January 2021 – I am grateful that in this time of COVID and all the uncertainty it has brought to our nation, I am blessed to work in Vestavia Hills. Our City has continued to thrive, economically and in many other ways. Our Council was reelected, we have not suffered furloughs or serious COVID cases among our staff, and we continue to provide all of our City services. As for me, I completed the ACRMS (risk management) certification, and soon I will begin to pursue the ACCMA Local Government… Show more January 2021 – I am grateful that in this time of COVID and all the uncertainty it has brought to our nation, I am blessed to work in Vestavia Hills. Our City has continued to thrive, economically and in many other ways. Our Council was reelected, we have not suffered furloughs or serious COVID cases among our staff, and we continue to provide all of our City services. As for me, I completed the ACRMS (risk management) certification, and soon I will begin to pursue the ACCMA Local Government Professional Management certification. I am excited to collaborate with a group of ladies to begin a group called WOVEN Public Leadership. WOVEN stands for Women of Vision, Excellence, and Integrity and will include governmental, quasi-governmental, elected, and professional members. I am looking forward to new challenges in 2021, and I plan to “lean in” this year, both professionally and personally. I am so grateful to everyone in my experience who has helped me to grow from coworker to colleague. Best wishes to you all for 2021. Show less

March 2018 -The city I work for had a nearly total turnover of elected officials in 2016. Thankfully we have a council-manager form of government with an ideal leader in our City Manager Jeff Downes, who made the transition easier for all. I am excited to have become more involved professionally in the past couple of years by becoming a member of both the Alabama City and County Management Association (ACCMA) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), for which I am… Show more March 2018 -The city I work for had a nearly total turnover of elected officials in 2016. Thankfully we have a council-manager form of government with an ideal leader in our City Manager Jeff Downes, who made the transition easier for all. I am excited to have become more involved professionally in the past couple of years by becoming a member of both the Alabama City and County Management Association (ACCMA) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), for which I am grateful to Mountain Brook City Manager and past ICMA president Sam Gaston for his encouragement and as well as to my City Manager Jeff Downes for his support. I am currently pursuing the Alabama Certified Risk Manager Specialist (ACRMS) designation offered through the ACCMA. At the same time, I am working to continue to deepen my understanding of local government. July 2016 - Recently I shared with someone that while there are some parts of my role that remain the same, each year my focus is different based on what is happening in our City. Vestavia Hills has been an exciting place to be in the past couple of years. We have experienced tremendous economic growth, rebranded, moved into our spacious and beautiful new City Hall and then held several large events there, redeveloped our website, and more -- with more to come! Some content removed due to space limitation. Show less

In January 2013, I was transferred into the Finance department as part of an initiative to establish centralized purchasing for the City of Vestavia Hills. During that time I gained great experience regarding procurement functions of municipal government. My primary responsibilities were A/P support, coordination of bids, and continuation of my role relative to general insurance. Being involved on the A/P functions from the second quarter through the end of the fiscal year provided me… Show more In January 2013, I was transferred into the Finance department as part of an initiative to establish centralized purchasing for the City of Vestavia Hills. During that time I gained great experience regarding procurement functions of municipal government. My primary responsibilities were A/P support, coordination of bids, and continuation of my role relative to general insurance. Being involved on the A/P functions from the second quarter through the end of the fiscal year provided me invaluable insight to controls for spending public funds, how a government budget is both law and a living document, and preparation for annual audit. The City of Vestavia Hills is blessed with a Finance department that is very talented and of great character, and it has been a highly beneficial experience on both a professional and personal level. Show less

I fulfilled multiple roles within the municipal government including administrative support, grant writing and management, risk management, research, accounting support, volunteer coordination, public communication (including website content and social media), special programs, and other duties as assigned. In 2012, I served as the Secretary/Treasurer for the Jefferson County Mayors Association (Vestavia Hills Mayor Alberto C. Zaragoza, Jr., President). My role was also expanded to include… Show more I fulfilled multiple roles within the municipal government including administrative support, grant writing and management, risk management, research, accounting support, volunteer coordination, public communication (including website content and social media), special programs, and other duties as assigned. In 2012, I served as the Secretary/Treasurer for the Jefferson County Mayors Association (Vestavia Hills Mayor Alberto C. Zaragoza, Jr., President). My role was also expanded to include administrative support for the City Manager.In November 2012, the City of Vestavia Hills changed to a Council-Manager form of government. At that time, my role at the City remained much the same with the exception that my new responsibility became to provide administrative support primarily to the City Manager. Show less