Ira Thompson Email and Phone Number

• Established and scaled a multifaceted financial enterprise which continued to expand its scope with specializations in financial statement preparation, multi-type auditing, and fraud investigation; functioned as the CFO for multiple nonprofits while leading a team of senior professionals.• Partnered as an advisor, strategist, and consultant with decision-makers and nonprofit leaders to build effective financial operations by overseeing finance and accounting including bookkeeping, reconciliation, report generation, month-end closes, financial statements, budgeting, resource allocation, and auditing.

• Oversaw financial and risk management functions, while facilitating effective Finance and Service Ministry team operations; directed various departments including IT, Operations and Security, and OFC/Shipping.• Partnered with the CEO to create and execute strategies to fund the corporate budget in addition to assisting with division revenue initiatives as needed; reported to the CEO and board of directors. • Drove the mission and objectives of the ministry by collaborating with the CEO and executive team to conceptualize various plans and strategies. • Pivoted Life Action Ministries to function as an exemplary service provider to similar institutions by strategically directing team development and training efforts; positioned the organization to branch out internationally and operate fully in Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East. • Spearheaded the implementation of a new accounts payable (A/P) platform, modernizing financial operations and driving significant efficiency gains.• Developed the first comprehensive internal control program, consistently ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and mitigating financial risks through robust control measures. • Established a new purchasing department, reducing expenses by standardizing buying, recording, and receiving procedures. • Transitioned the organization’s health insurance provider, effectively contributing to enhanced employee well-being and maintaining strategic alignment with key organizational and financial goals. • Led a large-scale renovation across three sites in the U.S., fulfilling primary objectives on time and within budget.

• Managed federal funds for several separate public housing agencies (PHA) across the state of Michigan to ensure that decent, safe, affordable housing is provided to at-need families.• Supervised a team in a matrix-based environment as the functional subject matter expert as well as coordinating resources and enabling a dynamic finance area to meet agency priority goals, increase the number of solvent public house programs, and drive innovation that improved operational effectiveness. • Oversaw annual audits for all agencies to ensure sound fiscal decision-making and initiated corrective action in the event issues were identified to sustain the enforcement of relevant policies.• Consistently sought to uphold the mission of the agency by forming collaborative partnerships with a range of stakeholders statewide to sustain alignment toward common goals and mitigate discrepancies. • Trained first line employees to provide technical assistance to PHAs by responding to questions, identifying additional resource needs, and developing custom packages to address those needs.• Led team meetings focused on assessing finance issue and trends across the jurisdiction in addition to participating on special project teams to resolve issues that impact multiple functions or programs.

• Managed and developed a team of bargaining unit covered senior auditors through the annual audit process of federal funds comprising budgeting, interviews of primary audit point of contact, documentation review, strategic planning, and corrective actions for clients.• Directed parties through highly complex audit engagements with an emphasis on accuracy, quality, and timeliness, including coordinating external specialists and subject matter experts for support. • Monitored staff performance, providing coaching and training on the fraud risk assessment process and the development of risk-based audit programs to address concerns identified by the audit requestor.

• Informed strategic planning and decision-making for the audit function as a trusted partner to the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), leading a team while developing and recommending authoritative advice to prevent further fraud, waste, and abuse of government funds.• Led an audit team through the audit process and interviewed relevant leadership to determine parties responsible for the misuse and misappropriation of U.S. taxpayer funds. • Directed corrective action and change management efforts, identifying areas of concern and designing solutions that significantly improved controls, mitigated risk exposure, and slashed fraud and abuse.

• Functioned as a subject matter expert on the electric utility company’s planning, interpretation, implementation, and compliance with a newly released accounting regulation, FIN 47. • Managed scheduling, documented areas of concern, and modified project plans to enable milestone achievement while fulfilling the requirements of the overall objective to comply with the new accounting standard by adjusting the company’s financial reporting of asset valuation and depreciation.