Management Manager
Resume:
DEBRA WARD
San Francisco, CA ***18
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER / CONSULTANT
Over 20 years of experience in Public Sector Budget and Finance including
** ***** ** *anagement and Executive Management responsibility. A creative
and innovative leader who works well under pressure, manages and develops
staff, and interacts well at all levels within an organization.
Successfully manages within changing organizations and consistently
executes departmental budgets within the annual appropriation limits.
Currently open to: accepting challenging consulting opportunities assisting
organizations in identifying potential cost savings, revenue enhancements
and efficient structural changes to weather the current economic
conditions; offering creative solutions that are based on sound planning;
and promoting the use of mission-driven fiscal objectives. Additionally,
works well in a team environment, openly promotes the free exchange of
information and ideas, and helps lead organizations through change,
shifting priorities and challenging management situations.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
INSTITUTE OF READING DEVELOPMENT, Novato, CA
Enrollment Coordinator
Seasonal sales position assisting parents and students who are interested
in enrolling in summer reading programs for enrichment or to improve
reading and study skills. Provide information on programs for individuals
from pre-kindergarten through adults who need to improve reading speed,
comprehension, retention of information and enjoyment of reading. The
Institute is dedicated to fostering a life-long love of reading.
SEULEMENT FRAN AIS, San Francisco, California
Founder/CEO
Spent four years developing a multi-faceted independent fashion project to
increase the exposure of women around the world to the fashion industry;
developed business plans along with draft Private Placement Memoranda in
order to position the organization for SEC compliance with regard to
private offerings, allow company officers to seek private investors and
raise capital for the launch of The Fashion Project; most recently
developed the first in a series of board games that will ultimately be used
to revive aspects of the fashion industry that are in danger of
disappearing to eventually replace text books used in fashion schools
around the world.
SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCY, San Francisco, CA
Deputy Director Finance/Acting Chief Financial Officer
Spent 26 months as the Acting Chief Financial Officer while serving
concurrently as the Deputy Director of Finance for the City of San
Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency with an annual operating budget
of over $700 million overseeing a finance division of over 180 employees,
and the organizational functions of:
. Management and Budget;
. Capital Improvement Program;
. Accounting;
. Grant Development;
. Grant Accounting;
. Payroll;
. Contract Administration;
. Contract Compliance;
. Real Estate;
. Information Technology ; and
. Special Projects
Management
. Developed and executed the annual budget preparation process for
the entire Agency including authoring a Budget Preparation
Manual with guidelines, protocols, fiscal policy directives and
technical budget development requirements;
. Created the annual closing process and procedures for the Agency
including schedules for closing open purchase order under
certain amounts with instructions for making direct payments for
outstanding obligations; and
. Directed annual year-end audit process as well as all special
and internal audits to ensure proper closure of the fiscal year
and carry-forward of all outstanding obligations and supporting
revenues.
Financial
. Developed financial reporting standards and reports to provide
the executive staff and Board of Directors with relevant fiscal
information on the condition of the Agency;
. Served as the Agency's Chief Witness for all labor interest
arbitration hearings successfully defending the Agency against
requests for unsupportable wage and benefit requests;
. Administered a capital improvement plan of approximately $16.2
billion with annual expenditures of approximately $150 million
reviewing project requests, capacity requirements, technology
requirements and the Agency's defined goals and objectives for
each fiscal year; and
. Closed potential $35 million year-end deficit in the last four
months of the fiscal year and at close added approximately $4
million to the Agency's fund balance.
CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT COMMISSION, San Francisco,
California
Capital and Operating Budget Manager/Operating Budget Manager
Spent approximately four and a half years with the San Francisco Airport
Commission (San Francisco International Airport) as part of the management
staff of the Airfield Development Bureau; assumed all oversight functions
for the Runway Redevelopment Project's $273 million Planning and
Preliminary Engineering Budget for the expansion of runways at SFO; and
assumed day-to-day responsibility for all financial modeling, cashflow
planning, contract monitoring and purchasing for the Bureau; and managed
the Airport's $550 million annual operating budget.
Management
. Supervised all accounting, budget management, accounts payable
and project cost and scheduling;
. Orchestrated all grant application, acceptance and reporting
functions;
. Managed all open contracts and advised prime contactors of
issues with subcontractors and deliverables; and
. Directed in-house aspects of all special audits conducted by the
City, the FAA and the Office of the Inspector General.
Financial
. Developed financial accountability and reporting for all Bureau
sections;
. Provided monthly reports to Airport Management and the City
Controller on the rate of expenditure and the status of all
contract modifications including cost modifications;
. Maintained a cashflow requirement schedule in order to ensure
the timely sale and appropriation of funds from the sale of
commercial paper;
. Developed the model and application for the Airports first
Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) authorization from the U S
Department of Transportation;
. Maintained oversight of the development and execution of the
Airport's annual $550 million operating budget and coordinated
with Capital Programs to determine the correct annual
appropriation for payment of debt service; and
. Provided quarterly budget and financial statements to Airport
Management in order to properly control expenditures and meet
the Airport's Obligation to the approximately 70 airline
carriers flying in and out of SFO.
CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCSICO FIRE DEPARTMENT, San Francisco, California
Chief Financial Officer
Spent 26 months as the Chief Financial Officer of the San Francisco Fire
Department with oversight of accounting, payroll, human resources and
management and budget; and successfully increased annual operating budget
from $190 million to approximately $230 million to provide adequate funding
for the safety needs of the firefighters and paramedics
Management
. Supervised five managers responsible for various functions under
the reporting control of the CFO;
. Orchestrated all in-house responses to annual audits and special
audits conducted by the Board of Supervisors;
. Directed all responses to the City based on requests for
information regarding fiscal matters and capital requests; and
. Successfully managed the competing financial needs of the fire
suppression functions of the Department with the needs of the
paramedic functions.
Financial
. Successfully managed the fiscal resources of the budget
eliminating the need for annual supplemental appropriations at
year end to close the year in budget in my first year. In my
second year the Department returned just over $1million to the
General Fund;
. Successfully negotiated with the Mayor's Budget Director to add
approximately $35 million over a two-year period;
. Negotiated the purchase of new fire suppression equipment
(trucks and engines) and ambulances with the City Purchaser and
the winning vendor; and
. Reduced overtime spending by approximately five percent in order
to maintain the appropriation level set by the Board of
Supervisors.
HARVEY ROSE ACCOUNTANCY CORPORATION, San Francisco, California
Principal Analyst/Management and Performance Auditor
ARLINGTON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT AND FINANCE, Arlington, Virginia
Principal Budget Analyst/Budget Coordinator
SEATTLE WATER DEPARTMENT CONSERVATION OFFICE, Seattle, Washington
Research and Evaluation Analyst
Education
University of Washington
M.P.A. Public Policy and Finance
University of Oregon
Post Baccalaureate Study in Public Law
Western Washington University
B.A. Political Science - Comparative Political Systems
References Provided Upon Request
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