Accounting Manager Controller

Cathy Akers CPA

CELL 831-***-****

E-MAIL *******.***@*****.***

CONTROLLER ● ACCOUNTING MANAGER

Analytical, organized, independently motivated, and results-focused Accountant with 20+ years of experience in both public and private accounting. Loyal, reliable, and dedicated team-player with exceptional communication skills and a talent for building strong relationships with customers, vendors, and colleagues across all levels of an organization. Fair and honest with a direct and proactive approach to resolving issues and facing challenges. Accustomed to managing multiple time-sensitive priorities with acute attention to detail and capable of exercising sound independent judgement. Tireless work ethic and unmistakable commitment to excellence. Areas of Expertise:

GAAP/Accounting Principles Financial Statement Preparation Capital Budgets

Internal Controls Cashflow Management Employee Benefit Plans

General Ledger/AP & AR Cost Accounting/Reporting Account Reconciliation

Financial Audits Taxation Principles Resource Allocation

Contract/Lease Review Vendor Relationship Management Inventory Control Software Applications: QuickBooks, Famous, CSA Accounting, Agstar, Navision MS Office: Word, Excel, Access SELECTED CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Extensive experience auditing various clients for more than 20 years.

Generated significant savings by reducing audit adjustments to zero and preparing financial statements in- house.

Instituted the use of “harvest tags” to monitor for any unusual or unaccounted for gaps that might indicate unrecognized revenue.

Revamped cost accounting system by assigning unique cost centers to each crop year, enabling more accurate capture of crop year costs and more timely generation of cost reporting.

Brought asset additions and property tracking in-house, enabling more timely and accurate financials. Allowed for in-house preparation of annual property tax statements (571-L).

Developed a cashflow worksheet to simplify and streamline preparation of cashflow statements for public accounting clients, which was adopted by many of the firm’s accountants.

Played key role in establishing niche in the audits of Employee Benefits Plan, growing the practice area from one client to 20+ plan audits.

Developed audit programs for Employee Benefit Plan audits and trained junior accountants on process. EXPERIENCE

Private Accountant & Independent Consultant 2013 – Present Sole Proprietorship—King City, CA

Provide consultation and accounting services to high net-worth family. Prepare individual, partnership, and fiduciary tax returns. Generate quarterly/annual payroll tax reports and forms. Maintain general ledgers for all entities. Track cost basis (purchases and sales) and FMV of $100M+ of investments. Contract Controller for Property Management/Construction Company generating $3M in revenue annually. Controller 2013 – 2019

Rava Ranches Group of Companies—King City, CA

Oversee general accounting functions encompassing all general ledger (GL) transactions, including Accounts Receivable (A/R), Accounts Payable (A/P), Payroll, and Cost Accounting. Ensure timely payment of invoices with appropriate discounts applied and timely payment of payroll deposits. Coordinate timely collection of payables. Manage daily cash flow and intercompany transfers. Monitor bank balances (float) and prepare monthly bank reconciliations and weekly cash flow reports for management. Prepare daily/weekly/monthly/annual statements and budgets. Track and pay long-term debt payments. Negotiate loan terms and rates and review new loan documents. Review controls and processes for efficiency and error/fraud mitigation. Track equipment additions for Cathy Akers 2

Controller @ Rava Ranches – Continued

insurance, depreciation, and tax/cost reporting purposes. Liaise with outside tax accountants/auditors, review completed tax returns, prepare financial statements and footnotes, and all schedules/worksheets used by auditors. Liaise with bankers, insurance reps, lenders, and taxing authorities. Maintain Chart of Accounts and Cost Centers. Produce annual Financial Statement and Capital Budgets. Review grower contracts, including conferring with customer and negotiating terms. Review and/or prepare various land leases. Prepare intercompany invoices for each company’s share of overhead expenses, payroll, and other direct costs. Monitor and reconcile supply inventories and allocate inventory usage to appropriate company and commodity. Attend weekly management meetings to communicate/resolve inter-departmental issues.

Solely responsible for financial statements of mid-sized family of agricultural companies with gross revenues of $150M+

Acquired specialized knowledge of accounting practices and protocols for Commercial Agriculture operations.

Prepare various tax returns, including property tax Form 571-L, annual Use Tax returns, Form 2290 Heavy Vehicle Use Tax, Annual SOS filings, and Gas Tax Refund form SCGR-1.

Prepare crop year cost reports by commodity for both California and Yuma seasons. Sr. Manager 2003 – 2013

Hayashi & Wayland Accounting & Consulting—King City, CA Began work with Hayashi & Wayland as Jr. Accountant in 1993 Assisted clients solve complex business issues from strategy to execution. Consulted clients in setting employee compensation strategies via analysis/audit of employee benefit plans, industry benchmarks, and company policies. Assisted clients determine compensation structure, executive pay packages, legal/regulatory requirements, tax implications, and reporting standards. Managed and delivered large advisory projects, including technical accounting issues, standards implementations, and complex transaction support. Supported clients with accounting and reporting aspects of transactions, including acquisitions, equity, and debt, etc. Assisted clients with internal control matters, including design, implementation, testing and remediation. Assisted clients in complying with SEC financial reporting requirements. Drafted private and public company financial statements. Prepared clients for and completed audits, liaising with auditors as necessary. Developed and managed audit engagements, including pre- implementation reviews, integrated audits, core IT audits, and compliance reviews. Reviewed audits to ensure completeness and to facilitate understanding of root causes. EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

California Polytechnic College – San Luis Obispo, CA Bachelor of Science – Business Administration Concentration in Accounting Honors: Summa Cum Laude; Golden Key Honor Society

Hartnell Community College – Salinas, CA

Associate of Arts – Business Administration

Honors: Valedictorian

Complete 40 Hours of continuing education annually on various subjects, including:

Annual Farmers Tax and Accounting Seminar

Annual Wine Conference

Annual Updates on New Tax and Accounting Regulations COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Dog Training Club of Salinas Valley – Treasurer Obtained the organization’s not-for-profit status Chamber Ballet Company – Founding Member

Monterey County Dance Foundation – Treasurer

King City Softball League

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