The GFOA's new president-elect and executive board.

• Position: Government Finance Officers Association

The Government Finance Officers Association is governed by an 18-member Executive Board, which consists of 15 members-at-large serving staggered three-year terms, the current president, the previous year's president, and the president-elect. At the association's annual meeting in June, GFOA members voted for a slate of nominees for president-elect and five new members-at-large, each of whom is profiled below.

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PRESIDENT-ELECT TIMOTHY L. FIRESTINE

Chief Administrative Officer

Montgomery County, Maryland

Timothy Firestine has served on the GFOA Executive Board since 2009 and has been a GFOA member for 20 years. He has served on GFOA's Committee on Governmental Debt Management (2001-2006; 1993-1999), which he chaired in 2005-2006, and has been an ex officio member for the past three years. Firestine is also a past member of the GFOA Finance Officers Calling for Action on Legislation (FOCAL) team. He has attended GFOA annual conferences for 18 years. His government has received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for 40 years and the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for 24 years. He has also contributed to the association by serving as an instructor for GFOA training on capital budgeting and infrastructure finance (2003).

In his jurisdiction, Firestine closed budget gaps of more than. $1.2 billion while retaining the county's triple-A rating. He has testified before the House Ways and Means and Oversight committees on behalf of the GFOA on municipal bond issues, the federal stimulus, fiscal independence for a Washington, D.C., utility, and 3 percent withholding and rental car taxes. Firestine also testified before the Ways and Means, Appropriations, Finance, and Budget and Tax committees of his state Legislature on issues of budget, finance, and taxes. He has been actively involved in organizations including the Maryland GFOA, of which he is past president; the Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (chair, Budget and Finance Committee, 2010-present; vice-chair, board, 2009-present; and chair, Audit Committee, 2007-2010), and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (chair, Regional Chief Administrative Officers Committee, 2010-present).

Goals for GFOA

* Continue providing support to our current membership in what have become the core competencies of GFOA: providing information on accounting, auditing, and financial reporting, and keeping members informed about new developments.

* Promote facilitated knowledge-sharing sessions between experienced and newer finance professionals.

* Emphasize and reinforce the importance of maintaining the highest ethical standards.

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ADE' ARIWOOLA

Finance Director

City of Ellensburg, Washington

Ade' Ariwoola, a GFOA member for 20 years, has...