Stephanie Zavala
Summary
Results-driven financial professional with significant experience in budget management and cost analysis. Known for collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams to ensure financial accuracy and strategic planning. Brings strong analytical abilities and proactive approach to addressing fiscal challenges.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Budget Analyst
Office of Chief Financial Officer
07.2024 - 06.2025
- Validated the accuracy of Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) budget requests, performed special analysis of specific budgetary programs and projects, provided recommendations and accurate budget projections.
- Ensured that the budgets of assigned program operations are expended in a manner that achieves program goals, meets established criteria, and regulatory compliance.
- Provided continuous oversight of the program's expenditure of approved funds.
- Developed guidance and tools to increase the department's ability to make proper budgetary formulations, execution determinations, and planning decisions.
- Assessed the impact of revised budget execution policy and timetables, and provided guidance to program management concerning the status of funds and issues.
- Prepared budgetary documents, including monthly budget reports, mapping of District Integrated Financial System (DIFS) reports, tables, journals, letters, and memoranda.
- Answered budget questions and created reports for the Performance Oversight Hearing for the DPR Director's hearing with the members of the Council of the District of Columbia.
- Monitored and reported budgetary discrepancies to senior management to maximize reporting efficiency and finalized spending plans.
- Completed a two-day Introductory Training for Tableau Desktop Pro course that was hosted by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer department.
Owner/Landlord of Rental Property for 1880 White Oak Dr. #101
The Park at White Oak
02.2019 - 05.2025
- Invested in a rental property unit at a condominium complex by the White Oak Bayou.
- Remodeled the condo with upscale and modern features with Guaranteed Builders Inc. after the Hurricane Harvey flood in 2017.
- Strategized with Green Residential realtors to find a new tenant in a reasonably time frame to decrease vacancy rate.
- Verified and approved any requested repairs, vendor invoices and that the rental property management company has promptly resolved the maintenance issue the tenant has submitted.
- Sold the condominium in May 2025 when the market was profitable to sale the unit.
Accounting Staff
Noblis
05.2020 - 07.2024
- Supported multiple departments within Finance, Accounting, and Treasury and demonstrated strong interpersonal and communication skills to deal effectively across the internal business units.
- Performed General Accounting functions including but not limited to preparing journal entries and account reconciliations.
- Ensured accuracy and compliance with U.S. GAAP and other accounting regulations.
- Created the monthly financial reports for the managers/stakeholders for the Noblis' monthly financial meetings.
- Performed cash reconciliations using Noblis' bank statements and researching any variance discrepancies.
- Supported Cash Management/Accounts Receivable with the cash receipts processing by entering the receipts in Deltek Costpoint.
- Worked with Accounts Payable/Travel to review and process employee expense reports.
Budget Analyst/PIMMS System Administrator
Noblis
05.2020 - 05.2024
- Supported budget tasks for the USPS client under the Brand Marketing Department, which included producing monthly budget reports for the $258.1 million department budget, the Corporate Advertising Summary Budget report, and specialty ad hoc requests.
- Created yearly Brand Marketing budget spreads for the 19 Brand Marketing programs' approved budgets across the fiscal year months and allocate the appropriate amounts to the FPR lines.
- Consolidated the data templates from the media agencies for the Advertising Costs by Class report (CRA), which is a USPS annual compliance report for the Cost Attribution Department's Economists and the Cost Attribution Manager and Controller.
- Obtained Aprimo certifications, which are DAM Consumer and Contributor Experience, Plan and Spend, and Productivity Management, for the Corporate Advertising's digital asset management system.
- Facilitated the deployment of the digital asset management software created by Aprimo to help Noblis' client deliver speed, agility, and accuracy in inputting advertising expenses in Aprimo, thus allowing Brand Marketing reports to be automatically generated more quickly; and thereby improving customer decision making.
Pricing Analyst
British Standards Institution
10.2019 - 05.2020
- Supported operations, sales, and marketing teams by creating pricing strategies that match business objectives and deliver expected financial results.
- Managed and implemented new product pricing and periodic price changes.
- Continuously monitored, audited, and analyzed automated price quote activity to assure systemic risks are identified and corrected, sales training issues are identified and addressed, and pricing formulas and tables are properly maintained for approved pricing changes.
- Technical approval of all pricing changes to ensure that only adjustments approved by US executives are implemented.
Program Analyst Intern
Department of Commerce
06.2018 - 02.2019
- Analyzed and produced labor templates for the Office of Budget within the Global Markets of the International Trade Administration to categorize the jobs performed by the Commercial Officers, International Trade Specialists, and Locally Employed Staff.
- Distributed payroll estimates into cohorts to develop unique approaches for each group (e.g., foreign nationals versus U.S. diplomatic corps).
- Established a new financial model to project a $170 million payroll estimate for a global organization of 1,400 employees.
- Joined various data sources to enrich the analysis and link it to organization-wide staffing plans.
- Separated non-routine expenditure (e.g., annual awards) to engender better assessment of variance over-time from the projections.
- Maintained leasing data in SharePoint within Office 365 and constructs quarterly leasing reports.
- Consolidated travel requests from multiple international regional areas to make yearly travel expense projections that are submitted to the Director of Office of Budget and Deputy Director General.
Financial Analyst
Ignite Restaurant Group
03.2017 - 09.2017
- Researched and provided financial and business-related analyses to assess the impact of various corporate projects and transactions.
- Monitored performance indicators, highlight trends and analyze causal factors behind variances and trends.
- Assembled and summarized data from Cognos and Aloha Enterprise to structure sophisticated reports on financial status and risks.
- Developed, maintained and distributed ad-hoc reports and financial modeling as needed.
- IRG filed bankruptcy and was part of the IRG/Landry's Inc. transition team that helped closed the accounting and financial books.
Leasing Agent Consultant
The Finger Companies
12.2016 - 03.2017
- Greeted and qualified prospects by covering all criteria and toured them around the properties.
- Typed leases and completed/verified appropriate paperwork on their online company systems.
- Completed maintenance Service Requests and informed the maintenance team.
- Answered questions for residents about community, repairs, rent, rules, etc.
- Conducted market surveys and shopped competitive communities.
Licensed Insurance Broker/Entrepreneur
American Income Life/PHP Agency
03.2016 - 03.2017
- Obtained a Texas license for Life, Accident, and Health General Agent that expired in July 2018.
- Excelled in delivering effective sales presentations and customizing insurance programs/annuities to suit individualized or entire family needs.
- Set appointments by calling members of unions, groups, and associations that the company works with to handle their group benefits.
- Sought out new clients by developing rapport with potential customers or existing policy holders by collecting referrals during appointments.
Financial Analyst
Landry's, Inc.
08.2013 - 04.2016
- Forecasted monthly earnings and created yearly budgets, and business plan targets.
- Participated in Regional, General Manager and Culinary Manager Meetings providing analysis that recognized both successes and opportunities by highlighting emerging trends.
- Assisted restaurant managers in the development, implementation and monitoring of plans that improve restaurant earnings.
- Identified the top 3 negative sales stores compared to the previous year for the Vice President and the Regionals of Landry's Seafood House during weekly calls and discussed strategies for improvement, which helped their sales increase $250,000 by the end of the year in 2014 compared to 2013.
- Provided ongoing management consulting on the use and interpretation of analyses, reports, methodologies, systems and source data, acting as a significant information resource.
- Contributed to the acquisition of Mitchell's Fish Market in 2015 by mapping Ruth Kris's Income Statement categories to Landry's Income Statement format and created the new concept's Excel reporting files.
- Recognized for powerful communications skills, handling high-pressure situations in a professional and effective manner and use of strong computer skills in daily activities.
Front of the House Manager
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
04.2012 - 08.2013
- Supervised 50-60 servers during 10-12-hour managerial shifts.
- Worked with Microsoft Excel to produce weekly server schedules.
- Recruited and conducted interviews at local colleges to hire talented employees.
- Trained on inputting invoices into Menu Link database and familiar with Oracle software.
Staff Leader Manager
Bill Miller Bar-B-Q
06.2004 - 02.2012
- Conducted store and closing manager duties and was the sole manager in charge when the Store GM left to area meetings.
- Trained new employees on the job duties of their positions and briefed them on company policies.
- Ensured product went out to customers in a timely, efficient time frame and an effective manner.
- Energized and kept the morale of employees high to perform at excellent customer satisfaction work level.
- Recognized for long hours, commitment to customers, attention to detail, professionalism, and follow-up.
Education
MBA - Finance
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY05.2020
BBA - Business Management
The University of Texas At San Antonio
San Antonio, TX12.2011
Skills
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint)
- Budget planning
- Report preparation
- Monthly reporting
- Budget forecasting
- Budget analysis
- Problem-solving abilities
- Multitasking
- Attention to detail
- Problem-solving
Certification
Microsoft Office Specialist Excel 2016 (Issued by Microsoft)
Awards
Fall 2009 Dean's List, Fall 2010 President's List, Spring 2010 Honor Roll, Spring 2011 President's List
Timeline
Budget Analyst
Office of Chief Financial Officer
07.2024 - 06.2025
Accounting Staff
Noblis
05.2020 - 07.2024
Budget Analyst/PIMMS System Administrator
Noblis
05.2020 - 05.2024
Pricing Analyst
British Standards Institution
10.2019 - 05.2020
Owner/Landlord of Rental Property for 1880 White Oak Dr. #101
The Park at White Oak
02.2019 - 05.2025
Program Analyst Intern
Department of Commerce
06.2018 - 02.2019
Financial Analyst
Ignite Restaurant Group
03.2017 - 09.2017
Leasing Agent Consultant
The Finger Companies
12.2016 - 03.2017
Licensed Insurance Broker/Entrepreneur
American Income Life/PHP Agency
03.2016 - 03.2017
Financial Analyst
Landry's, Inc.
08.2013 - 04.2016
Front of the House Manager
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
04.2012 - 08.2013
Staff Leader Manager
Bill Miller Bar-B-Q
06.2004 - 02.2012
MBA - Finance
Syracuse University
BBA - Business Management
The University of Texas At San Antonio
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