GFOA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Member Experiences
Adam Powell joined GFOA's Research and Consulting Center in August of 2022. He works in GFOA's consulting practice and helps assist governments in areas surrounding enterprise resource planning and policy issues.
Prior to joining GFOA, Adam worked for various elected officials and bureaucratic agencies. Previously, Adam worked for the Pittsburgh Office of City Planning. He received a B.A. in both Political Science and Urban Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as a Masters in Public Administration (with a focus in Policy Research and Analysis) from the University of Pittsburgh.
Job Titles:
- Executive Administrative Assistant
- Member Experiences
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- Administrative Assistant, Budget Award Program
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- Marketing Coordinator
- Member Experiences
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- Chief Financial Officer, City of Rock Hill, SC
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- Consulting Practice Manager
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- Senior Consultant
- Member Experiences
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- Education Systems Administrator
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- Chief Administrative Officer
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- Member of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board
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- Project Management and Governance Manager, Education
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- Senior Project Manager
- Member Experiences
Carol MacLeod, CPA, CIA, CISA, CGAP, SFO, joined Government Finance Officers Association(GFOA) as a Senior Project Manager with GFOA's Research and Consulting Center. She leads the outreach efforts related to GFOA's Best Practices in School Budgeting, Smarter School Spending, and the Alliance for Excellence in School Budgeting. Before joining GFOA, she worked in governmental accounting and auditing for over 30 years, including most recently, 11 years as the CFO at Lake County Schools, Florida where her district participated in the Spending Money Smartly project beginning in 2013 that provided the foundational work for GFOA's Best Practices in School Budgeting.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Executive Director
- Executive Director / CEO / Federal Liaison
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- Senior Manager, Research and Consulting
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- Director - Events and Facilities
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- Program Associate, Awards Programs
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- Administrative Associate, Awards Programs
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- Finance Director, City of Madison, WI
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- Deputy Executive Director / CFO, State of Maryland - Maryland Teachers & State Employees Supplemental Retirement Plans
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- Assistant Director for Awards Programs
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- Comptroller, City of Bristol, CT
Ed Gin is the former Chief Financial Officer of the Illinois Housing Development Authority, where he lead the capital market activities; accounting and external audit activities; and budgeting process. Ed was named as a 2023 Crain's Chicago Business Notable CFO and 2022 Financial Executives International "CFO of the Year" finalist.
Ed possesses over 20 years of CFO experience leading bank holding companies, manufacturing businesses, private equity, and family offices. He served as a CFO in the Commercial Bank of J.P. Morgan Chase and for a global manufacturing company. Prior to this, he was the CFO of a leading Chicago-based private equity firm after beginning his career as a banker.
Ed earned his M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and his undergraduate degree from Loyola University. He is a Certified Public Accountant, a licensed Illinois real estate broker, and Series 7 & 66 securities licensee.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant
- Member Experiences
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- Director, Federal Liaison Center
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- Senior Program Associate, Awards Programs
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- Director, Financial Reporting and Operational Accounting, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco, California
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- Publications Distribution Coordinator
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- Senior Program Manager, Awards Programs
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- Supervising Team Manager, Awards Programs
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- Meetings & Events Planner
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- Policy Analyst
- Policy Analyst of GFOA 's Federal Liaison Center
As Policy Analyst of GFOA's Federal Liaison Center, Jarron works with coalitions and partner organizations to analyze policies relevant to GFOA members and advocate for their advancement through Congress. Additionally, Jarron supports the FLC's Director on legislative and regulatory advocacy related to municipal bonds, infrastructure, and federal appropriations. Jarron also serves as staff on GFOA's Debt Management Committee. Prior to joining GFOA, Jarron was a Project Coordinator for the Southern Poverty Law Center, spent time in the Peace Corps in Guatemala, and developed policy as a Legislative Aide in the California State Assembly.
Jarron has a BA in Politics from Occidental College and a Masters of Public Administration from George Washington University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer, City of Miami Beach, Florida
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- Director of Fiscal Projects for Sugar Land
- Director of Fiscal Projects, City of Sugar Land, TX
- Executive Board
Jennifer currently serves as Director of Fiscal Projects for Sugar Land, TX, a City of about 111,000 located about 25 miles southwest of Houston where she manages the financial aspects of special projects such as redevelopment, bond election planning, and initiatives such as Putting Assets to Work. Previous roles in her 23 years with Sugar Land include Director of Finance and Director of Budget & Research where she held a broad array of responsibilities. She is a first year GFOA Executive Board member and ex-officio to the Treasury & Investment Management standing committee and a member of the Executive Board DEI Committee. Her past GFOA involvement includes the Debt Committee, Nominating Committee, Ethics Task Force and Advance Government Finance Institute.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Manager, Budget Award
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- Senior Manager, Awards Programs
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- Human Resources Generalist
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- Director, Member Strategy
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- Director of Resource Development
- Director of Resource Development in GFOA 's Research
- Member Experiences
Katie Ludwig is currently Director of Resource Development in GFOA's Research and Consulting Center. At GFOA, her work is focused on helping local governments develop policies and procedures and implement systems to improve their efficiency and effectiveness and promote financial sustainability.
Prior to joining GFOA, Katie worked for four and a half years at the Chicago Housing Authority, where she was responsible for the management and operations of the Housing Choice Voucher program. She also worked for the City of Chicago for more than 13 years, serving in a variety of roles in the Office of Budget and Management, the Department of Housing, and the Chicago Public Library. While at the Department of Housing, Katie was responsible for implementing the City's Neighborhood Stabilization Program, a $170 million federal grant program aimed at putting vacant, foreclosed homes back into productive use.
Katie received her B.A. in English and Political Science from DePaul University. She received her Master of Public Policy from the Harris School at the University of Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance, City of Alexandria, VA
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- Senior Program Associate, Awards Programs
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- Senior Manager, Research and Consulting
Laura Allen (she/her), CPFO, ICMA-CM is currently the Budget Analyst III, Capital Budgeting, for the Maryland Department of Budget and Management. She most recently served as the Town Manager of Berwyn Heights, Maryland. Ms. Allen has over 30 years of local government experience, eleven at the executive level in California and Maryland specializing in small communities.
As a member of GFOA she has served as a reviewer for the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award program for over twelve years. Ms. Allen became a CPFO in the spring of 2012. She joined the Committee on Economic Development and Capital Planning in 2013 and became the Vice Chair in 2016. She joined the Executive Board in 2019.
Ms. Allen has presented at GFOA and ICMA conferences on topics ranging from capital planning and infrastructure to creative placemaking for small communities. She co-authored What Governments Look for in a CFO, Government Finance Review, February 2016.
Ms. Allen has a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno. She is a graduate of Leadership ICMA and the Senior Executive Institute (SEI) at the University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant, Budget Awards Program
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- Chief Financial Officer, Norwalk Public Schools
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- Managing Editor
- Member Experiences
Marcy Boggs has been with GFOA since 2008 and is the Managing Editor with GFOA's Research and Consulting Center. Marcy is responsible for GFOA''s bimonthly magazine, Government Finance Review. She also edits whitepapers and other material for the association. Before coming to GFOA, Marcy was an editor for Pensions & Investments. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Valparaiso University.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Research and Consulting
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- Senior Manager, Awards Programs
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- Director of GFOA 's Technical Services Center
- Director, Technical Services
- Member Experiences
Michele Mark Levine serves as the Director of GFOA's Technical Services Center. (TSC) Prior to joining GFOA, Michele served as Deputy Comptroller for Accountancy and Chief Accountant of the City of New York, where she oversaw the City's accounting and financial reporting, including the preparation of Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports which have consistently been awarded GFOA's Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. Under Michele's leadership, the City issued its first Popular Annual Financial Reports (PAFR), which also received GFOA's awards. Michele's previous positions include serving as the Director of Accounting Services of the New York City Office of Management and Budget, Comptroller of seven City-related public authorities and local development corporations, and on the audit staff of Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers).
Michele was graduated Summa Cum Laude by the State University of New York at Binghamton, and holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the Maxwell School of Public Administration at Syracuse University. Her professional activities include having been a member and past chairperson of GFOA's Committee on Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting, past president of the New York State GFOA, service in technical and leadership positions within the American Institute of CPAs and the New York State Society of CPAs, and membership on the Editorial Board of the CPA Journal. She has also served on numerous taskforces of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board. Michele was honored to have been named the 2011 Outstanding CPA in Government by the New York State Society of CPAs.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Executive Director
- Member Experiences
Mike Mucha joined GFOA in 2006 and is now GFOA's Deputy Executive Director and the Director of the Research and Consulting Center. In this role, Mike oversees GFOA's member facing programs and services including award programs, education, consulting projects, research activities, the Government Finance Review, the Certified Public Finance Officer program, the GFOA website, and other strategic initiatives for GFOA. Mike also leads GFOA's consulting practice and focuses on providing guidance to local governments on how to use technology more effectively, improve business processes and administrative practices, reduce risk of ERP implementation projects, and implement best practices in financial management. Mike has managed projects for both large and small governments, regularly speaks at GFOA training events, and has written numerous articles on public sector enterprise technology applications, process improvement, performance management, project management, and budgeting. Mike also serves on the governing board for the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP).
Job Titles:
- Senior Communications Manager
- Member Experiences
Natalie Laudadio is GFOA's Senior Communications Manager. She has been with GFOA since 2006. Natalie develops and manages communication strategies and key messages to ensure alignment with GFOA's mission and code of ethics. She writes and edits articles for a wide variety of communications collateral including GFOA's Newsletter, press releases, and member updates. Natalie edits and serves as a production focal point for GFOA's print and electronic communications. She builds and maintains strong relationships with key contacts at GFOA state and provincial associations, the media, advertisers to Government Finance Review, annual conference exhibitors, and creative freelancers. Additionally, Natalie serves as the staff liaison to GFOA's Women in Public Finance Network's (WPFN) Communications Committee and coordinates the monthly Newsletter to WPFN members. Prior to joining GFOA, Natalie worked at a boutique health care law firm in Chicago where she drafted marketing materials in addition to editing pleadings and other submissions to state and federal courts and other administrative adjudicative bodies. Natalie received her bachelor's degree in English (minor in Spanish) and her master's degree in Writing (Professional Writing concentration) from DePaul University.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director for Training
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- Supervising Team Manager, Awards Programs
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- Director of Education
- Member Experiences
Randall Towns is a passionate learning and development professional with over twenty-five years of designing and developing education based on adult learning principles and best-in-class instructional strategies. Randall joined the GFOA in February of 2020 as the Director of Education. Randall provides leadership and strategic direction for all of GFOA's education initiatives and implements a consistent adult learning approach to the organization's education portfolio.
Randall has gained invaluable experience in association education as a senior member of the leadership team at the National Restaurant Association and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Before the GFOA, Randall worked at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in their Professional Development Programs practice. Throughout his career, Randall has been able to utilize his experience in instructional design, strategic planning, management of cross-functional teams, and project management to move organizations into success through the development of their most valued resource, its people.
Randall received a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and a Master of Science in Industrial Technology with a concentration in instructional design from Purdue University. Randall received a Master's Fellowship to pursue his graduate studies at Purdue.
Job Titles:
- Shipping and Receiving Clerk
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- Member Experiences
- Technology Services Manager
- the Technology Services Manager
Rob Roque is the Technology Services Manager in the Research and Consulting Center. He has been with GFOA since 1998. Mr. Roque's primary responsibilities with GFOA are to provide enterprise system implementation advisory services, enterprise system project management services, enterprise selection services, as well as contribute to GFOA technology publications and GFOA training courses. He also assists with managing internal technology projects for GFOA and has worked on over 70 projects since joining GFOA. His primary role is managing GFOA's larger technology projects.
Prior to joining GFOA Roque was a Senior Budget Analyst with the City of Pittsburgh, PA where he worked on the City's PeopleSoft implementation project. He also worked as a Research Analyst for the Pennsylvania Economy League where provided urban planning consulting to local governments in Western Pennsylvania. Mr. Roque has a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning (Concentration in Management Information Systems) and a Bachelor of Arts (Concentration in Urban Studies and Political Science) from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and is a certified Integrator in MySAP for Public Sector.
Education:
BA, University of Pittsburgh
MURP, University of Pittsburgh
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant, Awards Programs
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Member Experiences
Sam Naik joined GFOA's Research and Consulting Center in September 2022. He supports GFOA's consulting practice by assisting governments in business process improvement, policy analysis, and procurement of enterprise resource planning systems.
Prior to GFOA, Sam worked for the City of Austin Office of the City Auditor and the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General as a performance auditor. He received a B.A. in Government and Latin American Studies and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin.
Job Titles:
- Senior Member Operations Coordinator
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- Treasurer / CFO, City of Scottsdale, Arizona
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- Finance and Accounting Manager, City of Red Wing, MN
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- Consultant to the Research
- Member Experiences
Susan Gaffney is a consultant to the Research and Consulting Center for GFOA where she assists with GFOA's Treasury and Investment Management Committee and coordinates educational sessions on debt management, and treasury and investment management.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Technical Accounting
- Member Experiences
Susannah came to the GFOA with 12 years of experience in governmental accounting, auditing and financial reporting as a senior manager in the public sector practice of Baker Tilly US LLP. Two of those 12 years were spent researching and writing governmental accounting standards while working for the GASB as an associate practice fellow. Susannah received her master's degree in accounting from Bradley University. She is a registered certified public accountant (CPA) in the state of Illinois and a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Illinois Society of CPAs.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Associate, Awards Programs
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- Education Coordinator
- Member Experiences
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- President Elect, City Manager, City of Martensville, SK
Job Titles:
- CPFO
- past President, Finance Director, City of Aurora, CO
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- Chief Assistant County Administrator, Contra Costa County, California, CA
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- Senior Manager for Digital Experiences
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- Assistant Director for Publications
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- Assistant Director of Finance, City of San Antonio, TX
Job Titles:
- Program Associate, Awards Programs
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Awards Programs