D Kevin Blankenship, CPA/MBA
Rochester,IL
Summary
Dedicated accounting professional with over 25 years of experience managing accounting departments in the Agricultural and Renewable Fuels industries. Focused on cost containment, operational efficiencies, balance sheet strength, and business partnering. Strengths and experience include managing IT and Human Resources, managing banking relationships, structuring departments, staff development, financial reporting and analysis, balance sheet controls, and forecasting and budgeting.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Financial Officer
Superior Ag Resources
05.2022 - 12.2023
- Collaborate with functional leaders to drive operational excellence
- Continuous review of KPI's and financial results with division heads
- Continuous management and review of operating expenses
- Prepare and present financial statements and budgets to Board of Directors
- Established SOP's for accounting to provide strong internal controls
Audit and Accounting Manager
Department Of Children And Family Services
04.2021 - Current
- Responsible for assisting outside consultants with completing agency's annual GAAP reporting package and submitting to Illinois Comptroller's Office
CFO
Premier Cooperative Inc
03.2019 - 10.2020
- Changed accounting organizational structure to more efficiently and effectively manage and perform accounting and grain settlement tasks
- Managed banking relationship, monitored loan covenants, and filed monthly borrowing base certificate
- Prepared department expense schedules and reviewed with location managers
- Lead budget process for two years developing templates, conducting meetings, reviewing department budgets, consolidating budget company wide, and presenting to Board of Directors
- Lead and helped with monthly closing of books, prepared management finance presentation, and prepared financials and commentary for monthly board meeting
- Oversaw A/P, A/R, and Cash Management
Corporate Controller (Position eliminated-Downsizing)
Lakeview Energy, LLC
06.2016 - 12.2018
- Directed professional staff of six which includes two plant controllers and one accounting manager
- Provided timely and accurate US GAAP reporting for three renewable fuel plants, two grain procurement elevators, one merchandising elevator, and parent company
- Lead budget process for two years working with multiple company managers and department managers on budget development process, reviewing department budgets, and consolidating budgets company wide
- Provided monthly operating presentation with major focus on KPI's and trend analysis
- Managed two annual audits and one review (reduced audit fees by 15%)
- Directly involved with supporting banking relationship and submitted monthly packages
Corporate Controller (Merger-Corporate Controller position in CA.)
Aventine Renewable Energy, Inc. ($1B Annual Sales)
11.2013 - 07.2015
- Managed accounting department of 11 with responsibility for five plants in Illinois and Nebraska that produced 315 million gallons of Ethanol per year
- Directly involved with closing books, preparing financial statements, and reporting results to CFO
- Assisted CFO with budget for two years coordinating with multiple department managers, developing automated spreadsheet templates, reviewing budgets, and consolidating them company wide
Finance Manager
Gavilon Group, LLC
05.2012 - 11.2013
- Managed professional staff of six responsible for monthly accounting activities of grain division with over 30 locations
- Oversight of monthly internal financial statement reporting and analysis
- Implemented and administered SharePoint for SOX compliance
- Assisted with annual budget including overhead allocations, working capital projections, and revenue projections
- Collaborated weekly with regional vice presidents on updating profit and loss forecast
- Developed and administered annual budgets following analysis and research
Senior Financial Reporting Manager - Grain Division (Corporate wide layoffs)
Archer Daniels Midland Company
08.2008 - 02.2012
- Directed staff of four accountants to prepare quarterly FAS157 (Fair Value Measurement) and FAS161 (Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities) disclosures, quarterly global grain inventory recap and analysis, and sales metrics
- Developed various sales reports (by destination country, monthly volume)
- Consolidated, analyzed, and provided commentary on monthly and quarterly financial operating results
- Calculated financial metrics (Days Sales Outstanding, Days Inventory Outstanding, Working Capital, etc.) for monthly reporting and benchmarked against other grain companies
- Prepared quarterly segment profit and loss summary and commentary
Senior Accounting Manager
Archer Daniels Midland Company
01.1995 - 08.2008
- Managed professional accounting staff of 10 responsible for 22 profit and loss centers and over 35 locations in grain export division.
- Communicated profit and loss results to commercial and accounting senior management.
- Working manager role - reconciled monthly 100M bushels of grain between origination and destination locations.
- Reviewed subordinates work for quality and completeness.
- Preparation and review of internal work papers for internal and external auditors.
Education
MBA -
University of Illinois, Springfield
Springfield, IL2012
Technology/Software
SAP, Sequel, Oracle, Great Plains, Hyperion, and Microsoft Office (Excel, Access, PowerPoint)
Timeline
Chief Financial Officer
Superior Ag Resources
05.2022 - 12.2023
Audit and Accounting Manager
Department Of Children And Family Services
04.2021 - Current
CFO
Premier Cooperative Inc
03.2019 - 10.2020
Corporate Controller (Position eliminated-Downsizing)
Lakeview Energy, LLC
06.2016 - 12.2018
Corporate Controller (Merger-Corporate Controller position in CA.)
Aventine Renewable Energy, Inc. ($1B Annual Sales)
11.2013 - 07.2015
Finance Manager
Gavilon Group, LLC
05.2012 - 11.2013
Senior Financial Reporting Manager - Grain Division (Corporate wide layoffs)
Archer Daniels Midland Company
08.2008 - 02.2012
Senior Accounting Manager
Archer Daniels Midland Company
01.1995 - 08.2008
MBA -
University of Illinois, Springfield
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