Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Affiliations
Certification
Activism
Timeline
Hi, I’m

Elle Cole

Ann Arbor,Michigan
Elle Cole

Summary

Driven, results-oriented leader with a passion for building strong community connections and driving impactful collaborations across agencies, community groups, and local stakeholders. A proactive problem-solver with a knack for turning challenges into opportunities, leveraging deep expertise in program management and team leadership to inspire success and innovation.

Overview

20
years of professional experience
1

Certified Public Accountant

Work History

CITY OF SALINE
Saline, Michigan

DEPUTY CITY MANAGER/TREASURER
01.2022 - Current

Job overview

  • Lead the coordination and execution of the city’s strategic initiatives, ensuring that departmental efforts align with the city's long-term vision
  • Support department heads to enhance interdepartmental collaboration, streamline operational processes, and improve service delivery for residents
  • Assists city manager in policy formation
  • Drive key community and economic development projects, addressing complex issues, and implementing solutions that advance the city’s priorities
  • Act as a liaison between the City Manager, staff, business owners and external developers, fostering a collaborative environment to support the city’s growth and well-being
  • Direct financial operations, treasury and assessing of a $21 million dollar city with 10,000 residents
  • Oversee the City’s financial transactions and day-to-day budget administration, such as payment of bills, preparation of payroll, maintenance of fixed asset records, receipt of monies, property tax reconciliation, auditing, debt administration, and utility billing
  • Responsible for leading the audit and all disbursements, ensures adequate cash liquidity and fund balances, oversees debt management and completion of reporting requirements
  • Coordinates with other City staff in the development and maintenance of the annual budget and supplemental appropriations, including transfers and performance projections
  • Prepares analysis and reports on the City’s financial condition and stability to the city manager, city council and the public
  • Administers cash management and investments
  • Assists with debt issuance and management
  • Provides monthly budget revenue and expenditure reports and oversees periodic budget amendments
  • Elevated investment income from $80,000 to $1.4 million annually, maximizing returns through strategic asset management
  • Achieved a 25% reduction in outstanding remediable risks, significantly improving the organization’s risk profile
  • Directed the implementation of a strategic plan, integrating advanced software, measurable deliverables, and comprehensive reporting systems
  • Developed and established a formalized bidding process and a centralized purchasing department, enhancing procurement efficiency
  • Successfully deployed a new cloud-based enterprise reporting system, improving data accessibility and analytics capabilities
  • Led the seamless implementation of modern payroll software, optimizing payroll processes and accuracy
  • Ensured a flawless audit outcome with precise reporting and full compliance with regulatory standards
  • Increase of bond rating from A+ to an AA+
  • Fully fund healthcare legacy costs and increase OPEB funding by 4%
  • Creation, adoption and implementation of fourteen policies and ten procedures
  • Project closeout summary provides a detailed analysis of the return on investment (ROI) and a comparison between actual outcomes and initial expectations

SUMPTER TOWNSHIP
Belleville, Michigan

TOWNSHIP ADMINISTRATOR/DEPUTY SUPERVISOR
01.2019 - 01.2021

Job overview

  • As Administrator, responsible for overseeing all operations of the township; policy, procedures, directives of the board, finance, human resources, payroll and information technology departments, all budgeting processes and staff
  • Direct water and wastewater services and grounds and maintenance, under oath legal agent, maintain personal property tax and assessing records, direct day-to-day operations for the township and act as ambassador to the public
  • Direct report to the board of trustees, act as township administrator; oversee all departments financial and information systems, adhere to all legislation and GAAP and GASB pronouncements, provide internal controls, develop budgets, manage contracts, implement strategic plan, determine and complete special projects, monitor expenditures, oversee annual insurances, monitor cash flow, evaluate and select investments, and appoint department employees
  • Direct the organization to optimize and manage debt, improve revenue, maintain a healthy financial position, and bolster community confidence
  • Lead township through COVID-19 pandemic; staffing decisions, community exposure versus service considerations, furloughs, legal matters and reimbursement programs
  • Partner with Congresswoman Dingell’s office through Conference of Western Wayne to obtain vaccines and $925k of pandemic-related funding
  • Eliminate manual processes and utilize the BS&A ERP system, from 25% optimization to 95%
  • Implemented strategic plan incorporating budget and capital improvement plan
  • Perfect audit completion and financial reporting excellence
  • Complete bank replacement including coding all new general ledger and supporting account structure in ERP system, BS&A Software
  • Strategize and fully fund legacy costs for retiree pensions and health care
  • Cloud migration and connection of Police, DPW, Senior Center and Town Hall on one network
  • Migrate Township from coaxial cable to complete fiber connectivity
  • Successfully apply for and receive over $275,000 in new grant revenue
  • Negotiate expired labor contracts with three bargaining units to ensure resources are aligned with strategic goals and improve the financial stability of the township
  • Facilitate staffing resources for projects and day-to-day activities to leverage strengths and maximize workforce efficiency
  • Lead cooperative between local townships to perform public works functions
  • Responsible for management of all 3rd party contractors and consultants
  • Lead implementation from written stock time cards to fully automated time management system

MICHELLE COLE, CPA
Ann Arbor, Michigan

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT AND OWNER
01.2005 - 01.2019

Job overview

  • Consulting, assurance, and project management services on a contract basis, specializing in public sector and nonprofits
  • Focus includes project management for software implementations, best practice budget development, strategic planning, audit and financial statement preparation, change management, analysis of technology solutions, effective and efficient procedures, training, educational seminars, operational improvements, internal control measures, union contract mediator, fundraising initiatives, grant management, accounting service and program development
  • Proficient in reporting to executives and board of directors from proposals to project results
  • Project lead in successful, independent technology implementations of Great Plains, Quickbooks, Peachtree, UKG, New World Systems Logos.net, BS&A, payroll conversions, time and attendance software installations, virtual desktop implementation and cloud navigation
  • Develop from scratch flexible budgeting processes resulting in long term (up to 10 year) forecasts
  • Procedures include working across a multitude of divisions, all levels of the divisions and promoting educated decisions across an organization
  • Lead multiple teams to earning GFOA Certificates of Excellence
  • Provide temporary successful interim Chief Financial Officer services for nonprofits, public sector and small businesses
  • Serve local counties in developing a strategic plan incorporating a 10-year flex budget system
  • Finance and accounting class instruction for Washtenaw Community College
  • Consultant to public sector entities including the Cole, Newton and Duran, Rehmann Group, Genesee County and the Water Authority with focus on audit, best-in-practice procedures, staff training and cost efficiencies analysis
  • Operations since 2005 break under employment agreement with Genesee County
  • Small business focus with bookkeeping, reporting, use of QuickBooks, Excel and Word proficiently
  • Remodel municipal investment portfolios and capture large rating increases from BBB to A -

GENESEE COUNTY
Flint, Michigan

DIVISION FINANCE OFFICER, WATER AUTHORITY
01.2009 - 01.2012

Job overview

  • Direct financial operations and information systems of a $50 million public water and sewer utility that serves over 200,000 residents spanning 37 communities
  • With accuracy and integrity, lead the Division’s accounting functions; utility billing, budgeting, human resources, cash management, development and implementation policies and procedures, purchasing, investing, payroll, auditing practices and preparation of financial statements within guidelines, $55 million grants administration, construction projects, and Union contract negotiations
  • Direct oversight of the retirement system, preparation of reports and supplemental information provided to consolidated statements with the County
  • Assurance of network integrity, upgrade and replacement implementation projects, training, communications and compliance exceeding regulatory standards
  • Manage all Finance and IT staff
  • Reporting and approval to a board
  • Reduce outstanding receivables from over $6 million to less than $100,000
  • Recreate a timely budgeting process and reporting to incorporate strategic business plans, promote transparency, department leader and user interaction and adoption of a 5-year forecast
  • Monthly monitoring of operational budgets comparable with actual on a division and organizational basis, analyze variance to predict and resolve issues, results reported to leadership (to the board quarterly)
  • As necessary, conduct special studies in cases where performance
  • Complex utility rate development and monthly monitoring for 37 areas
  • Relate and coordinate with operational, divisional, administrative, leadership, board members and community members through effective and professional working relationships
  • Refund two series of bonds saving $370,000 without lengthening the debt retirement date
  • Redefine the Division’s invoicing procedures allowing revenue reporting to occur in the first week of next month and invoices being delivered to customers over 2 weeks earlier
  • Safeguard over $10 million of investments from an unsecured savings environment yielding not return into a fully secured option yielding over $10,000 per year
  • Improve Division’s processes and policies with implementation of legal and best practices for; purchasing, budgeting, monitoring overtime, construction projects, accounts receivable, investments, fund balance reserves, funding long term benefit liabilities, internal controls, network integrity, backup solutions, phone systems, project bidding, procurement and contracting procedures
  • Major software implementations include; a million-dollar utility billing system and integrated financial software, upgrade of time management software, website redesign, full document storage conversion from paper to digital, conversion from 22 servers reduced to two servers in a virtual environment
  • Collaborative teammate negotiating and generating savings of over $550,000 from Union contract renewals
  • Earn first ever GFOA Certificate of Excellence for Genesee County Drain Commissioner
  • Administer financing of an additional $55 million dollars annually in construction projects funded through bonding activities and State Revolving Funds

Education

Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Masters of Public Administration
04.2024

University Overview

GPA: 3.90

Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Bachelors of Arts from Accounting
01.1999

University Overview

Dean’s List, Council Member of Eli Broad Business College Student Section, Teaching Assistant for a beginning accounting course, Vice President of Women in Business and volunteer for numerous not-for-profit organizations.

Skills

  • Collaborative mindset
  • Leadership/communication skills
  • Crisis/Risk management strategies
  • Stakeholder and Community engagement
  • Presentations and public speaking
  • Project Management
  • Policy development and implementation
  • Strategic planning and implementation
  • Budget management and financial oversight
  • Leadership and team development

Affiliations

  • Michigan Nonprofit Association
  • Michigan Government Finance Officers Association
  • Government Finance Officers Association
  • Michigan Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • Michigan Treasurer’s Association
  • Michigan Municipal League
  • National League of Cities
  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Certification

CPA License, Michigan, #L271623, 09/01/01

Activism

  • City of Saline Planning Commission, Voting Commissioner
  • City of Saline Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility, Voting Member
  • Risk Mitigation Task Force, Liaison
  • Healthcare Renewal Committee, Member
  • Finance Task Force, Liaison
  • Building Bridges Community Action Group, Speaker/Member

Timeline

DEPUTY CITY MANAGER/TREASURER

CITY OF SALINE
01.2022 - Current

TOWNSHIP ADMINISTRATOR/DEPUTY SUPERVISOR

SUMPTER TOWNSHIP
01.2019 - 01.2021

DIVISION FINANCE OFFICER, WATER AUTHORITY

GENESEE COUNTY
01.2009 - 01.2012

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT AND OWNER

MICHELLE COLE, CPA
01.2005 - 01.2019

Eastern Michigan University

Masters of Public Administration

Michigan State University

Bachelors of Arts from Accounting

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Elle Cole