Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification And Award
Accomplishments
Other Positions Held
Timeline
Generic

Grace Rhodes

Forney,TX

Summary

CPA with almost ten years of experience in audit/internal control with exceptional skills in risk analysis, compliance testing, and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to achieve operational and risk management objectives; Financial Service Industry experience with strong skills in analysis, risk identification, and communication

Overview

31
31
years of professional experience

Work History

Underwriting Officer II, AVP in Leveraged Lending

COMERICA BANK
01.2021 - Current
  • Named a Texas Underwriting MVP at the December 2023 Credit All Hands Call Meeting
  • Performs high quality financial and industry analyses of complex deals in leveraged lending which involve companies in Middle Market and US Banking that have the highest risks and exposure to regulatory scrutiny and requirements
  • Independently prepares RECAP documentation and required attachments, identifying policy and/or guideline exceptions based on regulatory and bank requirements, credit risks and mitigating factors
  • Gained broad exposure to various lines of businesses across the bank because I started in Private Banking as Senior Underwriter and later promoted twice and assigned to Leveraged Lending; Both departments serve loan groups throughout all of Comerica’s commercial banking locations
  • While in Private Banking, managed workload assignments and facilitated workload meetings between Credit colleagues, decisioners, and loan groups while my manager was on PTO and paternity leave
  • In current Leveraged Lending role, help manage workload assignments when current manager is on PTO, performs RECAP reviews, and mentors/trains other underwriters.

Sales/Use Tax and Fraud Assessment Auditor

COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
09.2013 - 08.2014
  • Identified, analyzed, and evaluated compliance risks, and performed audit testing procedures on companies from varying industries for state sales and use tax compliance as well as fraud detection
  • Discussed risk management strategies, regulations, and assessment procedures to auditees with clarity and diplomacy, prompting the CPA firm representing an auditee to invite me to teach in a seminar for her staff.

Internal Auditor/Internal Control and Risk Coordinator

WACO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
01.2012 - 08.2013
  • Managed audit project priorities by performing a risk assessment of all assessment units to identify higher risk or impact areas subject to regulatory and reporting requirements
  • Led multi-departmental projects and collaborated with internal and external stakeholders regarding efficiency and risk management initiatives, ensuring that both regulatory and business requirements are met while garnering buy-in from stakeholders
  • Audited different departments and assessed internal control and monitoring procedures for design and effectiveness, clearly and diplomatically communicating recommendations for best practice and compliance
  • Established and documented internal control policies/procedures to minimize fraud and noncompliance risks
  • Organized and conducted internal control workshops for over 100 staff members and parent organizations, spurring engagement to ensure that risk management objectives are met.

Auditor and Tax Return Preparer

CUNNINGHAM, SHAVERS, CHRISTENSEN & WRIGHT, LLP
11.2009 - 01.2012
  • Managed projects and developed timelines for audits performed in accordance to Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS) which applies to financial as well as regulatory compliance audits of government agencies or organizations receiving government funding
  • Wrote the CPA firm’s internal control testing procedures, resulting in strong commendation from the partners of the firm and a no deficiency rating regarding internal control from peer review
  • Listened and asked thoughtful questions as I interviewed auditees in order to understand workflows, determine best testing and sampling strategies, and identify higher risk areas based on regulatory exposure, financial materiality, fraud risks, etc.

State Tax Compliance and Risk Management Officer

SEAGULL ENERGY CORPORATION
11.1994 - 06.1997
  • Subject matter expert; provided leadership over use tax and property tax planning and compliance for an oil and natural gas company with operations in 5 different states
  • Gathered oil and gas industry operational knowledge from engineers, analyzed process flows in accounts payable, and incorporated perspectives from the accounting and operational departments to develop strategies that simultaneously met business and use tax requirements
  • Liaison between company management and state auditors, clearly but diplomatically communicating requirements to management and satisfactory answers to auditors.

State and Local Tax Compliance and Audit Risk Management Consultant

KPMG PEAT MARWICK
11.1993 - 11.1994
  • Identified risks and provided recommendations regarding risk mitigation and compliance with state tax regulations to companies in different industries
  • Represented clients undergoing state tax audits, reaping high client survey marks
  • Liaised between clients and state attorneys; completed self-initiated and detailed sales and use tax audits of companies, leading clients to receive thousands of dollars in refunds for overpayments of taxes.

Education

Master of Business Administration - Finance

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
12.2020

Bachelor of Business Administration - Accounting

ANGELO STATE UNIVERSITY
05.1992

Skills

  • Risk Management, Internal Control, and Audit - almost ten years experience in designing, monitoring, and testing internal control risk and processes
  • Project Management - managed interdepartmental initiatives
  • Workshop Facilitation - Organized and conducted internal control workshops for over 100 staff members and parent organizations, spurring engagement to ensure that risk management objectives are met
  • Financial Services Industry - 3 1/2 years in Commercial Banking
  • Regulatory Agency Experience: approximately three years experience working for the Comptroller of Public Accounts
  • Liaison between clients or management and Regulatory Agencies while working as a Tax Compliance and Risk Management Officer for an oil & gas company as well as a Tax Compliance and Audit Risk Management consultant for KPMG

Certification And Award

  • CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT (CPA)
  • RECIPIENT of Texas State Board of Accountancy’s Outstanding Achievement Award

Accomplishments

    Texas Underwriting MVP at the December 2023 Credit All-Hands Meeting

Other Positions Held

  • Co-Founder/Entrepreneur/VP/CFO of the Home Instead Senior Care Franchise in Waco, TX (2007-2020)
  • President/Founder of The Shunammites, a 501c(3) organization (2009 to the present)
  • Commercial Banking Intern at BOK Financial (2020)

Timeline

Underwriting Officer II, AVP in Leveraged Lending

COMERICA BANK
01.2021 - Current

Sales/Use Tax and Fraud Assessment Auditor

COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
09.2013 - 08.2014

Internal Auditor/Internal Control and Risk Coordinator

WACO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
01.2012 - 08.2013

Auditor and Tax Return Preparer

CUNNINGHAM, SHAVERS, CHRISTENSEN & WRIGHT, LLP
11.2009 - 01.2012

State Tax Compliance and Risk Management Officer

SEAGULL ENERGY CORPORATION
11.1994 - 06.1997

State and Local Tax Compliance and Audit Risk Management Consultant

KPMG PEAT MARWICK
11.1993 - 11.1994

Master of Business Administration - Finance

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Bachelor of Business Administration - Accounting

ANGELO STATE UNIVERSITY

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