Charlene Thomas
Accountant I
Columbus,OH
Summary
Accomplished accountant with extensive experience at Express Columbus, specializing in bank reconciliation and team leadership. Demonstrated expertise in GAAP compliance through accurate journal entries and support during annual financial audits. Proficient in Oracle SVS, PeopleSoft, and iQuery systems, showcasing strong time management by consistently meeting deadlines. Skilled in analytical research and analysis, effectively prioritizing workload to balance complex projects with daily responsibilities.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Accountant I
Express Corporate
Columbus, Ohio
06.2025 - Current
- Pull necessary documentation to assist auditors during annual financial reviews annually.
- Maintain accurate general ledger entries consistently.
- Report financial results that are included on balance sheets and cash flow statements. - Maintain up-to-date knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles guidelines.
- Process gift cards for internal and external customers (ad-hoc).
- Reconcile gift cards by pulling several reports via SVS online services to create journal entries, usage analysis, and Black Book (double-entry bookkeeping) entries monthly.
- Work with both Phoenix and Bonobos brand financials.
- Work with managers and directors to code daily cash flow for foreign and domestic revenue daily.
- Communicate monthly close of the books to managers and directors.
Accountant– GS 09-01
DFAS Columbus
Columbus, OH
12.2023 - 09.2025
- Exporting variances from IQuery and Qlik databases located in ADVANA into Excel spreadsheets
- Verifies differences between source systems and provides guidance to accounting areas to assist in reconciling GL
- Pulls necessary documentation to assist in reconciliation
- Tickmark and provides guidance on resolving variances for audit purposes
- Trained with team lead to perform pivot table analysis for current workload
- Training fellow new hires on current SOP
- Reduced current workload by 10% as of 2/12/24
- Led a class of New Hires on a tour of our facility and reviewed general onboarding requirements on 2/1/2025.
Accounting Technician – GS 06-03
DFAS Columbus
Columbus, OH
02.2020 - 12.2023
- Heavy research in Standard Operations Maintenance Research and Development System (SOMARDS)
- SOMARDS is used to extract voucher status for CECOM Command Center
- Disburse vouchers to match obligation and expense lines of accounting
- Assisted Army accountants in making financial decisions by providing balances for obligation or de-obligation
- Export and analyze lines of accounting data into an Excel spreadsheet and provide the spreadsheet to customers via Outlook
- Inaccurate disbursements were reversed and corrected upon discovery by customers
- Assisted in transitioning to new ODS Analytics system from SOMARDS legacy system
- Assisted in creating an SOP training manual for navigation in ODS Analytics
- Recently chosen by the Division Chief to complete the project of closing out remaining SOMARDS transactions, so the legacy system can be sunsetted.
- Volunteered and led three team building activities
- Summer 2021 – via Skype, led Mari Dailey’s team in a word search and picture games to build camaraderie
- December 2022 – organized physical location, headcount, decorations, awards, and stationery needed for the games
- Worked with a co-worker Amber Croom to create a holiday that Mari Dailey’s team would enjoy
- February 2023 – via TEAMS, organized awards and bingo game along with Annette Evans and Michelle Higgins
- This aided in bonding the 2023 Black Belt candidates together for the last team meeting
Sr. Cash Application Specialist
Power Distributors
Columbus, OH
07.2016 - 02.2020
- Accessed PNC Bank online and retrieving batched checks from a secure lockbox
- Adobe Acrobat version was downloaded and information from each payment was posted to the customer’s account in the CODIS financial legacy system
- Large wire payments from Amazon, Home Depot, and Menards were mass applied
- Each batch with the total amount was placed on an Excel spreadsheet and given to management nightly to reconcile what was entered into the financial system
- Pulled back up and coded invoices from FedEx for the Accounts Payable department when the area was short-staffed
- Reduced the number of Accounts Receivable lockboxes by 34% by eliminating excess cash accounts and consolidating them into other existing receivable bank accounts
- Negotiated terms with PNC Bank and cut down our operating cost of keeping extra lockboxes open
- Cut the usage of paper down by 80%
- Implemented the process of printing on both sides as well as submitting electronic copies (via PDF) to our account managers instead of physical copies
Education
M.S. - Accounting
Franklin University
Columbus, OH08.2024
B.S. - Financial Management
Franklin University
Columbus, OH05.2022
Skills
- Bank reconciliation
- Time management
- Data inputting
- Data analysis
- Finance
- Tax preparation
- GAAP compliance
- A/P and A/R
- Financial reporting
- Analytical research
- MS office suite
- ERP systems proficiency
Accomplishments
- Volunteered with the United Way through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA).
- Completed FM Certification Level 1, 02/01/22
- Received Black Belt Training Certificate, 10/01/22
Certification
- Black Belt Certification - 8/1/2024
Affiliations
- Led a New Hire class on tour and navigation though learning opportunities - 2/1/2025
References
- Kevin Flowers, DFAS Division Chief of AP Acquisitions Army Division, Kevin.S.Flowers3.Civ@Mail.mil, 614-701-2868
- Diane Selby, Board Member, Scholarship Opportunities for Success, dianeselby@gmail.com, 614-451-2313
- Annette Hoelzer, Volunteer Coordinator & Franklin Univ Faculty, annette.hoelzer@franklin.edu, 614-296-2399
Timeline
Accountant I
Express Corporate
06.2025 - Current
Accountant– GS 09-01
DFAS Columbus
12.2023 - 09.2025
Accounting Technician – GS 06-03
DFAS Columbus
02.2020 - 12.2023
Sr. Cash Application Specialist
Power Distributors
07.2016 - 02.2020
M.S. - Accounting
Franklin University
B.S. - Financial Management
Franklin University