Tax Preparer, Director, Operations, CDFI

KAREN M. CLARK, MBA

North East, PA • 814-***-**** • *********@*****.***

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenclark-clarkkaren

DEDICATED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT VP

Finance Director • Managing Director

Nonprofit Management • Grant Funding Expertise • Public-Private Partnerships Revitalized Non Profit Organization • Provided Capital to Minorities in Under-Served Areas WORK EXPERIENCE

Tax Preparer- part time, seasonal March 2003 – present Self Employed

• Leading tax planning and compliance for complex tax returns

• Analyzing financial data to identify tax-saving opportunities

• Developing and presenting strategic tax recommendations

• Preparation of personal 1040 tax returns, ensuring accuracy and compliance that included schedules A, B, C, D, E, K-1 and business tax returns: 1120, 1120-S, 990’s and 1065 with Intuit ProSeries software and MyTaxPrepOffice software, PTIN secured.

• Working with clients to resolve tax issues and disputes Consultant Oct 2020 - present

• Conducted thorough reviews for non-profits and small businesses to boost efficiency.

• Secured $10 million in new grants and funding.

• Restructured non profit in 3 years to profitability of $750k.

• Increased performance of non-profit by 78%.

Enterprise Development Fund of Erie County; Erie, PA July 2016 - July 2020 Executive Director Consultant

• Transformed a $1 million deficit into a $750,000 profit within three years.

• Cut credit line from $2M to $441K within two years (2017-2019).

• Successfully renegotiated over $2.8M in short and long-term debts, lowering interest rates, extending terms, and improving collateral conditions, thus boosting overall financial stability.

• Orchestrated intricate nonprofit financial practices such as managing a $10M budget, forecasting financial models, supervising internal systems, cash flow, and capital spending.

• Secured $8.6M+ in grants by writing proposals, ensuring compliance with audits, and managing spreadsheets for new capital acquisition and accounting tasks.

• Empowered underserved loan clients by providing direct loans to startups and BIPOC clientele. Also offered technical assistance grants for Quickbooks, social media, website development, business planning, tax preparation, and financial literacy.

• Championed client needs while representing the organization's interests among banking partners & government agencies; led strategic & capital planning initiatives.

• Established controls for loss reserves & risk factors to ensure regulatory compliance. Economic Development of Erie County; Erie, PA July 2003 - Dec 2015 Director Of Public Finance

• Spearheaded projects from $10K to $50M, encompassing real estate development, environmental remediation, infrastructure improvement, site selection, construction, and equipment procurement for community development.

• Generated $30M+ annually in financing projects, driving $500K+ in yearly revenues. Initiatives included the Inner City for Underserved Housing and Black & Refugee Entrepreneurs startup incubator.

• Directed financial programs for six agencies, both public and private.

• Grew a revolving loan fund from $400,000 to $5.6M in five years by obtaining CDFI Status, serving the BIPOC community and entrepreneurs, providing technical assistance grants and using creative collateral conditions

• Successfully managed over $20 million in federal to state level grants, overseeing all aspects from application through to close-out audit.

• Underwrote 500+ commercial/real estate loans, efficiently managing portfolio leases/contracts.

• Conceptualized financial models for strategic planning and budgeting purposes. EDUCATION

Gannon University

MBA, Accounting

Gannon University

Bachelors of Science, Accounting

TECHNOLOGIES, AFFILIATIONS

Technologies: Intuit TurboTax, Adobe Acrobat, Dropbox, Microsoft Office, ProSeries, MyTaxPrepOffice

Affiliations:

• North East Band Booster, Inc., Treasurer, Established organization as 501 c3 in 2020, fundraising, manage financial activities, control bank accounts and file 990 tax return.

• Opportunity Finance Network, 2018, 2019, 2020

• Erie Women's Fund, Educational Committee, 2020 and Grants Committee, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

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