ph.D. is creator/director of Giving Voice to Values, professor of practice at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, senior adviser at the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program, and consultant on management education and leadership development. Among numerous other awards, Mary was named as one of the 2015 “100 Most Influential in Business Ethics” by Ethisphere, among other accolades. Giving Voice to Values has been featured in publications such as Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and McKinsey Quarterly and piloted in over 995 business schools and organizations globally. Gentile was a principal architect of the Harvard Business School’s Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Responsibility curriculum.

Creator/Director of Giving Voice to Values

Monica Ng, Ed.D. is an experienced educator and educational consultant. She holds a Master’s degree in School Leadership and a doctorate in Educational Policy, Leadership, and Instructional Practice both from Harvard University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego. She is a native of Oakland, California.

As a doctoral student, Monica worked closely with Dr. Thomas Hehir on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Review of Special Education which resulted in 4 reports. Subsequently, Monica and Dr. Hehir have collaborated on projects for the Department of Justice, Disability Rights Ohio, as well as reviews in two school districts in California and several private schools.

Monica served as a professional development provider for a statewide Response to Intervention project. She worked closely with 14 schools in New York City to design and implement their school’s Response to Intervention framework over a period of three years. She has also led in professional learning around Universal Design for Learning in Cambridge and Boston.

As a member of the Project on the Next Generation of Teachers led by Susan Moore Johnson, Monica researched teacher working condition in high poverty schools. She co-authored several papers, focusing specifically on teacher’s opportunities to collaborate with their colleagues. Her dissertation focused on vertical teams in urban elementary schools. Monica is a co-editor of Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline.

Monica spent 13 years in preschool and elementary school classrooms, including kindergarten and third grade. She served as the Writing program coordinator at the Student Learning Center at the University of California, Berkeley which served incoming freshman, students with disabilities, student athletes, and students on academic probation. She also served as project coordinator for an AmeriCorps project focusing on elementary literacy in 16 Oakland Public Schools.

Chief Financial Officer and Director of Administrative Services, Midpeninsula Open Space District

Michael Decker serves as the Senior Vice President for Federal Policy and Research at Bond Dealers of America. Called “the leading lobbyist for the US bond market” by Asia Times, Mr. Decker previously served as managing director and co-head of municipal securities at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association where he overlooked the organization’s initiatives and advocacy efforts regarding municipal bonds and related products.

Senior Vice President, Bond Dealers of America – Federal Policy and Research

Lisa Marie Harris has served as Director of Finance/Treasurer for the San Diego County Water Authority since May 2014. Ms. Harris has over 28 years of financial experience in both the public and private sector. Ms. Harris is responsible for overseeing the Water Authority’s $2.3 billion debt portfolio, the $385 million investment portfolio and responsible for the development of the bi-annual $1.5 billion operating budget and the setting of annual Rates and Charges. Prior to joining the Water Authority, Ms. Harris served as Chief Deputy Treasurer for the County of San Diego Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office; Executive Director of CA Debt and Investment Advisory Commission (CDIAC); Assistant Deputy Airport Director for the City and County of San Francisco - San Francisco International Airport; and most recently Senior Vice President for Siebert Brandford Shank LLC. Ms. Harris holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from University at California, Berkeley and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Michigan. Ms. Harris is a past executive board member and has served on the Debt and Nominations Committees for Government Finance Officers Association. Ms. Harris also is a past executive board member for Women in Public Finance (WPF) and founding member and Vice President for the San Diego Chapter of WPF.

She is a proud parent of two college age children. Camille received her BA in Computer Science from UC Berkeley and is working toward her PhD in Computer Science from Georgia Tech University and George is a fourth year student at UC Santa Barbara studying Political Science and member of their Division One Track and Field Team.

Director of Finance/Treasurer, San Diego County Water Authority

Donna Ventura has been the Assistant Chief Financial Officer for the City of Oxnard, located in southern California, since January 2019.  Prior to joining the City, Donna spent her 30+ year career in the private sector with Fortune 500 companies such as KPMG, ARCO and Amgen.  She is a CPA and earned her MBA from UCLA's Anderson School of Management.  Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Donna has loved living and working in California for the past three decades, but will always be a New Yorker at heart!

Assistant Chief Financial Officer, City of Oxnard, CA

Mehreen Haroon is a Federal Policy Associate in GFOA's Federal Liaison Center and leads research on policy implementation and tracks rapidly developing legislation. She organizes materials and tools to effectively conduct legislative and regulatory advocacy campaigns on GFOA’s priority issues and concerns. Mehreen holds a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and is currently completing an M.P.S in Emergency and Disaster Management from Georgetown University

Federal Policy Associate

Michael  provides general support to the Federal Liaison Center on legislative  initiatives specifically on issues involving infrastructure and  transportation.  Having formerly worked in the private sector as a  financial consultant and stock broker, Michael brings a working  knowledge on fiscal issues that spans a wide spectrum of topics.

Michael holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Tennessee and an M.P.P. from George Mason University.

Amanda Albright is a municipal bonds and public finance reporter at Bloomberg News. She started on the beat in 2015 as an intern on the Bloomberg Brief Municipal Market newsletter. Albright has since covered issues like underfunded U.S. public pensions and the impact of elections on municipal-bond investors. Her stories have appeared in Bloomberg Businessweek and Markets Magazine. Albright studied journalism at UNC Chapel Hill and grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Reporter, Municipal Bonds and Public Finance, Bloomberg News

Manju Ganeriwala serves as Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. She was first appointed as Treasurer by Governor Kaine in 2009 and reappointed by Governor McDonnell in 2010, Governor McAuliffe in 2014, and Governor Northam in 2018. She oversees the investment of public funds; issuance of bonds and management of state debt; provision of banking services and administration of the state’s insurance and unclaimed property programs. 

Prior to her appointment as Treasurer, she served as Deputy Secretary of Finance for three years. Ganeriwala’s service to the Commonwealth includes her leadership roles as the Chief Financial Officer with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services and Associate Director with the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget. 

Ganeriwala holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Bombay and a Master’s in Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She is the 2009 recipient of the YWCA’s Outstanding Woman Award in Government and is a 2013 Toll Fellow. She is also a recipient of numerous other professional awards. Ganeriwala currently serves on the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.

Senior Managing Consultant, PFM

Evan is the Tax and Economic Policy Advisor for Representative Terri A. Sewell (AL-07). In this role, Evan advises the Congresswoman on all tax policy matters and spearheads her legislative initiatives relevant to her service on the House Ways and Means Committee. He also serves as the primary staffer responsible for issues related to financial services, small businesses, housing, and labor. 

Prior to joining Rep. Sewell’s office Evan worked for Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) as a Senior Legislative Assistant, with a focus on economic issues and the Congressman’s work related to the House Appropriations Committee. 

Evan received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and his master’s degree in Business Administration from Georgetown University.

Tax and Economic Policy Advisor, Representative Terri A. Sewell (AL-07)

Tammy Queen is the Director of Finance for the City of Kansas City, Missouri.  In that role, she is responsible for directing the operations of the Finance Department including accounting, budget, treasury management, economic development, and tax collection.  Ms. Queen has more than 25 years of experience with the City in various financial positions including serving as the City Treasurer for over five years and Cash Manager for nearly eight years. 

Queen has a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Missouri – Kansas City and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Banking from the University of Missouri – Columbia.  Queen has earned two professional certifications during her tenure with the City including Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) and is the only City employee to ever be designated an Accredited ACH Professional (AAP).

 She is currently the Chair of the GFOA national committee on Treasury and Investment Management. 

Director of Finance, City of Kansas City, MO

Mia Corral Brown is a member of Chandler Asset Management’s Relationship Management team. Her focus is on development of client relationships in the public sector and on coordinating customized services related to best investment practices for clients in Southern California. 

Mia is actively engaged in industry associations that provide guidance and recommended practices in investment management for California public agency clients. Her involvement includes membership in the   California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO), Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), California Municipal Treasurers Association (CMTA) and the California Association of County Treasurers (CACTTC). She serves on the education committee that sets forth the curricula and agenda for the CMTA’s annual conference and served on CSMFO’s Host Committee in 2020. Mia is also a founding Board Member of Women in Public Finance, San Diego. Prior to joining Chandler, Mia was employed at Nicholas Applegate Capital Management as an Assistant Marketing Manager.

Mia joined Chandler in 2004 and has 23 years of experience in finance servicing institutional and public sector clients. Mia is a graduate of San Diego State University where she earned her B.A. in speech communication with an emphasis in business communications. 

Senior Relationship Manager, Chandler Asset Management

Dan McAllister has served San Diego County residents as the County’s Treasurer-Tax Collector since 2002. Dan oversees the collection of over $7 billion in property taxes, the management of $12.3 billion in the County’s Investment Pool, and the administration of the County’s $1.5 billion defined contribution program. He is a strong advocate for diversity, a value reflected in his staff that comes from all walks of life and backgrounds.

San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector

Ms. Harris joined the Authority as the Chief Financial Officer in 2012 where she supervises the Accounting and Finance departments which are responsible for budgeting, financial reporting, loan servicing, debt issuance and fund management.  She oversees the debt issuance for the State Revolving Fund and the Single-Family Mortgage Bond programs.  Prior to joining the Authority, Ms. Harris was a Senior Consultant at cfX Incorporated where she structured debt transactions for state housing finance agencies.  She has also served on the Committee on Governmental Debt Management for GFOA since 2017.  Ms. Harris earned a M.S. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.A. in Economics from Grinnell College.

Chief Financial Officer, Iowa Finance Authority

Ms. Olsen is the Director of the SEC’s Office of Municipal Securities (OMS). Previously, she served in the roles of Acting Director, Deputy Director and Chief Counsel for the office. OMS is responsible for administering SEC rules pertaining to municipal securities brokers and dealers, municipal advisors, investors in municipal securities, and municipal issuers. OMS advises the Commission on policy matters relating to the municipal securities market and is responsible for policy development, coordination and implementation of Commission initiatives to improve the municipal securities market, as well as providing technical assistance to other SEC offices on wide array of municipal securities matters. OMS coordinates with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) on rulemaking and enforcement actions. OMS also acts as the Commission’s liaison to the MSRB, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Internal Revenue Service, a variety of investor and industry groups, and regulators on municipal securities issues.

Prior to joining the SEC, Ms. Olsen worked as a public finance attorney at the law firm of Ballard Spahr, LLP for over a decade where she served as underwriter’s counsel, bond counsel, lender’s counsel and borrower’s counsel on a wide variety of public debt offerings and private placements. Ms. Olsen has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Boston College, a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center and an LL.M in International Business Law from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Director, Office of Municipal Securities, SEC

Ms. Taylor began working for the City of Alexandria in 1995, serving the majority of her career in the Office of Management and Budget from 1999 until August 2013. In 2011 and 2012, she served as Acting Budget Director. She has been the City's Director of Finance since August 2014. She is a member of the board of the Alexandria Small Business Development Center. In 2016, Ms. Taylor was elected to the Board of Trustees for the Virginia Investment Pool. She serves on the board of the City's OPEB Pension Fund. In September 2018, Ms. Taylor was selected to the Government Finance Officers Association Debt Committee. Ms. Taylor holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Marketing and Spanish from Albright College and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Virginia Tech.

Director of Finance, City of Alexandria, VA

Alison Share is the Senior Policy Advisor and Counsel for Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05). Alison handles the Congressman’s tax work on the Ways & Means Committee as well as his municipal initiatives and a number of additional policy areas. She previously handled his work on the House Financial Services Committee. Prior to joining Congressman Kildee’s office, she was an associate at Crowell & Moring in the Public Policy group.

Senior Policy Advisor and Counsel for Congressman Dan Kildee

Johanna Som de Cerff is the Acting Branch Chief of Branch 5 (a.k.a. the “Bond Branch”) of the IRS Office of Chief Counsel Financial Institutions and Products Division. She joined the Office of Chief Counsel in 1999 and has served in various capacities in the Bond Branch ever since. She is a principal author of numerous guidance publications and private letter rulings concerning tax-exempt and other tax-advantaged bonds.

Vice President, Avero Advisors

For more information, go to columbus.gov/hr/citywide-training.

Enterprise Training and Development Coordinator, Department of Citywide Training and Development, City of Columbus

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.

Managing Director, Moody’s Investors Service

Kenton Tsoodle currently serves as Assistant Finance Director of the City of Oklahoma City. Kenton's primary responsibilities include providing oversight of the Finance Department's Divisions: Accounting, Office of Management and Budget, Risk Management, Procurement, and Treasury. In addition, Kenton oversees the Finance Department's ERP and other technology systems and is the City's Debt Manager responsible for issuance as well as post issuance compliance. Prior to becoming Assistant Director, Kenton served in various positions in the Finance Department including Finance Business Manager overseeing debt and technology programs, Assistant City Treasurer which was the City's investment officer and banking liaison, as well as various positions in the Office of Management and Budget. Kenton currently serves as a member of the GFOA's debt committee and is a member of the GFOA of Oklahoma.

Assistant City Manager, City of Oklahoma City, OK

CFO/Director, Finance and Administration

Director, Operations and Marketing

Chief Financial Officer, School District of Palm Beach County, FL

Budget Director, The School District of Palm Beach County

Nikki Griffith, CPFO is currently the Bureau Chief of Cash and Debt Management for the Howard County, Maryland Department of Finance.  In addition to overseeing the County’s $1.7 billion debt portfolio and $650 million short-term investment portfolio, Nikki leads the County’s relationship with the credit rating agencies.  During her career, she has managed the issuance of over $5 billion in governmental obligations for Maryland counties and the state. She currently serves on the Brookings Institution Municipal Finance Conference Advisory Committee, the GFOA Debt Committee and the Board of the Women in Public Finance, Maryland Chapter.

Bureau Chief of Debt and Cash Management, Howard County, MD

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, the impact of federal policy changes on local governments, and how broader economic pressures create credit stress at the local level. 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 the founder and president of the local chapter, MARMOT (Municipal Analysts of the Rocky MOunTains), currently under consideration for full chapter status by NFMA. 

Jane is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Senior Director & Sector Leader, U.S. Public Finance/Government Ratings, S&P Global

Assistant Director, Operations and Marketing

Assistant Director for Awards Programs

Rob  Roque is the Technology Services Manager in the Research and Consulting  Center.  He has been with GFOA since 1998.  Mr. Roque’s primary  responsibilities with GFOA are to provide enterprise system  implementation advisory services, enterprise system project management  services, enterprise selection services, as well as contribute to GFOA  technology publications and GFOA training courses.  He also assists with  managing internal technology projects for GFOA and has worked on over  70 projects since joining GFOA. His primary role is managing GFOA’s  larger technology projects.

Prior to joining GFOA Roque was a Senior Budget Analyst with the City  of Pittsburgh, PA where he worked on the City’s PeopleSoft  implementation project.  He also worked as a Research Analyst for the  Pennsylvania Economy League where provided urban planning consulting to  local governments in Western Pennsylvania.  Mr. Roque has a Masters in  Urban and Regional Planning (Concentration in Management Information  Systems) and a Bachelor of Arts (Concentration in Urban Studies and  Political Science) from the University of Pittsburgh.  He is a certified  Project Management Professional (PMP) and is a certified Integrator in  MySAP for Public Sector.  

BA, University of Pittsburgh
MURP, University of Pittsburgh

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