SummaryFinancial Accountant specializing in financial planning, reporting and analysis within the Department of Defense. HighlightsAccount reconciliationsResults-orientedFinancial reportingCritical thinkingAccounting operations professionalAnalysis of financial systemsERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software.Excellent facilitator EducationNorthern Maine Community CollegePresque Isle,MEExpected in1994 Associate Accounting-GPA Emphasis in BusinessPresque Isle,MEExpected in1994 Associates Accounting-GPA GPA 3.41Accounting GPA 3.41 174 Hours, QuarterAttended Husson College, major Accounting 78 semester hours toward Bachelors degree.,Expected in Professional Military Comptroller School, 6wk, 4-98 Managerial Accounting I, 09-98 Interested-Based Bargaining Training for Management, 24hrs, 09-01 Auditing Methods and Concepts 09-98 Organizational Leadership, 32hrs, 07-03 Management Development II, 32hrs, 07-03. -GPA ExperienceAlston Bird-AccountantDc,DC,06 2011-10 2012Enterprise Resource Planning Office (ERO)In this position as an Accountant assigned to the Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System (DEAMS) ERO I was responsible for identifying and resolving issues affecting the DEAMS General Ledger.I worked with teammates from the Procure to Pay, Orders to Cash, and Budget to Report areas to resolve daily challenges encountered with the deployment of DEAMS to additional customers and when system change requests were promoted to production.I supported the testing of scripts, patches, and system change requests ensuring any anomalies were identified to the DEAMS Functional Management Office for action by the DEAMS Program Management Office and or the System Integrator.In addition, I served on a tiger team designed to identify and resolve General Ledger posting differences and supported the development of 360B in accounting adjustments allowing for the first successful fiscal year-end close in 2012.These actions also allowed for the reconciliation and closure of fiscal year 2010 and 2011 accounting adjustments ensuring that all DEAMS fiscal year-end requirements were completed.These actions were recognized as critical to the successful review report issued by the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) resulting in the Air Force receiving the authority to continue with the deployment of DEAMS.Noble House Hotels And Resorts-Resource AdvisorKirkland,WA,03 2010-05 2011In this position as Resource Advisor for the 1st Air Communications Operation Squadron (1ACOS) I was responsible for providing financial advice and decision support to the Commander.I was responsible for coordinating a 4.6M budget between four funding sources.I coordinated with USAFE Directorate of Intelligence (USAFE A2), USAFE Directorate of Air and Space Operations (USAFE A3), USAFE Directorate of Communications (USAFE A6) and the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing to ensure 1ACOS meets its mission requirements.I consistently managed three separate timelines for providing budget unfunded requirements, providing documentation and various reports in the required format for each organization.I discussed the outcome of the Group and Directorate budget meetings providing feedback the same day to the Flight Chiefs and CC any issue which affects 1ACOS directly.I monitored the Defense Travel System (DTS) daily and identify orders and authorizations needing approval and provided notification to the appropriate Reviewing Officials and Approvers.Utilizing DTS and the General Accounting and Finance System I reviewed status reports to identify anomalies in obligations and have identified those orders which require correction prior to payment.I provided Government Purchase Card (GPC) status reports the same day they are requested and in addition, communicated with the appropriate cardholders when changes were required to support their program.I identified cardholder training requirements and monitored these requirements to ensure all required training was completed in support of this mission critical program.I developed guidance for the GPC cardholders on procedures for requesting training for the squadron and in addition I provided answers to cardholder questions on unique or non-standard issues concerns.Assumed the role of the Billing Official during my final rating period and completed a self inspection of the program for the Management Control Program, zero findings.During yearly audit by 700th CONS received zero findings.HQ USAFE-Staff AccountantCity,STATE,06 2008-03 2010In my position as the Staff Accountant for HQ USAFE I was responsible for providing accounting and financial oversight and advice to customers throughout the Command in support of the USAFE Comptroller.I was responsible for performing ongoing analysis of financial programs to identify negative trends and weaknesses, ensured specific weaknesses were corrected, and determined whether systemic or repeat issues were identified and adequately addressed.I was required to apply a comprehensive knowledge of analysis reporting requirements and data produced to resolve these issues.In collaboration with DFAS Europe, developed an automated tool that identifies duplicate obligations by comparing records in the accounting system to the contracting system and provided notification to the funds manager for review and resolution.This tool eliminated hours of manual research and results allowed HQ USAFE to deobligate over 5M in duplicate obligations.I was responsible for establishing various performance metrics which ensured effective and efficient use of USAFE financial resources.I supported the USAFE FMA Financial metrics program by collaborating with DFAS Limestone in the development of an automated tool that provided senior leaders with visibility to any USAFE unit that is not in compliance with the established rules and regulations related to the GPC.This tool provides management reports that are used to populate the monthly metric charts which are briefed by the USAFE FMA.This tool provided the capability for USAFE FMA to collaborate with USAFE Contracting and develop deploy joint guidance that supports the established Air Force Instruction mandating card suspension for card holders who are not in compliance with required reservation of funds in the entitlement system in support of the GPC.I identified and resolved a problem with five GPC accounts that had been rejecting during the automated interface process each month.My research revealed that these accounts were rejecting for invalid paying station and required manual intervention by both Wing and DFAS personnel.This not only created rework, it delayed the payment of the invoices.I partnered with DFAS Denver, corrected the records in the Access On-Line accounts eliminating the error condition.I identified a method to deliver one-on-one training in support of the USAFE deployment of the Open Document Analysis (ODA) tool in FMSuite.By utilizing Defense Connect Online I provided training remotely, virtually eliminating the need to expend funds on Temporary Duty (TDY) travel.The results of this training produced results that went well above expectations and were noted by the ODA Program Management Office.DFAS Limestone-Chief, Reports Branch. Accounts Maintenance and ControlCity,STATE,2007-06 2009In my position as Chief of the Reports Branch in Accounts Maintenance Control (AM C) I was responsible for ensuring the development and standardization of various managerial and system reports.I was responsible for the completeness and accuracy of weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports.My branch monitored errors in the General Accounting and Finance System (GAFS BQ) and ensured corrective actions were accomplished.I also ensured fund balances were reconciled and reports were verified prior to release to base activities and higher headquarters.Limestone reorganized under the High Performing Organization (HPO) in January 2007 and at that time I was reassigned to AM C, a Directorate which previously did not exist.My challenge during that time was to staff my branch, implement an aggressive training schedule, and ensure the continuity of financial reporting was maintained.As we transitioned into the HPO we continued defining the missions and functions for AM C for the entire network.I participated in biweekly conference calls with Standards and Compliance in an effort to define missions and functions for AM C.Worked with management in determining FTEs needed for the branch.I was responsible for developing meaningful performance standards for my employees since this branch and its functions did not previously exist.Limestone POC for an initiative to eliminate suspense accounts throughout the agency.Identified suspense accounts not initially targeted, formulated strategies to eliminate accounts or requested waivers, and participated in plans to modify processes using suspense accounts, such as the interfund suspense account.These actions provided initial progress towards meeting the Department of Treasury s mandate to discontinue suspense accounts by February 2009.Worked with staff to reduce reconciliations from 6.9 million in February 2007 to 1.1 million in August, accomplished this despite loss in experienced personnel and realigning resources to support critical initiatives in Accounts Payable.I orchestrated the transition of reporting requirements for the Transportation Financial Management System (TFMS) workload from DFAS Omaha to Limestone.After transition to Limestone encouraged staff responsible for these reports to streamline the processes.Staff automated a completely manual, time consuming process, thus eliminating potential key stroke errors and manually validating numerous spreadsheets and listings.Contributor to Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA) Compliance Review and establishment of assessable units.Identified inconsistencies in information provided by staff on foreign currency fluctuation adjustments.Persisted in getting higher level review of regulatory and policy guidance.Report of foreign currency fluctuation is now consistently accurate.DFAS Limestone-Chief, Accounts Payable BranchCity,STATE,01 2000-2007As Chief Of Accounts Payable I was responsible for the overall management of a branch consisting of over 120 employees.My four first line supervisors were responsible for establishing priorities, schedules, and work assignments ensuring changes in workload are accounted for to minimize the impact on normal office operations.We consistently reviewed these areas and made necessary personnel moves based on shifting priorities.This was extremely important during the DFAS Denver directed database consolidations and with the assumption of the Air National Guard workload.Workload increased rapidly while staffing increased gradually, which dictated frequent priority changes and personnel moves.I also worked closely with the Major Commands supported by DFAS Limestone strengthening our partnership when workload spikes negatively impacted our customers.In December 2004, our overaged invoice percentage was nearing 25 and we had a backlog of vendor pay documents exceeding 30,000.By working with the DFAS Command Client Executives and the Major Command Comptrollers, I was instrumental in forming a strategy that included soliciting Air Force personnel assistance in document processing, identification of must pay now bills, and the formation of special action response teams dedicated to responding to our customer s most urgent requirements.As a result of these efforts, in a three month period, we were able to reduce our overaged invoice percentage by 19 and our backlog of documents to no documents over 20 days old thereby minimizing the adverse impact on customer funds.I was responsible for providing personnel feedback sessions quarterly and prepared supervisory appraisals of employees performance and potential for advancement.Partnering with the management staff and employees, I was instrumental in establishing Employee Performance Plans that linked employee performance to established DFAS Strategies and Balance Scorecard goals.In this position as a supervisory accountant I was responsible for performing ongoing analysis of the Vendor Pay workflow and production to identify negative trends and weaknesses, ensure specific weaknesses have been corrected, and determine whether systemic or repeat issues have been identified and adequately addressed.I was required to apply a comprehensive knowledge of analysis reporting requirements, work processes, vendor pay system structures, and data produced to resolve these issues.Utilizing my expertise with Louis II data retrieval software, I produced ad-hoc data queries for in-house and external use by our customers.These retrievals were designed to reduce the man- hours necessary to perform complex finance and accounting functions by DFAS and Air Force personnel.I was responsible for the budget resources necessary to operate the branch.In this capacity, I prepared budget over execution justifications, plan and monitor overtime costs, and control supply purchases to ensure the most cost efficient operation possible.I was required to respond to inquiries from various sources, which include, but are not limited to, vendors, DFAS management, accounting liaison offices, resource advisors, and other DFAS field sites.These inquiries required my ability to relay technical aspects of systems deficiencies to customers who are not familiar with our operation.I participated in video teleconferences, conference calls, and briefings designed to address customer and DFAS management requirements.I was called upon to explain, in laymen s terms, DFAS policy and procedures with regards to delays in payment due to various reasons.I responded to various audit reports and studies ensuring senior management and audit personnel, understand particular situations within the Vendor Pay business process that result in these findings.DFAS Limestone-Chief, Recon and Reports BranchCity,STATE,01 1999-01 2000In my position as Chief, Vendor Pay Reports and Recon Branch, I exercised supervision (either directly or indirectly) over 22 employees primarily in the 525 series in grades ranging from GS-5 through GS-8.This responsibility also included supervision of the German local national workers assigned to my duty section.I was responsible for planning, directing, and supervising the activities of the work force in the review, interpretation, processing, and reconciliation of vendor pay and accounting data and the production of timely and accurate financial statement report requirements.I participated in the development of branch policies continually reviewing and evaluating the organizational operations, work distribution, and procedures.I coordinated the activities of the assigned functions with those of other organizations to obtain the most effective correlation of financial data.  SEP  Role - Business Analyst - Mobile Location - Louisville, KY (Onsite) Responsibilities Evaluating business processes, anticipating requirements, uncovering areas for improvement, and developing and implementing solutions. Leading ongoing reviews of business processes and developing optimization strategies. Staying up-to-date on the latest process and IT advancements to automate and modernize systems. Conducting meetings and presentations to share ideas and findings. Performing requirements analysis. Documenting and communicating the results of your efforts. Effectively communicating your insights and plans to cross-functional team members and management. Gathering critical information from meetings with various stakeholders and producing useful reports. Working closely with clients, technicians, and managerial staff. Providing leadership, training, coaching, and guidance to junior staff. Allocating resources and maintaining cost efficiency. Ensuring solutions meet business needs and requirements. Performing user acceptance testing. Managing projects, developing project plans, and monitoring performance. Updating, implementing, and maintaining procedures. Prioritizing initiatives based on business needs and requirements. Serving as a liaison between stakeholders and users. Managing competing resources and priorities. Monitoring deliverables and ensuring timely completion of projects. Requirements A bachelor s degree in ITComputer Science or related field or an MBA. 10 years of experience in business analysis or a related field. Exceptional analytical and conceptual thinking skills. The ability to influence stakeholders and work closely with them to determine acceptable solutions. Advanced technical skills. Excellent documentation skills. Fundamental analytical and conceptual thinking skills. Experience creating detailed reports and giving presentations. Competency in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook. A track record of following through on commitments. Excellent planning, organizational, and time management skills. Experience leading and developing top-performing teams. A history of leading and supporting successful projects.