Finance Director/Financial Operations Manager
Resume:
Linda ‘Lou’ Urban
North St Paul, MN 55109
*********@*****.***
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/lou-urban/22/2a8/839
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
• 16+ years of Financial Operations management experience
• Experience in building a business from the ground up as well as project management
• Extensive knowledge and experience with compliance for GAAP, federal grants and statutes, state statutes, system policies and procedures
• Sound analysis and recommendations of the financial impact of changing conditions
• Proven track record of efficiency creation and process improvement
• Refined skills in motivating and building engaged teams
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Director of Financial Operations
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, St Paul, MN 10/08-1/12
MnSCU is an organization comprised of 32 Minnesota colleges and universities. The System Office (SO) is a shared services provider and is located in downtown St Paul with satellites offices throughout the state. The SO employs 240 people in the St Paul location and another 130 in out state facilities.
• Provide leadership and financial management supporting Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Grant Accounting, and system-wide financial operations, processes, and software systems. Ensure sound methods are used in developing policies and procedures, cost allocations, financial forecasting, budget preparation, and financial statement preparation. Recommend/implement changes to facilitate efficiencies or greater effectiveness.
• Manage facilities operations of the SO including budget, operations, supervision, planning, security, relocations and moves, purchase/lease of furniture, equipment and supplies, and other tasks as required.
• Hire and manage deployment of staff resources within the SO Business Office, Financial Collections, and Office Services so units function smoothly, in compliance with all applicable policies and procedures.
Accomplishments:
- Analysis and reorganization of Office Services responsibilities to downsize from 7 staff to 4 staff saving approximately $180,000 annually.
- Champion on a project to implement Equitrac, a print management and behavior modification software, which will save the SO in excess of $50,000 annually.
- Completed automation and training on a web based accounts receivable invoice request form.
- Through collaboration with Business Office staff, completed documentation of Business Office policies and procedures, published on the SO website.
- Project Manager on relocating 4 Finance Division units from St Paul to Minneapolis.
Accounting Supervisor
Washington County Community Services, Stillwater, MN 11/07-10/08
Washington County is located on the east side of the St Paul Metro area. It has a population of approximately 225,000. The county employs 850 people, 275 of whom work in Community Services.
• Provide leadership and financial management supporting Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Grant Management, Reporting, Budgeting, processes, and software systems. Ensure sound methods are used in developing policies and procedures, cost allocations, financial forecasting, budget preparation, and financial statement preparation. Recommend/implement changes to facilitate efficiencies or greater effectiveness.
• Hire and manage deployment of staff resources within the Accounting unit so the unit functions smoothly, in compliance with all applicable policies and procedures.
Accomplishments:
- Review and submission of amended federal grant reports saving $336,000 in paybacks.
- Review and reorganization of the responsibilities related to the Social Welfare Fund.
Fiscal and Child Support Supervisor
Blue Earth County Human Services, Mankato, MN 3/00-10/07
Blue Earth County is located in south central Minnesota. It has a population of approximately 58,000. The county employs 350 people, 130 of whom work in Human Services.
• Provide leadership and management supporting Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Reporting, Budgeting, Child Support, processes, and software systems. Ensure sound methods are used in developing policies and procedures, cost allocations, financial forecasting, budget preparation, and financial statement preparation. Recommend/implement changes to facilitate efficiencies or greater effectiveness. Serve as fiscal agent for state and federal grants.
• Hire and manage deployment of staff resources within the Accounting and Child Support units so the units function smoothly, in compliance with all applicable policies and procedures.
Accomplishments:
- Increased revenues by 46% over a 5 year time frame.
- Moved the Child Support unit from passing only 2 of 9 federal performance indicators to passing 7 of 9 within a 6 year time frame.
- Member of a panel of 7 to research, contract for, and implement a new county wide ERP system.
- Implemented technology solutions to reduce the time requirements on grant reporting by 35%.
- In collaboration with the Accounting and Child Support units, analyzed, reorganized for efficiencies, and documented policies and procedures for both units.
- Successfully implemented a document imaging and retention system reducing storage costs by $8,000 annually.
- Successfully outsourced the Social Welfare Fund responsibilities.
Accountant/Office Manager
B & R Plumbing & Heating, Winthrop, MN 06/98-03/00
B & R is part of a dual corporation which built dairy parlors. When the construction of these parlors did not require effort of the Plumbing and Heating technicians, they performed service work and new construction work for others. The two corporations employed 15 full time staff.
• Oversight and performance of Financial Operations, Reporting, and Inventory Functions
• Auditing of job costs in comparison to estimates, tracking of inventory used in job completion
• Collection of delinquent accounts
Accomplishments:
- Project manager for completion of annual physical inventory of more than 10,000 parts resulting in shrinking less than %.
- Reorganized responsibilities to successfully down-sized the office by one staff person resulting in $34,000 annual savings.
Operations Manager/Partner
Colorlyne Directories, Inc., Mankato, MN 8/94-10/97
Colorlyne Directories is an independent publisher of regional telephone directories in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. I am one of three partners who built the business. Currently the corporation employs 7 people and numerous contractors.
• Provide leadership and management supporting Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, processes, and software systems. Ensure sound methods are used in product design and completion, developing policies and procedures, financial forecasting, budget preparation, and financial statement preparation.
• Hire and manage deployment of staff resources for sales, design and layout, and distribution so all deadlines are met.
Accomplishments:
- With my two partners, successfully started and built a profitable business that continues to thrive.
- With the exception of the first printing of the first directory, met deadlines for distribution on 5 directories on an annual basis.
- Resolved all customer complaints and collection activities without need for court action.
EDUCATION
Masters in Business Administration
University of St. Thomas College of Business, Minneapolis, MN 12/2007
Bachelor of Science in Finance
University of Minnesota – Mankato, Mankato, MN 3/1987
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