Get to Know GFOA's President-Elect and New Executive Board Members.

• Position: 2020 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE: EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

Government Finance Officers Association is governed by an 18-member Executive Board, which consists of 15 at-large members, the current president, the past president, and the president-elect.

At the association's annual business meeting on May 18, the following individuals were elected to GFOA's Executive Board.

Michael A. Bryant

President-Elect

Assistant County Manager, County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina

Bryant has been a GFOA Member for 14 years and a member of GFOA's Executive Board [from 2017 to 2020], He'sbeenan ex-officio member of GFOA's Committee on Economic Development and Capital Planning and a member of GFOA's Governmental Budgeting and Fiscal Policy Committee, in addition to serving as a reviewer for GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award program [from 2010 to 2011] and a member of GFOA's Black Caucus, as well as conducting GFOA training sessions. Mecklenburg County won GFOA's Award for Excellence for Financial Management in 2018, for Best Practices in Budget Monitoring and Reporting, and again in 2020, for its Budget Public Engagement Initiative.

As president-elect, Bryant's strategic focus will center on people, policy, and process:

* People. Meeting the needs of all GFOA members by promoting GFOA best practices.

* Policy. Promoting the importance of having a continuity of operations plan.

* Process. Helping every government focus on public engagement and financial transparency, emphasizing the role of the finance officer.

As assistant county manager for the County of Mecklenburg, Bryant provides executive oversight of the finance department and leads and facilitates the county commissioner's decision-making process on annual budget development activities [Mecklenburg has a $2 billion operating budget]. He worked to transform the county's operating budget from a traditional department structure to a hybrid program-performance model.

Bryant has received the North Carolina Local Government Budget Association Lifetime Achievement Award, North Carolina Central University's "40 Under 40" award, and Community Buildings Initiative's "Leaders Under 40" award.

He is a current member and past Board Member of North Carolina Local Budget Association, and he has served as president and first vice president of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators Southern Piedmont Chapter and a member of the Arts and Science Council Board of Directors. He is also a member of the International City/ County Management Association [ICMA],

Bryant was on the Chancellor's Board of Visitors at North Carolina Central University, where he is a lecturer and Alumni chapter member. He also served on the University of North Carolina-Charlotte MPA Advisory Board. Bryant is also a board member and mentor for Way Finders [a non-profit that provides the tools and guidance to help people avoid homelessness and live their best lives], a community volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, and a member of the Crisis Assistance Ministry Emergency Financial Assistance Committee.

Laurie M. Brewer

New Board Member

Assistant City Manager, City of Georgetown, Texas

Brewer has been a member of GFOA...