Member Alert: Outreach Needed During Senate Recess

Stephen J. Gauthier was director of GFOA's Technical Services Center (TSC). TSC is responsible for all of GFOA's member services involving accounting, auditing, and financial reporting, which includes performing technical reviews of the more than 5,000 financial reports and budgets of state and local governments submitted each year to GFOA's professional recognition programs.

Gauthier was the editor of GFOA's governmental accounting, auditing, and financial reporting newsletter GAAFR Review and is a regular contributor to GFOA's magazine Government Finance Review. He also is the author of numerous GFOA publications, including Governmental Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting ("Blue Book"), Evaluating Internal Controls: A Local Government Managers Guide, and many titles in GFOA's Elected Official's Guide series.

Before joining GFOA, Gauthier served as the research and technical review manager for the Tennessee Division of State Audit in Nashville. Gauthier received his BA degree from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. He holds an MA degree from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, and both an MA and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. He is a certified public accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois CPA Society.

Gauthier was made an Honorary Member of GFOA by vote of the membership at the 2017 GFOA Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado.

Former Director of Technical Services, GFOA

Chas Fadrigo has served as the Finance Supervisor for the Vallejo Flood & Wastewater District in Vallejo, California since April 2017. Focusing her attention on increasing the level of fiscal accountability, quality of financial reporting, and business continuity through internal development efforts, Chas has also prioritized department policy and process review and the facilitation of interdepartmental collaboration aimed at accomplishing the District’s strategic goals.

In October 2019, Chas spearheaded a district-wide cross-training program, the Budget Education, Accountability and Monitoring (BEAM), a 12-month program designed to further enhance the knowledge of organizational leaders on all aspects of budget planning, monitoring, and reporting.

Chas has 22 years of experience in the accounting field; 12 years specifically in governmental accounting. She performs in highly responsible lead roles that include program budgeting and enhanced financial and compliance reporting.

Prior to her work with Vallejo Flood & Wastewater, Chas worked as an Accountant for the City of Napa and City of Vallejo. Chas holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Accountancy from California State University, Sacramento and is currently pursuing the Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) professional certification awarded by the Association of Government Accountants.

Finance Supervisor, Vallejo Flood & Wastewater District

Deputy City Attorney, City and County of San Francisco, CA

Chris Morrill is the Executive Director/CEO of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the US & Canada, a 21,000 member professional association that advances excellence in government finance to build thriving communities. He has decades of experience in local government, serving as city manager of the City of Roanoke, VA, the only seven-time All-America City, Assistant City Manager and Budget Director for the City of Savannah, GA, a budget analyst for Catawba County, NC, and downtown project manager for Lynn, MA.

Chris also served as Senior Municipal Finance Advisor to the South African National Treasury under a United States Agency for International Development project. In this position, he assisted the South African government with developing local government finance legislation, municipal budget reforms, and capacity building programs. He was in the first group of U.S. Peace Corps volunteers in the former Soviet Union, where he advised the City of L’viv, Ukraine on finance and management issues.

Morrill co-authored The Savannah Story: The Road to Equity and Sustainable Community Development in Economic Development in American Cities: the Pursuit of an Equity Agenda. He completed a three-year fellowship in the Kellogg National Leadership Program, exploring conflict resolution and community building in Peru, China, Northern Ireland, and South Africa.

Chris is a recipient of the Southern Christian Leadership Council (Roanoke Chapter) Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major for Justice Award.  He is an ICMA Credentialed Manager, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and a leadership fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross and a Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Executive Director

Administrative Services Director, City of Chaska, MN

Director – Controller’s Office of Public Finance, City and County of San Francisco, CA

Cynthia Berry, Ph.D., is a Psychologist with a specialization in Industrial/Organizational, Personality and Experimental Psychology, and founded BOLD, Berry Organizational and Leadership Development, LLC in January of 2006. BOLD, LLC is a 100% woman-owned business registered with the State of Missouri.

She has over nineteen years of experience in Human Resources, Organizational and Fund Development, Evaluation and Research including citizen/customer/employee surveys, and Employee and Management Training. She has vast experience in organization-based and large community-based assessments allowing for guided strategic planning and employee development.

In the past eleven years, Cynthia has personally raised over $10 million dollars for many programs she has helped develop and implement. Furthermore, she has strengthened many organizations with the development of measurement tools and processes to track outcomes, and the implementation of various quality improvement projects. In addition, she is an adjunct professor for the Evaluation of Programs and Services Master’s level course at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University.

Recently, Dr. Berry has completed the St. Louis County, Lincoln and Franklin County Needs Assessments focused on the behavioral health of youth.

Psychologist/Founder, Berry Organizational and Leadership Development, LLC

Robert Hartwig is the Assistant General Manager and Chief Financial Officer (AGM/CFO) for the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD) serving 150,000 residents and businesses over 100 square miles in the Lake Elsinore, CA area. He started with the District in 2015, and served as the Interim General Manager for five months in 2019. EVMWD provides a full range of water, reclaimed water, and recycled water services. This includes maintaining two dams, three lakes, dozens of reservoirs and wells, two water plants, three sewer plants, hundreds of miles of pipes, lift stations, pump stations, etc. EVMWD is currently in the middle of a $185 million wastewater treatment plant renovation and expansion project, the centerpiece of a larger capital improvement program. As AGM he leads the Customer Service, Community Affairs, Financial Accounting, Information Technologies/SCADA, and Purchasing departments, encompassing 45 of the District’s 165 employees. In addition to CPA firm and self-employment experience, Mr. Hartwig has served in various municipal capacities for over 25 years including cities, airports, and special districts. Bob is a licensed CPA in California and Colorado. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting and Finance from The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Accounting, Finance, and International Business from Regis University, Denver, Colorado. Rumors that he is a huge Hawkeye fan are woefully understated.

AGM – Business Services/CFO, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District

John Fishbein is a senior program manager in the Technical Services  Center of the Government Finance Officers Association of the United  States and Canada (GFOA) in Chicago, Illinois.  Mr. Fishbein came to  GFOA in 2002.  He is responsible for the day-to-day operation of GFOA's  Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program. He is the author of  GFOA's recent publication on Building a Better Budget Document.  He  previously authored Preparing High Quality Budget Documents for School District's and Preparing High Quality Budget Documents.  He serves as  staff to GFOA's standing Committee on Governmental Budgeting and Fiscal  Policy.  He has spoken at national and Internet training seminars and  conferences on budgeting. 

Senior Program Manager

Qiujian (Jean) is a manager in GFOA's Technical Services Center (TSC). She performs final reviews of all types of Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports of state and local governments. She also handles technical inquiries and reviews Popular Annual Financial Reports. Qiujian received a Bachelor degree in Accounting from University of Illinois at Chicago and joined GFOA in 2009.

Manager

Kim is a Program Associate in the Technical Services Center. She performs technical reviews of state and local governments’ Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFR) for compliance towards earning the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. Kim reviews all CAFRs 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

Eva Olsaker joined GFOA in 2005 and is now a Senior Manager in the  Research and Consulting Center.  Eva brings years of experience in  technology and management consulting projects, specializing in,  organizational reviews, technology needs assessments and business case  reviews, business process analysis, software selection methodologies,  and implementation advisory assistance.  Eva manages projects for both  large and small governments, with an emphasis on improving organizations  business processes, specializing in human resources, payroll, and  finance functions and processes.   

Prior to joining GFOA she  served as a senior consultant with a private management-consulting firm  for ten years.  Eva consulted with private and public sector  organizations to implement customer relationship management software,  improve business processes, productivity and methodologies.  Eva has a  Bachelors of Arts Degree in Political Science from Ball State  University.

Senior Manager

Director/CFO

James M. Falconer, CPA is a Senior Manager in GFOA's Technical Services  Center (TSC). TSC is responsible for all of GFOA's member services  involving accounting, auditing, and financial reporting, which includes  performing technical reviews of the more than 5,000 financial reports  and budgets of state and local governments submitted each year to GFOA's professional recognition programs.  He has worked at many levels in the  Certificate of Achievement Program for Excellence in Financial  Reporting. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, James is a CPA.

Katie Ludwig joined GFOA in 2018. Her work is focused on helping  local governments develop policies and procedures and implement systems  to improve their efficiency and effectiveness and promote financial  sustainability.   

 Prior to joining GFOA, Katie worked for four years at the Chicago  Housing Authority, where she was responsible for the management and  operations of the Housing Choice Voucher program.  She also worked for  the City of Chicago for more than 13 years, serving in a variety of  roles in the Office of Budget and Management, the Department of Housing,  and the Chicago Public Library.  In all of these roles, Katie worked on  projects to develop new programs, policies, and procedures.

B.A.,  Political Science and English, DePaul University

M.P.P., University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy

Christine  Hisick joined GFOA as an Administrative Associate in Technical Services  in 2018. Christine supports GFOA’s Popular Annual Financial Reporting  Program and Canadian Award for Financial Reporting Program, as well as  GFOA’s other awards programs.

Outside of her commitment to GFOA’s members across North America,  Christine deeply values her community of the City of Valparaiso and  Northwest Indiana. Prior to joining GFOA, Christine served as the  mayor-appointed neighborhood liaison and community and staff specialist  for the City of Valparaiso. While there, she founded Banta Feeds Food  Drives and Hands Around the Square. Christine created and implemented  “Random Acts of Kindness Week Valparaiso,” and other city-wide events  while working as an advisor and member of the Human Relations Councils  in Valparaiso and Northwest Indiana.

Her passion for civic leadership includes contributing articles to The Times of Northwest Indiana, The Chronicle of Northwest Indiana, and other digital publications; addressing public leadership forums; and representing her programs on local television.

Christine’s service has been recognized through the following ways:

- Inductee to the Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana since 2011.
- Second-place finalist in the Chicago Sun-Times “Searching for Local Heroes Contest
 of Chicagoland” in 2009.
- Honored mayoral guest at the Valparaiso State of the City Address honoring her extensive service to her community in 2009.

She is a graduate of both Leadership Northwest Indiana and the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce Leadership Academy.

Administrative Associate

Assistant Director for Awards Programs

Executive Administrative Assistant

Elizabeth Fu is a Senior Manager with the Research and Consulting  Center. Elizabeth focuses on risk-based reserve analysis and long-term  financial planning and researches the area of recruitment and retention  of public finance officers. She works with local governments on  organizational assessments and system selection. Elizabeth serves as a  staff liaison to GFOA's Committee on Retirement and Benefits  Administration and Women's Public Finance Network. Prior to joining to  GFOA, Elizabeth worked for a consulting firm specializing in economic  feasibility of development projects and the Chicago Inspector General's  Office. Elizabeth holds a B.A. in political science from Wake Forest  University and a Master’s in urban planning and policy from the  University of Illinois-Chicago.

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 a part of GFOA's new awards centered on budget process  improvements.  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, RCC

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 (CAFRs) 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

Peg Hartnett serves as the Assistant Director for Training in GFOA’s Technical Services Center (TSC), where she oversees the national and online training courses in the areas of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and internal controls. Peg is also a frequent instructor for GFOA’s national and online training courses in these areas.   Peg came to GFOA with more than eighteen years of experience in governmental accounting and financial reporting. Prior to joining GFOA, Peg served as the Finance Director, Treasurer, and Budget Officer for the Village of Clarendon Hills, Illinois. Under Peg’s leadership, the Village’s credit rating improved to the highest level, which it maintained throughout her tenure.  Peg’s previous positions include Assistant Finance Director for the Village of Bloomingdale, Illinois, Assistant Finance Director for the Village of Villa Park, Illinois, and Business Manager for the Bloomingdale Public Library. During this time, Peg also served as a member of the Executive Board of the Illinois Government Finance Officers Association and participated on the Technical Accounting Review Committee.  

Peg received her Bachelor of Accounting degree from Northern Illinois University and holds a Master of Accounting and Financial Management degree from the Keller Graduate School of Management. 

Assistant Director for Training, Technical Services

Director, HR and Organizational Development

Marcy Boggs has been with GFOA since 2008 and is the Managing Editor with GFOA’s Research and Consulting Center. Marcy is responsible for GFOA'’s bimonthly magazine, Government Finance Review. She also edits whitepapers and other material for the association. Before coming to GFOA, Marcy was an editor for Pensions & Investments. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Valparaiso University.

Managing Editor

Shipping and Receiving Clerk

Publications Distribution Coordinator

Christine Emmons is an Administrative Associate in the Operations and Marketing Center. She supports the center with projects related to marketing and logistics. She serves as a staff liaison for National Trainings. Christine holds a Bachelor of Science, Journalism from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Tahrer Khalil is a program associate in the Technical Services Center of  the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and  Canada (GFOA) in Chicago, Illinois.  The Technical Services Center is  responsible for all of GFOAs member services involving accounting,  auditing, and financial reporting, which includes performing technical  reviews of the more than 5,000 financial reports and budgets of state  and local governments submitted each year to GFOAs professional  recognition programs. She performs reviews of Comprehensive Annual  Financial Reports, and Popular Annual Financial Reports of local  governments in the United States and generates suggestions for  improvement. Tahrer received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting  from the University of Illinois in Chicago. 

Jay Howard is a senior program associate in the Technical Services  Center of the Government Finance Officers Association of the United  States and Canada (GFOA) in Chicago, Illinois. The Technical Services  Center is responsible for al of GFOAs member services involving  accounting, auditing, and financial reporting, which includes performing  technical reviews of the more than 5,000 financial reports and budgets  of  state and local government submitted each year to GFOAs  professional recognition programs. He performs reviews Comprehensive  Annual Financial Reports of counties, small and large cities and  municipalities as well as school districts and utilities. He also  reviews Popular Annual Financial Reports of many different types of  governments. Jay received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Drake  University and chose to work at his father and uncles tool and die  business. After working there many years he chose to make a career  change and pursued a course of study in accounting at DePaul University.  After completing his studies he prepared for and passed the CPA exam.  He has been pretty much been working at GFOA ever since.

Senior Program Associate

Senior Receptionist

Shayne  is the Senior Manager of Research for GFOA and has been a leader in  developing the practice and technique of long-term financial planning  and policies for local government. He started GFOA's long-term financial  planning and policy consulting offering in 2002 and has been working  with governments on financial planning and policies ever since. Shayne  has worked with many governments of different sizes and types on  financial planning and policies across the United States and Canada.

Shayne's financial planning experience also drives his research at  GFOA. He is the author of a number of influential publications on  financial planning, including:

• The leading and highly regarded book about long-term financial planning in local government, Financing the Future.
• Financial Policies: Design and Implementation, GFOA's flagship publication on the topic.

• Informed Decision-Making through Forecasting: A Practitioner’s Guide to Revenue Analysis
• Financial Foundations for Thriving Communities, GFOA’s latest and most complete guidance for how to achieve and maintain the financial health of local governments.
•  A number of articles on long-term financial planning, financial  policies, budget reform, using technology to improve efficiency, and  other related topics for magazines including Government Finance Review, Public Management, School Business Affairs, and Public CIO.

Prior to joining GFOA, Shayne was the Assistant Village Manager for  the Village of Palos Park, Illinois, where he was responsible for  managing all aspects of financial management operations, including  budgeting, utility billing, payroll, and accounting. He received his MPA  degree from Northern Illinois University.

Senior Manager, Research

Member Services Coordinator

Natalie Laudadio is GFOA’s Senior Communications Manager. She has been with GFOA since 2006. Natalie develops and manages communication strategies and key messages to ensure alignment with GFOA’s mission and code of ethics. She writes and edits articles for a wide variety of communications collateral including GFOA’s Newsletter, press releases, and member updates. Natalie edits and serves as a production focal point for GFOA’s print and electronic communications. She builds and maintains strong relationships with key contacts at GFOA state and provincial associations, the media, advertisers to Government Finance Review, annual conference exhibitors, and creative freelancers. Prior to joining GFOA, Natalie worked at a boutique health care law firm in Chicago where she drafted marketing materials in addition to editing pleadings and other submissions to state and federal courts and other administrative adjudicative bodies. Natalie received her bachelor’s degree in English (minor in Spanish) and her master’s degree in Writing (Professional Writing concentration) from DePaul University.

Senior Communications Manager

Craig  Lesner joined the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the  U.S. and Canada in 2017 as a Senior Manager in the Research and  Consulting Center. In this role, Craig works with local governments to  help navigate the complexities and obstacles that arise through  implementing financial best practices and improving business processes.

Prior to joining GFOA, he served for nine years as the Chief  Financial Officer for the Village of Oak Park, IL. During his tenure,  the Village initiated a performance measurement program and received  GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the first time.
 
For  the ten years prior, Craig served in several roles in the City of  Chicago’s Office of Budget and Management, progressing to deputy  director.  While with the City, he helped lead the $5.2 billion annual  appropriations process and served as a member of the cash management  team.

Craig received his bachelor’s degrees in economics and  political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and his  masters of public policy from the University of Chicago Harris School of  Public Policy.

Ryan Lawler is a Senior Manager in the Research and Consulting Center.   He participates in research projects, consulting engagements, and  on-site needs assessments.  In addition to consulting, Ryan staffs  GFOA's Committee on Governmental Debt Management and organizes GFOA's  debt management training materials for on-line and classroom course  offerings.  He worked with the City of Dallas, TX in several capacities  prior to joining GFOA.  He has experience in developing and monitoring  operating and capital budgets, debt issuance analysis, program  management, and fleet procurement.

BGS, University of Kansas
MPA, University of Kansas
MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business (currently enrolled)

Todd  Buikema is the Assistant Director for Publications in GFOA’s Technical  Services Center (TSC), and is the editor of GFOA's governmental  accounting, auditing, and financial reporting newsletter GAAFR Review.   Todd also is a trainer for GFOA’s national training courses, in the  areas of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and internal  controls.

Todd came to the GFOA with more than 19 years of experience in  governmental accounting, auditing, and financial reporting. Immediately  prior to joining the GFOA staff, Todd served for five years as Assistant  Financial Controller at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois,  the third largest community college in the country. Before that, he  obtained 14 years of experience in public-sector auditing, first as a  manager at PTW, and then as a senior manager in the Public Sector  Services section of Crowe LLP. Todd received his bachelor’s degree in  accounting from Calvin College. He is a licensed certified public  accountant (CPA) in the state of Illinois and a member of both the  American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the  Illinois Society of CPAs.

Assistant Director of Publications, Technical Services

Genevieve is a Consultant and Analyst in the Research and Consulting  Center. She participates in consulting and research projects related to  business process improvement, performance evaluation, long-term  budgeting and financial planning, risk analysis, and technology  acquisitions. She serves as a staff liaison to the Treasury and  Investment Management Committee, and also contributes to GFOA  publications on a variety of topics impacting public policy and  budgeting. Genevieve holds a B.A. in both political science and strategic communications, as well as a Master of Public Affairs from the  University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Consultant/Analyst

Administrative Assistant

Zhikuan Hu (Kuan) is a manager in GFOA's Technical Services Center  (TSC). She performs reviews of comprehensive annual financial reports of  all types of governments, and is one of the final reviewers in the  Certificate Program. Kuan also answers technical inquiries from local  governments. Kuan holds a Master of Arts degree in English Language and  Literature from Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho, and a Master  of Science degree in Accounting from DePaul University in Chicago,  Illinois. Before joining GFOA, Kuan worked as an editor at Huazhong  University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, and as a part-time  instructor in Teaching English as a Second Language at Morton College  in Cicero, Illinois.

Manager, Technical Services Center

Mark is a manager in the GFOA’s Research and Consulting Center.   Prior to joining GFOA, he worked in municipal government and higher  education.  Mark supports government jurisdictions through various  finance related consulting projects and technology acquisitions such as  Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) systems.  He also conducts research  and writes on various topics impacting public sector finance.  In  addition to research and consulting, Mark also staffs various finance  and budget related professional development trainings. 

Education:
BBA, Barry University – Miami Shores, FL
MPPA, Northwestern University – Evanston, IL  

Zaklina Lakic serves as reviewer in Technical Service Center at GFOA. She is responsible for performing reviews of financial reports and budgets submitted by the state and local governments for GFOA’s certificate awards program.  Zaklina holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, as well as CPA certification.

Eric  Roach is the Program Manager for the Government Finance Officers  Association's (GFOA) Certified Public Finance Officers (CPFO) program.  He is responsible for the management of the CPFO program's relaunch,  Certification Committee, exam development, customer service, and  outreach.

Education:
B.A. in sociology from the University of Illinois at Springfield
M.S. in public administration from DePaul University

Manager, CPFO Program

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.

Federal Policy Associate

IT Manager

Accounting Clerk

James Phillips is a Senior Program Manager in GFOA’s Technical Services Center (TSC), where he is responsible for administration of the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting (Certificate Program) and the Canadian Award for Financial Reporting (CAnFR) Program. He also performs reviews for the Certificate Program and serves as staff for the GFOA’s Committee on Canadian Issues.  James holds a Bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and joined the GFOA staff in 1992.

Senior Program Manager, Technical Services Center

Assistant Director

Director

Randall Towns is a passionate learning and development professional with over twenty-five years of designing and developing education based on adult learning principles and best-in-class instructional strategies. Randall joined the GFOA in February of 2020 as the Director of Education. Randall provides leadership and strategic direction for all of GFOA’s education initiatives and implements a consistent adult learning approach to the organization’s education portfolio.

Randall has gained invaluable experience in association education as a senior member of the leadership team at the National Restaurant Association and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Before the GFOA, Randall worked at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in their Professional Development Programs practice. Throughout his career, Randall has been able to utilize his experience in instructional design, strategic planning, management of cross-functional teams, and project management to move organizations into success through the development of their most valued resource, its people. 

Randall received a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and a Master of Science in Industrial Technology with a concentration in instructional design from Purdue University. Randall received a Master’s Fellowship to pursue his graduate studies at Purdue.

Director of Education

Jake  Kowalski is a Consultant in GFOA’s Research and Consulting Center. He  supports GFOA’s consulting practice by assisting governments in business  process improvement, financial planning, and navigating the enterprise  resource planning system procurement process. He also researches best  practices related to risk management and economic development.

Jake 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.

Web Administrator

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

Technology Services Manager

As Senior Policy Advisor of GFOA’s Federal Liaison Center, Michael leads coalition and grassroots advocacy efforts in the areas of public pensions, internet sales tax, federal preemption legislation and  healthcare reform. Additionally, Michael supports the FLC’s Director on  legislative and regulatory advocacy related to tax reform,  infrastructure investment and federal appropriations and budget legislation. Michael also serves as staff on GFOA’s CORBA Committee.  Prior to joining GFOA, Michael was an Associate Legislative Director for  Finance, Pensions and Intergovernmental Affairs at the National Association of Counties (NACo). At NACo, he was responsible for all policy development and lobbying for the association in the areas of  municipal finance and tax, elections, pensions and county and tribal  government relationships. He also served as Associate General Counsel for NACo.

Michael has a BBA in Computer Information Systems from Georgia State University and a JD/MBA from Western New England University. He is a Member of the Pennsylvania State Bar.

Senior Policy Advisor

Qun Wang is a manager in GFOA's Technical Services Center (TSC). She is  in charge of GFOA’s Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) Program,  as well as responsible for developing and updating the standard comments  for the Certificate Program. She performs reviews of all types of  Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports of state and local governments,  including general-purpose governments, school districts, stand-alone  enterprise funds, pension and other postemployment systems, investment  pools, and risk pools. She also answers technical inquiries from program  participants and GFOA members. Ms. Wang received a Bachelor of Science  degree in Accountancy from DePaul University in Chicago and joined GFOA  in 2000.

Barry  McMeekin is the Consulting Practice Manager for GFOA’s Research and  Consulting Center. Over the past ten years, Barry has managed many of  GFOA’s ERP needs assessment and system selection projects for large and  mid-sized governments. Barry has a broad range of expertise in  financial, purchasing, fleet, facilities, and inventory operational  areas both as consultant and practitioner. Prior to coming to GFOA,  Barry worked for the City of Pittsburgh, PA and Allegheny County, PA  where he served as in various roles including on the project team for an  ERP implementation.

Some recent clients included the City of Beverly Hills (CA), Pasco  County Schools (FL), Orange County Schools (FL), San Bernardino County  (CA), Spokane Transit Authority (WA), Bernalillo County (NM), Clark  County (NV), Placer County Water Agency (CA), Board of Water Works of  Pueblo, (CO).

Consulting Practice Manager

As Director of GFOA’s Federal Liaison Center, Emily leads coalition and  advocacy efforts of the Public Finance Network in Washington DC. Her  advocacy includes anticipating and responding to federal legislative and  regulatory activities that impact the finance functions of state and  local governments and public sector entities including tax reform,  municipal securities disclosure and public pension and benefit issues.  Emily also serves as staff on GFOA’s Debt Committee, working with  committee members to develop best practices that promote sound financial  practices for local, state and provincial governments. Prior to joining  GFOA, Emily was a commercial bank relationship manager at a large  national bank, serving as the sole bank liaison for government and  university clients. 

Director, Federal Liaison Center

Susan Gaffney is a senior manager within the Research and Consulting Center for GFOA where she staffs 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 services as executive director of the National Association of Municipal Advisors.

Ember Strange is the Finance Director for the City of North Little Rock, AR. Previously she was the Executive Director of the University of Central Arkansas Foundation and the Assistant Finance Director for the City of Little Rock, Arkansas. She was with the City for almost ten years. In that role, Ember was responsible for the Accounting & Reporting, Payroll, Accounts Payable & Budget Divisions.  Prior to the Little Rock, Ember worked in public accounting at BKD, LLP. There she performed financial statement audits in all industries however her focus was in local governments and not-for-profits.

Ember previously serves on the Government Finance Officers Association’s Committee on Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting. This committee works closely with GASB, the AICPA and other organizations and recommends best practices for effective government finance operations. Ember is active in the Arkansas Government Finance Officers Association as well. She is currently the President.

In 2017 Ember was selected and attended the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at the Harvard Kennedy School in Boston. She also attended the Advanced Government Finance Institute at the University of Wisconsin at Madison which she was selected for through the Government Finance Officers Association. 

Ember received her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and her Masters of Accountancy both from Arkansas State University.

Finance Director, City of North Little Rock, AR

Darlene Malaney, is Chief Operating Officer of Finance for the Clerk & Comptroller, Palm Beach County, Florida.   She has over two decades of institutional finance and investment experience, specializing in work with Florida local governments. 

Prior to her current position, she spent several years in the private sector as an investment consultant specializing in governmental retirement plans.  Darlene has also served as Director of Finance & Investments for Citizens Property Insurance and as Associate Director of Financial Services for the Florida League of Cities.  

She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from The Florida State University and holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation, administered by the Investments & Wealth Institute, through The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.  Darlene is a graduate of Florida State University’s Certificate in Financial Planning (CFP) program and has obtained both the Series 6 and 65 Securities Licenses. 

Darlene is a member of the GFOA Committee on Retirement and Benefits Administration, and an Officer of the Women’s Public Finance Network of the GFOA.  She is member the Florida GFOA, and is Past President of the Palm Beach County GFOA.  Darlene is Vice Chair of the National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators Benchmarking Committee and Chair of the Clerk & Comptroller’s Retirement Plan Committee. 

Chief Operating Officer of Finance, Clerk & Comptroller of Palm Beach County, FL

Lori Thomas joined the City of Rock Hill in 2007 and is currently Performance Manager II of General Services.  Prior to serving in this role, Lori served as Finance and Insurance Manager.  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.

Performance Manager II, City of Rock Hill, SC

Roman J. Guillory is currently an Accountant for the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury in Lake Charles, Louisiana where he oversees the fiscal operations of many state and federal grants. Guillory has held finance related and data driven positions throughout his professional career, the first beginning with GE Power (Baker Hughes). He also partners with businesses, nonprofits and solopreneurs to grow their personal and professional brands, by way of process improvement. His experience includes governmental accounting, contract review, grant writing, business analysis, continuous improvement, and project management. Roman holds a BS in management and economics from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, an MBA in finance from Louisiana State University Shreveport, a MS in Systems Technology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. 

Accountant, Calcasleu Parish Police Jury, Lake Charles, LA

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

Margaret Dalley-Johns is the Director of Financial Services at the City of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida and recently marked one year in the position. Prior to this, she was the Accounting Manager for the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority/Tri-Rail. Dalley-Johns is an achievement oriented finance professional with more than 20 years of diverse experience in the areas of: governmental accounting, budgeting, operational auditing, financial reporting and analysis and tax preparation.  She is a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA); holds a Master of Accounting from Nova Southeastern University, a Master of Business Administration and Graduate Certificate in International Business from Florida International University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Business Administration from the University of Florida.

Director of Financial Services, City of Lauderdale Lakes, FL

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:

Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR)

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

Timothy Martin joined the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) in 2017 as Senior Manager for Member Engagement. His responsibilities include social media, GFOA's website, the member newsletter, student chapter initiative, and more. 

In his previous role as head of the Office of Citizen Engagement in the City of Roanoke, Timothy worked to bring government and citizens together to foster collaborative conversations, build positive relationships and promote new innovative ways for citizens to be involved, informed, and engaged. Roanoke has one of the most successful social media models of any city in the country with more than 60 accounts and 200,000 followers.

Since 2014, the city has won more than a dozen social media awards.  In 2016, Timothy was named Top Social Media Advocate in Government by Government Social Media (GSM). He was also named a Top Government Influencer by Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL).

Timothy holds a bachelor’s degree in media studies from Radford University.

Senior Manager for Member Engagement

Terry Stone serves as Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations for Hanover County Public Schools. Prior to her appointment with HCPS, Ms. Stone was employed by Henrico County Public Schools as Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Administration. Previously, Terry served as Chief Financial Officer for Williamsburg James City County Schools, as Director of Finance for Hanover County Public Schools from 2008 to 2013 and as Director of Finance for Hanover County from 2005 to 2008. Ms. Stone held various financial positions for Hanover County dating back to 1988. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a Certified Public Accountant. Terry is a past president of the Virginia Government Finance Officers Association and previously chaired the GFOA Treasury and Investment Management Committee and served on the Nominating Committee. In addition, Ms. Stone served on the Board of Supervisors for King William County from 2012 to 2015 and previously served on the King William County School Board from 2004 to 2011. Ms. Stone was awarded the Distinguished Local Government Leadership Award from the Association of Government Accountants’ in 2014.

Past President

Laurie has served as Assistant City Manager since August 2011.  She began her career in the City of Georgetown as a staff accountant and has more than 20 years of governmental finance experience both in Georgetown and in Hutto, where she served as Director of Finance from 2006-2009.

Laurie has given back to her profession through mentoring and service to professional organizations.   She serves on the Government Finance Officers Association’s national committee on Economic Development and Capital Planning.   Laurie is a member of the Texas City Management Association and the International City Management Association.  She has also served on the revenue legislative policy committee for the Texas Municipal League.

Laurie graduated Cum Laude from Sam Houston State University and also received her Masters of Public Administration from Sam Houston.  She is a Certified Government Finance Officer (CGFO) through the Government Finance Officers Association of Texas and is an International City Management Association Credentialed Manager Candidate.

Chris Daniel is the Chief Investment Officer for the City of Albuquerque. He is responsible for liquidity management and portfolio investment of $700 million in cash assets, derived from all City Departments and Governmental Funds. Chris has been employed by the City for 13 years. At the City, Chris initially served as Assistant Treasurer, followed by an assignment as Manager of the City’s PeopleSoft ERP Program. In 2014 Chris became CIO, and soon after he embarked on creating and implementing a strategic asset allocation approach for public funds investing, a strategy that Chris believes will be the future industry standard.

Chris began his career as a Video Journalist with CNN, then after obtaining his MBA spent several years in Corporate Finance with Verizon, followed by telecommunications consulting before moving to New Mexico. Chris was Controller for the New Mexico Student Loans agency before joining the City in 2006.

Chris holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of North Carolina and an MBA – Finance from Georgia State University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP). Chris serves on the GFOA Treasury & Investment Management Committee. He is President of the Government Investment Officers Association, and past President of CFA Society New Mexico.

Michael Bryant is an Assistant County Manager in Mecklenburg County, NC. As Assistant County Manager, Michael provides executive oversight for the Finance Department, the Tax Office, Information Technology, Human Resources, and the Tax Assessor’s Office. Also, he is responsible for leading the County's enterprise risk management strategy and for supervising financial planning and organizational compliance throughout the organization.

Prior to serving as Assistant County Manager, Michael was the Director the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in Mecklenburg County, NC. As the Director, he was accountable for leading the annual budget development activities on a $2 billion budget, facilitating Board decision-making, and providing oversight and guidance to County departments, business partners, and non-profit organizations.

Michael has been with Mecklenburg County since 2003 and has nearly 25 years of experience in City, County, and State government. He has represented Mecklenburg County at several conferences and training seminars. Prior to Mecklenburg County, Michael worked for the City of Durham, Duke University, Granville County and the NC Office of the Governor.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Masters of Pubic Administration degree from North Carolina Central University. He is an inductee of the North Carolina Central University Forty Under Forty Alumni Award, an honor given to young alumni that have exhibited leadership, dedication, and success within their profession and personal communities. Also, in May 2019, Michael was appointed to serve on the North Carolina Central University’s Board of Visitors.

Michael is a recipient of John “Jack” Vogt Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition of individuals who have advanced the field of budgeting and/or evaluation in North Carolina local government.

Michael serves as President Elect, of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States & Canada Executive Board. He is a graduate of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) Executive Leadership Institution (ELI); a former president of the Southern Piedmont Chapter of NFBPA; an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow; a NC Governor’s Public Management Fellow; a graduate of the Public Executive Leadership Academy – University of North Carolina; and, graduate of the Leadership, Educating, AND Developing (LEAD) – University of Virginia.

President-Elect

Margaret Moggia is the Executive Manager of Finance for West Basin Municipal Water District (District) and has oversight on accounting, treasury, debt management, procurement, and is currently developing a business outreach program to reach out to local and small businesses. Prior to the District, Margaret worked at Coopers & Lybrand as a staff associate to a supervising senior associate focusing primarily on governments and nonprofits.

Margaret earned her B.A in Economics from U.C Santa Barbara. She maintains her license as a certified public accountant (CPA) and has received her designation as a Certified Global Management Accountant (CGMA).  She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CSCPA).

Currently, Margaret serves as the Past President for California Society of Municipal Water District (CSMFO) and her past roles included serving on the board, and a member to Career Development Committee, the Program Committee and Membership Benefits Committee. She is a member of Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and served as a subcommittee member to the Committee of Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting (CAAFR), and a task force member for the Ethics working group.  She is currently active as co-chair for the Mentorship Committee for the Women in Public Finance.   Margaret also served as the 2016 President for the California Municipal Treasurers Association (CMTA), and currently serves as the Communications Chair. 

Cynthia Evangelisti is Treasurer of the Chicago Park District and has been with the Park District for 16 years.  In her capacity as Treasurer, she is responsible for overseeing and managing the Park District’s debt ($1.3 billion), and its cash and investment ($300 million) portfolios.  Prior to her appointment as Treasurer, Cynthia served in various positions in the Treasurer’s Office. She also has played a pivotal role in the Park District achieving past upgrades from rating agencies, the development of the Park District’s debt policy and procedures and refinanced debt for approximately $107 million in savings for the Park District.

Prior to her tenure at the Park District, Cynthia held various positions at the City of Chicago.  During her career, Cynthia has managed and closed bond transactions in the billions, which spans multiple credits. She is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association of the U.S. and Canada, (GFOA) and currently serves on GFOA's Executive Board.  She formerly served on its Treasury and Investment Management Committee as Chair and Co-Chair of the Investment Subcommittee.  She is also a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers (Legal Assistants Section), and is a former officer and emeritus director of Women in Public Finance and currently serves as Vice President of Operations of the Chicago Chapter of Women in Public Finance.

Ms. Evangelisti is a recipient of the City’s 2008 Kathy Osterman Award - Finalist for public service and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with emphasis in Public Administration from Northeastern Illinois University, a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Paralegal Studies from Roosevelt University and a Master of Science in Public Services Management from DePaul University’s School of Public Service.

Marion Gee has served as the Finance Director of the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District since September 2015. Prior to assuming this role, he served as Assistant Finance Director for the City of San Antonio for four years. Prior to joining the City of San Antonio, he was employed as Finance Director of the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District for 11 years and held various senior financial leadership positions including Corporate Controller within the Louisville Water Company for 8 years.

Mr. Gee is the former chair of the GFOA's Treasury and Investment Committee. He is a certified public accountant and received a Masters in Business Administration and a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from the University of Louisville.

President

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.

Rafiu O. Ighile is the Chief Business and Technology Officer for Howard County Public School System - HCPSS with over 27 years of accounting experience in government, not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with an MBA. Rafiu oversees all financial and technology operations and ensuring responsible stewardship of school system resources. Prior to joining HCPSS, he was Deputy Director of Finance for Howard County Government Maryland, where his responsibilities included management and oversight of the Finance Department.  Rafiu also worked for 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 the Treasury and Investment Management (TIM) Committee of GFOA and a Board Member of MDGFOA.

Tanya Garost accepted the position Chief Financial Officer for the District of Lake Country in 2016.  With 15-years in local government finance, her past positions include GM of Finance and Corporate Services for the City of West Kelowna, Director of Finance for the Thompson Nicola Regional District and Revenue Manager for the City of Kamloops.  Tanya has been involved with the Government Finance Officers of British Columbia since 2009, starting out by teaching courses, becoming a director at large on the Board in 2013 and currently occupying the position of President. Tanya also sits on the Government Finance Officers Association of United States and Canada standing committee on Canadian Issues.

Mr. Huge is the Public Finance Director for the State of Indiana.  The Indiana Finance Authority’s mission is to oversee State-related debt issuance and provide efficient and effective financing solutions to facilitate state, local government and business investment in Indiana.  Prior to joining the Authority, Mr. Huge worked as the Chief Financial Officer for Capital Improvement Board (CIB) of Marion County.  CIB owns and operates Lucas Oil Stadium (NFL Stadium) and the Indiana Convention Center and owns Bankers Life Fieldhouse (NBA Arena) and Victory Field (AAA Baseball Stadium).  Before that, he served as the Executive Director for the Indiana Bond Bank, issuer of long and short term debt obligations for local units of government, schools and libraries in Indiana.

Amelia Clark Merchant is the Director of the Department of Finance for the City of Roanoke in Virginia. She has been with the City of Roanoke since 2001 and is responsible for the oversight of accounting, accounts payable, budget (operating and capital), payroll, real estate and retirement. Amelia holds a degree in Physics from Norfolk State University and an MBA from Virginia Tech. She has also completed numerous courses through the Virginia Government Finance Officers Association (VGFOA) and in the field of higher education. Her professional affiliations include the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and the Virginia Government Finance Officers Association (VGFOA). Amelia serves on the GFOA Committee on Governmental Budgeting and Fiscal Policy, the VGFOA Education Committee and the VGFOA Conference Committee.

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.

Matthew Malinowski Lentz is the Chief Financial Officer/Board Secretary for the Upper Moreland School District. In this role he oversees facilities, capital planning, budget, finances, transportation, technology and food service.  Mr. Lentz holds a Master of Public Administration Degree from the University of Pittsburgh and is a Registered School Business Administrator with the Association of School Business Administrators and the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials.  In 2007, Mr. Lentz completed the Advanced Governmental Finance Institute through the University of Wisconsin Madison and the Government Finance Officers Association. 

Currently in his Sixteenth year as a school business administrator, Mr. Lentz has worked with both urban and suburban school districts representing an array of economic and demographic settings.  Mr. Lentz is a past member of the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Administrators (PASBO).  He currently serves on both the Accounting and Human Resource Committees for PASBO and as a chair for the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO).  He is the Author of The Mystery in School Finances: Discovering Answers in Community-Based Budgeting and is a frequent presenter for both ASBO and PASBO.

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

GFOA logo

Executive Board

Executive Board

Marion M. Gee

Michael A. Bryant

Terry Stone

Laura Allen

Matthew Lentz

Amelia Clark Merchant

Diane Reichard

Tina Tapley

Terri Velasquez

Laurie Brewer

Chris Daniel

Cynthia Evangelisti

Margaret Moggia

Tanya Garost

Brandon Kauffman

Dan Huge

Rafiu Ighile

William Jones

Chris Morrill