Michelle Garza
Whittier,CA
Summary
Accounting professional with strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Known for reliability, adaptability, and effective team collaboration. Proficient in financial reporting, reconciliations, and regulatory compliance. Focused on driving accuracy and efficiency in all accounting processes.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Accounting Associate
Athena Property Management
Tustin, CA
08.2024 - Current
- Identify and code tenant checks to correct property
- Prepare and deposit checks remotely by bank and for walk ins for over 50 properties
- Enter and post daily cash receipts
- Bill late and NSF fees
- Send monthly statements to tenants
- Update daily cashflow by bank activity
- Reconcile AR ledgers to ensure all payments are accurately posted
- Bill tenant bill backs and tenant account adjustments
- Bill prior year CAM and real estate tax reconciliations
- Investigate and resolve billing discrepancies, unauthorized deductions, or client disputes
- Maintain up to date customer files, update contact information, and set up new tenants
- Enter and update lease abstracts according to lease terms, amendments, and assignments.
- Calculate and bill lease commissions
- Assist with month end closing and prepare delinquent account reports by property
Senior Analyst, Tenant Administration
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
Los Angeles, CA
12.2021 - 04.2024
- Act as the first point of contact for escalations internally and externally
- Identify training opportunities and partnered with leadership to develop and provide training
- Provide audit and quality control monitoring on key activities within the team
- Onboard new staff and acted as a mentor/trusted advisor within team
- Made recommendations for improvements and lead projects within Tenant Administration team to support process improvements and efficiencies
- Interpret leases, billed invoices and collected unpaid balances for assets within designated regions
- Manage financial aspects of tenant relationships independently and confidently while interacting with internal & external partners and articulate variances
- Solved complex problems through data analysis. Ensured tenants are adhering to billing-related terms supported by contract/lease.
- Use lease knowledge and commercial judgement to assess risk
- Responsible for collection of accounts receivable for 2 flagship centers and national accounts
Analyst, Accounts Receivable
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
Los Angeles, CA
03.2018 - 11.2021
- Responsible for collecting $7 million AR portfolio
- Analyze and reconcile tenant accounts
- Submit rent roll adjustments and manual bills when adjustments are needed
- Prepare and submit write off requests
- Host monthly center call meetings with GMs to review delinquent tenant accounts
- Assess and process late fee invoices after 12th of each month
- Create potential bad debt reports on a monthly basis
- Investigate and resolve issues related to cash receipts
- Ensure A/R records are updated and accurate
- Prepare and submit uncollectable accounts to collection agencies
- Setup maintenance of lockbox account information for each business unit
- Collaborate with other departments to resolve tenant dispute/issues and ensure document workflow is complete for leases and amendments
- Work towards achieving AR targets and strive to satisfy all Key Performance Indicators
Accounts Receivable / Staff Accountant
Lifescript, Inc.
Newport Beach, CA
03.2015 - 12.2017
- Responsible for collecting on over 400 accounts
- Code, enter, review and post cash receipts
- Enter daily cash received on Excel spreadsheet to monitor cash
- Reconcile customer accounts and make adjustments when needed
- Responsible for reviewing accounts over credit limits weekly
- Send accounts to collection agencies over 90 days past due
- Responsible for entering and sending monthly billing to customers
- Research customer claims and enter credits/debits when needed
- Work in collaboration with other departments to diagnose and resolve problems
- Process credit card payments
- Reconcile credit card and intercompany general ledger accounts monthly
- Enter daily journal entries
- Responsible for AR Projection Analysis monthly
- Responsible for creating Customer Credit Limit Report weekly
- Prepare weekly AR Aging Reports
Senior Accounts Receivable Analyst
Luminance
Commerce, CA
07.2012 - 03.2015
- Responsible for making collection calls on over 500 accounts
- Lowered Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) from over 120 days to at least an average 45 days
- Analyze data and determine cause for late or non-payment of fees
- Receive and review customer’s remittance details and prepare them for proper cash application
- Reconcile accounts and make adjustments when needed
- Research customer claims and request credits/debits when needed
- Review orders on credit hold and release them
- Work in collaboration with other departments to diagnose and resolve problems
Credit Manager
CraneVeyor Corp.
S. El Monte, CA
06.2006 - 06.2012
- Responsible for supervising accounting department and office
- Prepare bank reconciliations and health insurance allocation before payment
- Run credit check for new and existing customer accounts for orders on Dunn & Bradstreet
- Review proposal/quotes, customer purchase order, Dunn Bradstreet Report for credit limits and terms
- Liable for checking and signing lien waiver releases/stop notices
- Make collection calls on over 800 accounts about 5 million monthly revenue
- Responsible for handling legal services (process servers) for filing, serving, and providing proofs of service on legal matters
- Accounts Receivable
- Customer account maintenance and reconciliations
- Log checks received in A/R aging, prepare, and post deposits
- Process, reconcile, and post credit card payments
- Maintain and order office supplies
- Prepare lien releases for customer payments
- Run monthly and daily reports in company operating system
- Accounts Payable
- Sort invoices by due date and discounts for raw materials and expenses
- Match packing slips to invoices and make sure items received match invoice
- Make copies of invoices to distribute to appropriate department for filing
- Prepare invoice batches by GL coding, due date, invoice number, discount, purchase order number, and amount
- Research credits, debits, incorrect received amounts/invoices, and missing backup documents
- Make sure invoices without backup have approved signature for payment
- Review invoice batch totals before posting
- Print checks 150-200 weekly, match copies and mail out original check to customer
- Payroll
- Calculate and sort timecards by date for 80 employees
- Input hours worked on Excel Spreadsheet by day for the week and record vacation, sick time, and personal leave on attendance program
- Make sure timecards have appropriate repair order, stock job, sales order, job number, operation and department to apply time toward.
- Input information in Dejavin by batch in house
- When batches are complete, download as text file and excel spreadsheet
- Review batches on excel spreadsheet and match total to daily spreadsheet for that week worked
- Upload complete payroll to ADP online to process and make any changes
- Review ADP reports and accept for final processing of checks
Education
Associate of Science -
University of Phoenix
Pasadena, CA02-2012
High School Diploma - undefined
Sierra Vista High School
Baldwin Park, CA06-1999
undefined
University of Southern CA
Los Angeles, CA06-1997
Skills
- Invoice processing
- Account reconciliation
- Month-end closing
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Bank reconciliation
- Accounts receivable management
- Payment processing
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Accounting Associate
Athena Property Management
08.2024 - Current
Senior Analyst, Tenant Administration
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
12.2021 - 04.2024
Analyst, Accounts Receivable
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
03.2018 - 11.2021
Accounts Receivable / Staff Accountant
Lifescript, Inc.
03.2015 - 12.2017
Senior Accounts Receivable Analyst
Luminance
07.2012 - 03.2015
Credit Manager
CraneVeyor Corp.
06.2006 - 06.2012
High School Diploma - undefined
Sierra Vista High School
undefined
University of Southern CA
Associate of Science -
University of Phoenix