WORK
EXPERIENCE
PERMANENT W2 POSITIONS
05/2023-Present
V.P. Controller
NATIVE AMERICAN CONNECTIONS,INC.
Initially hired as Division Controller overseeing 16+ LIHTC multi-family rental communities, I was later appointed Interim CFO. In this role, I led the annual audit and managed the accounting and finance team through a significant crisis. Subsequently, I was promoted to VP Controller, responsible for handling all financial transactions for the organization.
I was again asked to serve as Interim CFO, during which I implemented changes and safeguards to ensure compliance. Additionally, I managed grants, deployed a new grant management protocol, and oversaw payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, property accounting, and medical billing. I also conducted an in-depth internal investigation into the organization's management practices and policies.
05/2021-04/2023
Financial Controller
TAKE CHARGE AMERICA, INC.
As Controller, I prepared and presented the financial reports to Senior Leadership and the Board of Directors. Initially, I was to assume the CFO's duties in my second year but the CEO deemed I was ready after my third month. I led the transition of the accounting department to a paperless process. Was integral in designing a new Grant tracking system that ensured timely reimbursements. Led all audits, 990 preparation, 401K and Worker's Comp audits.
10/2017-09/2019
Financial Controller
VALLEY VISTAS MANAGEMENT COMPANY
As Financial Controller, a full-cycle, hands-on position, I close and prepare the monthly financial reports for the 26+ properties we manage. I also serve as the director of Human Resources, Benefits Administrator, and Rent Manager field support for staff. My first goal was to align the accounting policies to GAAP standards and create new operational procedures. It was a 14-month process that included a deep audit of prior years’ records and analyzing overall functionality. I transitioned payroll and human resources to a new service platform and implemented changes that saved the company thousands. Valley Vistas and my role are in a constant state of transition and while it is often challenging, it is also very rewarding as I can see the direct results of my involvement.
11/2012-07/2015
Sr. Property Accountant
With little fanfare , President Obama stopped by
CPLC's affordable housing community to give kudos
for all the great work the organization has done.
CHICANOS POR LA CAUSA/TIEMPO, INC.
Responsible for the full-cycle accounting for a large portfolio of multifamily and commercial properties using YARDI and MRI software. Monthly duties included calculating and posting GPR, Loss to Lease, Loss to Vacancy, and tenant adjustments, Management fees, Partnership Allocations and Owner Distributions. Other regular duties involved: Financial Review and variance analysis with owners; cash management; preparation and filing of Privilege and Property Taxes; Replacement & Repair Reserve Account Management; Tenant Adjustments and abatements; execution of Lease Abstracts, and opening GL entries. I also performed CAM Management including preparing and sending estimates, final billing, adjustments and reconciliation.
10/2010-07/2012
Accounting Supervisor
Property Accountant
COMMUNITY SERVICES OF ARIZONA
As the Accounting Supervisor, I ensured the organization adhered to the guidelines set forth by the individual federal and state contracts we serviced. I approved Purchases Orders from the property managers and coordinated with A/P for payment. I manually reconciled over 110 bank accounts and functioned as the Cash Manager. I approved wire transfers, initiated others, and reported to the CEO and CFO our daily cash position. I also prepared the projected cash flow analyses and aided in the annual budget preparation. I administered the in-house, bi-weekly payroll from timecard review and calculation to printing of the checks and sending Direct Deposits. I manually accrued Sick and Vacation time on excel using VLOOKUP and pivot tables. The only property accountant for the organization, I closed the month and prepared financials for their 30+ properties which included low income and traditional multi-family properties. No small task considering they used two accounting systems: Yardi and Blackbaud, which are not compatible. Expenses tracked in one system and income in the other, so I manually splice the two reports to create the final reports that were released. This also meant all 110 bank accounts were reconciled manually, as well. The position required constant multitasking, extreme organizational skill, and demanded long hours, but was well worth it. It was my first experience in the nonprofit world and I so grateful it started there. The organization was true to its mission, and the comradery of the staff was unmatched. We all were a part of something truly meaningful and greatly saddened when federal funds and service awards were pulled from CSA. The doors may have closed but the connections we forged remain strong.
10/1994-01/2010
Financial Controller
Partner
APOLLO FOOD SERVICE GROUP, INC.
d/b/a Chicago Fish House, TheoWorld Fine Foods, BT Slade Frozen Fish & The Royal Russian Caviar Company.
I was a full-cycle controller having prepared and consolidated
the monthly financial reports for the four companies that operated under the Apollo Food Service Group umbrella. I closely managed the accounting department and helped re-establish the Chicago Fish House brand. We operated out of a 110,000 square foot facility just minutes from the Gold Coast and Miracle Mile in downtown Chicago. The company processed and sold over 35 million pounds of seafood per year to over 2,000 restaurants, clubs, supermarkets and other specialty food stores in the tri-state area. Total annual revenue hovered around $65 million-- which translated into hundreds of accounting transactions
every week. We purchased the entire catch for the season from several fishing fleets, cornering the market on rare species and could spend upwards of a million dollars on a single invoice. At our peak, I had an accounting staff of fifteen and an additional
four in the retail shop. I also served as the Union compliance
liaison, benefits administrator and supervised the day-to-day operations of the gourmet specialty food shop located in our corporate building. Our operation was so massive that we were the first to have a designated FDA inspector located onsite to grade our product exclusively. The company was often featured in local newspapers, magazines and television spots. Julia Child filmed a segment of her PBS show in our own test kitchen. In six month's time, I was promoted from Payroll accountant to Assistant Controller to Financial
Controller. A few months later, three of the four original owners were forced to sell their assets to settle unpaid taxes, so I acquired one of the subsidiaries, Slade Frozen Fish Company, before it went to IRS auction. Before I could fully assume control, the only owner not indicted on criminal charges offered to buy it back. Instead, we entered into a partnership that combined their expertise in the fish business with my strict, above-board internal and external financial controls. This partnership allowed me the freedom to pursue government contracts when they were offered while still maintaining accounting oversight. I was often on assignment for a year at a time and oceans apart, but our synergy and organization made the distance inconsequential.
We operated that way for fifteen years without issue. By 2010, I had spent over twenty years contracting with the Intelligence Community and retired from active field work. Just as I was ready to focus on the company, the two senior partners decided it was time to retire as well. With the market changing and new competition appearing daily, I and my other junior partner agreed to sell to a national food supplier and so ended the Apollo Food Service Group.
1989-1994:
Clandestine HUMINT
1995-2010:
Contractor: Clandestine Service
2010-Current:
Contractor, Other
THE DOUGLAS FOUNDATION
A Defense Intelligence Contract Facilitator
Foreign and Domestic Government Contracting
A stipulation of my college scholarship was that I give the U.S. Government five years of devoted service upon graduation. My training was specific to financial crime and analysis, but the critical need for clandestine Human Intelligence collectors often required me to broaden my job description. The Cold War still dominated the Intelligence Community workforce, so I was
subcontracted to any agency that needed infiltration reconnaissance. One of my early duties was analyzing financial
data to identify & locate key targets. I "followed the money trail" all over the world to major drug cartels, black-market arms dealers, human traffickers, and terrorist cells -- basically dealt with the worst human beings imaginable. I performed normal accounting functions of a sort, but a pencil-pusher, I was not. Clandestine Service usually meant being thrown into the lion's den, face-to-face with the enemy and pretending to be someone or something I was not and hoping they didn’t catch-on before I reached my objective. When my five years of indentured servitude were over, I was promoted to Contractor, and while it doesn’t sound like much of a promotion, it is a monumental one. It meant the difference of being assigned to a job or being asked and given the option to refuse. It also meant I could walk my own path-- effecting change as I deemed fit. Countering human exploitation was at the top of my list , so I worked on numerous
human trafficking contracts and helped to free dozens of teens from their captors. It all started with analyzing numbers and cash flow. Accounting is more than just numbers; it is about finding the truth behind the numbers. Of course, years of psychology studies and tactical training didn’t hurt either. For fifteen years I said "yes" to a lot of contracts and learned more than I ever thought imaginable. Beginning my career at Douglas set the foundation on which my integrity and ethics were built and gave me insight into human behavior that I would not have had otherwise.
CONTRACTED POSITIONS
APOLLO LIMITED NCS is a forensic and investigative accounting consultancy firm that provides solutions to the complex business concerns arising from employee misconduct and fraud. Among these are employee theft, misappropriation of funds, kickbacks from vendors, securities fraud, and insurance fraud. Founded in 2010, Apollo Limited NCS offers the same specialized service to the private sector once only available to the government.
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A dual purpose contract is typically created by default when a client requests a clandestine investigation. Apollo consultants must be allowed to casually interact with personnel, have access to company records, computer databases, and company computers in order to thoroughly investigate and document fraudulent activity. To accomplish this, Apollo personnel are introduced to the organization as a temporary employee to fill a valid, open position, or as a task-specific project accountant to fulfill a specific project. Employees are less likely to divulge information to an investigator/auditor but will do so to a coworker. If you pose as such, you can easily determine who is welcoming and who feels threatened, thereby building an initial psychological profile. Regardless of what duties the "cover" position requires, it must be performed correctly. The investigators learn how the accounting system operates, the hierarchy, and the oversight of the accounting process by performing normal accounting functions. An in-depth forensic investigation can begin once this is known.
1/2017-9/2017
Interim Assistant Controller
.
AEROTEC INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Using ACFE accounting and auditing principles, I evaluated the reliability of the available financial records and operational systems, and back traced all vendor activity in order to reconstruct more than 16 months of corrupted financial data. I performed independent forensic examinations that uncovered prior employee misconduct and evaluated the threat likelihood for future losses. I made recommendations that addressed the materiality of those losses and detailed the compromised data in a clear and concise manner. I also restructured the accounting department, updated the operational policies and procedures to better protect the company assets and aligned the company with GAAP standards. During this dual-purpose contract, I served as the acting payroll administrator, HR coordinator and performed all normal accounting manager duties including hiring, training, and supervising a staff of six.
2/2016-11/2016
Interim Accounting Manager
VALLEY OF THE SUN YMCA
Recruited by the Controller to reorganize the Accounts Payable and Payroll department, I identified issues that led to the restructuring of the department. I led the design of a paperless invoice/purchase order system that used pre-existing software, and therefore eliminated the costly expense of using a cloud-based service to achieve the same result. I also wrote the user manual and aided in instructing managers on how to use the new system. The switch to a paperless environment saved the organization thousands annually in late fees and penalties alone, and virtually eliminated future issues caused by misdirected or lost invoices. As Payroll Manager, I prepared payroll for up to 1,500 employees biweekly, developing policy and procedures as we incorporated a new service platform. I also analyzed aging reports to determine the priority of payees for the weekly disbursement, advised staff on various coding errors, and communicated with displeased vendors during financial crises. I negotiated payment plans and regained vendor confidence by addressing their concerns in a timely and professional manner. I was able to secure payment plans with companies that normally do not offer them and was successful in clearing hefty late fees and penalties . A secondary agenda was executed for Apollo Limited under confidential contract.
7/2015-02/2016
Interim Assistant Controller
CONSOLIDATED ASSET MANAGEMENT
Responsible for the full-cycle accounting for a large portfolio of multifamily and commercial properties using YARDI and MRI software. Monthly duties included calculating and posting GPR, Loss to Lease, Loss to Vacancy, and tenant adjustments, Management fees, Partnership Allocations and Owner Distributions. Other regular duties involved: Financial Review and variance analysis with owners; cash management; preparation and filing of Privilege and Property Taxes; Replacement & Repair Reserve Account Management; Tenant Adjustments and abatement; execution of Lease Abstracts, and opening GL entries. I also performed CAM Management including preparing and sending estimates, final billing, adjustments and reconciliation.
Due to the confidential nature of Apollo Limited's services, clients have been excluded from the following if their contract was: exclusive to financial fraud investigation, predominantly forensic in nature, involved the Financial Crime Enforcement Network or other government agency, or signed broad nondisclosure agreements.
