UFF Spotlight: Whitney Pitt

As business services director for the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, Whitney Pitt leads with a drive for innovation, operational excellence, and a people-first mindset. Her department manages a wide portfolio, ranging from utility billing to passport processing, serving nearly 100,000 customers with a team of 45 employees.  

A former collegiate softball player and Target executive, Whitney entered public service in 2015 as Police Records Manager and transitioned to Treasury in 2021. She credits her private sector background with shaping her leadership style, especially her focus on customer satisfaction and people management. “My experience leading people, motivating people, and ensuring customers have high levels of satisfaction is what helps us achieve Scottsdale’s slogan: ‘simply better service for a world-class community,’” she notes. “You don’t achieve great service without great people. So, I feel a big part of my job is to help my leaders hire great people, then treat each one of our employees with respect and appreciation, and ensure every day is a little fun.”  

This people-first ethos has fueled tangible process improvements for the city’s utility billing processes. Under Whitney’s leadership, the city of Scottsdale now boasts a 66% e-billing adoption rate—a shift that has improved communication with residents and significantly reduced printing and mailing costs for the city. This digitization of utility billing processes also led to the revamping of the city’s utility website, now allowing customers to handle tasks digitally that previously required in-person visits. From setting up service to accessing hardship resources or water quality reports, residents can now manage their utilities from the comfort of their homes. The goal, for Whitney and her team, “is always to make things easier for the customer.” 

As a proud member of GFOA and the Utility Finance Forum since 2021, Whitney values the opportunity to connect with peers, stay informed on best practices, and learn about emerging challenges that these networks provide. “With UFF, you never feel like you're figuring things out alone,” she shares. She has found GFOA membership to be such a great resource: “Whether it is an online specific topic training, virtual networking, or the annual conference, there are so many topics that are applicable to my day -to-day. The annual conference really is my favorite because there are so many topics that resonate. The keynote speakers are also motivational and insightful.” 

Looking ahead, Whitney is excited about Treasury’s new ERP rollout and upcoming cash-handling upgrades. But more than any system upgrade, it is the chance to better serve residents and build relationships that keeps her motivated. “Our residents need us,” she says, “and I don’t take that partnership lightly.”