Open To Work
Tara C. Flowers
Austin,USA
Work Preference
Summary
Budget analyst with 20+ years of experience managing budgets over one billion dollars. Proven ability to create budget tools and templates that enhance operational efficiency and accuracy in financial reporting and forecasting.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
BUDGET ANALYST V- Team Lead – Budget & Internal Accounting (BIA)
Comptroller of Public Accounts
Austin, Texas
08.2024 - 05.2026
- Perform team lead responsibilities overseeing day-to-day Budget operations and provide guidance for the team
- Lead the development and implementation of budget tools, templates and training materials.
- Estimated and reported expected completion times, maintained records of work accomplished and time expended to enhance workflow transparency.
- Monitor and maintain assigned CPA division budgets including Educational Opportunities and $1billion budget for Education Savings Accounts agency
- Provided ongoing training and mentoring to ensure accuracy, consistency, and understanding of financial policies and procedures across the team.
- Prepare Operating Budget, monthly salary forecasts and salary lapse
- Load operating budgets in CAPPS; perform budget adjustments as needed
- Review requests for additional funds or reallocation of funds
- Review and track purchase requisitions for accuracy and ensure budget is available
- Review outstanding encumbrances and request purchase order and voucher maintenance as needed
- Instruct employees on specific tasks, job functions and make instructions and materials available.
- Reviewed outstanding encumbrances and requested purchase order and voucher maintenance.
- Distribute and balance workload amongst employees in accordance with established workflow or functions.
- Loaded operating budgets in CAPPS and performed budget adjustments.
- Review and approve personnel action forms via DocuSign; ensure merits/promos don’t exceed allocation
- Estimate and report expected time of completion of work, maintain records of work accomplished and time expended
- Assist CAPPS team with testing financial modules prior to upgrade implementations
- Inform management of budget deviations or issues likely to impact operations
- Prepared annual operating budgets for assigned divisions, aligning financial resources with strategic goals.
- Manage special projects as needed
- Oversaw execution of special projects to ensure timely completion.
BUDGET ANALYST V – Budget & Internal Accounting (BIA)
Comptroller of Public Accounts
Austin, Texas
02.2013 - 07.2024
- Oversee and manage the budget of 8 divisions, including Educational Opportunities and Education Savings Accounts agency
- Managed budget for 8 divisions, ensuring alignment with agency goals in Educational Opportunities and Education Savings Accounts
- Responsible for developing a budget plan for critical budget requests and IT projects outside of the operating budget
- Developed a budget plan for critical budget requests and IT projects outside of the operating budget.
- Examined, reviewed and analyzed financial data, including operating budgets, procurement and staffing information
- Monitored and analyzed expenditure patterns, identifying opportunities for budget reallocation and alignment
- Reviewed and approved PAFs for new hires, salary actions, department changes and terminations via DocuSign
- Worked closely with IT to ensure deliverables are met and funding is available for IT related procurements and solicitations
- Prepared monthly operating budget and salary forecast for the Budget Manager.
- Reviewed and approved PAFs for new hires, salary actions, and department changes, ensuring compliance with organizational policies
- Used Business Objects to generate expenditure and encumbrance reports to formulate expenditure forecast and determine trends
- Communicated routinely with division directors and management to identify and resolve budget requests, issues or concerns
- Completed quarterly ABEST reconciliation
- Assisted with the preparation of legislative appropriation requests, special reports and financial analyses projects
- Reviewed and tracked purchase requisitions and staffing information for accuracy and verified funding availability
- Assisted with training new hires on budget development and forecast reporting
- Analyzed and determined impacts of state and federal legislation related to the assigned divisions
- Prepared budget journal and transfers in CAPPS Financials for FTE transfers and budget realignments
- Developed and maintained policies and procedures for job related functions
- Prepared the Legislative Appropriation Request
- Prepared the Legislative Appropriation Request
SYSTEMS ANALYST - Budget
Department of Aging & Disability Services
Austin, Texas
01.2013 - 02.2013
- Wrote primary budget and financials data reports.
- Acted as Subject Matter Expert (SME) for budget and financials data available in Cognos Reporting
- Created and maintained budgets' financial reports requested by end users
- Trained technical and non-technical users on format and use of budgets' financial data and Cognos reporting tools
- Assisted users in creating queries and reports using Budget's financial data
- Supported users in developing queries and reports from budget financial data, enhancing data accessibility
- Developed and updated budget financial reports for end users, ensuring accuracy and timely delivery
- Ensured continuity by providing backup support for financial data inquiries. for inquiries related to financial data. regarding financials and budget database interfaces. (Cognos Planning, TM1, Cognos Frameworks).....
- Addressed customer support requests to resolve hardware and software issues for Budget staff, improving operational efficiency
BUDGET ANALYST IV - Budget
Texas Department of Aging & Disability Services
Austin, Texas
12.2008 - 01.2013
- Oversaw, monitored and analyzed a budget of $155 million and 1600 FTEs for Community Services & Program Operations and Community Service Contracts section
- Developed PowerPoint presentations and financial reports for bimonthly budget meetings, facilitating informed decision-making among executive staff and management
- Examined, reviewed and analyzed financial data, including operating budgets, procurement and staffing information
- Prepared PowerPoint presentations and financial reports for bimonthly budget meetings with executive staff and management
- Prepared monthly completion factors for Title XX Non-Medicaid client services. Analyzed problems and developed solutions for various federal titles
- Calculated and entered monthly salary lapse, budget transfers, projections and accruals in Cognos financial system
- Queried staffing data monthly in Access and generated FTE reports for management and regional directors
- Compiled major budget documents, including legislative appropriation requests, operating plans/budgets, budget status reports, and fiscal impact statements to support financial planning and accountability
- Prepared transfers of federal contract expenditures quarterly
- Served as management consultant to intra/interagency staff on federal funds management; collaborated with General Ledger federal reporting designee to reconcile Federal funding expenditures
- Prepared, reviewed and analyzed the impact of interagency contracts
- Identified and resolved issues affecting budgetary controls, cash balances, match rate changes, and budget limits for travel, cost pools, and capital, enhancing financial oversight and compliance
- Reviewed and finalized fiscal notes in LTS to ensure accuracy and compliance with regulations.
- Prepared ceiling adjustments for staffing and FTE funding to align with departmental needs.
- Tracked and processed requisitions in HHSAS to maintain accurate records and inventory.
- Created adhoc reports to support decision-making processes
BUDGET ANALYST III - Budget
Texas Department of Insurance
Austin, Texas
08.2007 - 12.2008
- Performed advanced professional budget preparation and analysis work
- Analyzed and reviewed operating budgets; compiled statistics and reports to inform budgetary decision-making
- Monitored and analyzed operating budgets to determine funding authority and availability
- Prepared and revised biennial appropriations requests
- Prepared quarterly and annual reports required by oversight agencies
- Monitored operating budgets to assess funding authority and availability for strategic resource allocation
- Assisted in the development of budget policies, procedures and instructions
- Aided operating managers on utilization of funds, personnel and financial planning
- Created monthly projection reports and disseminated to assigned program areas
- Approved purchase requisitions in Gateway system
- Determined funding availability for personnel requisitions and actions
- Developed monthly projection reports and distributed to program areas to support financial planning
- Reviewed and approved purchase requisitions for necessary supplies and services in Gateway system
- Provided training and technical assistance to program areas pertaining to the Budgetary policies and procedures
- Developed and maintained databases to track budgetary information and expenses and spreadsheets to prepare special and ad hoc fiscal reports
- Monitored outstanding encumbrances and performed purchase order maintenance as needed
- Monitored outstanding encumbrances and performed purchase order maintenance.
- Performed other duties as assigned
BUDGET ANALYST II - Budget
Texas Department of State Health Services
Austin, Texas
03.2006 - 08.2007
- Monitored, reviewed and analyzed operating budgets and methods of finance to ensure budgeted amounts are aligned to appropriated amounts, allocated and used appropriately
- Facilitated cross-departmental meetings with AP and Budget management to resolve workflow issues and enhance collaboration
- Provided technical assistance in the examination, review and analysis of operating budgets
- Assisted with the preparation, review and analysis of cost estimates and fiscal notes for proposed legislation using past expenditures to project potential cost/revenues of implementation
- Prepared recommendations to program staff on utilization of funds
- Facilitated meetings with AP and Budget management to discuss and resolve workflow issues between the departments
- Reviewed chartfield information to code budget documents, including travel vouchers, invoices and other financial documents
- Prepared and processed budget journals and transfers related to both salary and non-salaried revisions
- Monitored and analyzed operating budgets and financing methods to ensure alignment with appropriated amounts and appropriate allocation and use of funds
- Researched positions data and prepared ad hoc budgeted position reports using HRMS
- Assisted in preparing, reviewing, and analyzing cost estimates and fiscal notes for proposed legislation, utilizing past expenditures to project financial implications of implementation
- Measured the impact of existing and proposed state and federal legislation on DSHS programs
- Track, review and approve purchase requisitions
Accountant I
Department of State Health Services
Austin, Texas
01.2005 - 01.2006
Administrative Assistant III
Department of State Health Services
Austin, Texas
01.2005 - 12.2005
Administrative Technician III
Texas Building and Procurement Commission
01.2003 - 12.2004
Administrative Technician
General Services Commission
Austin, Texas
01.2000 - 12.2002
Administrative Technician II
Texas Dept of Protective and Regulatory Services
01.1999 - 01.2000
Administrative Technician II
Texas Workforce Commission
Austin, Texas
01.1999 - 12.1999
Administrative Technician I
Texas Workforce Commission
Austin, Texas
01.1998 - 12.1998
Clerk III
Texas Department of Public Safety
Austin, Texas
04.1997 - 01.1998
Education
B.S. - Marketing/Management
Park University
Austin, Texas05-2005
Austin Community College
Austin, Texas05-2005
A.S. - Management
Park University
Austin, Texas12-2003
Skills
- Budget preparation and forecasting
- Financial analysis and reporting
- Expense monitoring and review
- Data analysis and statistical techniques
- Business intelligence tools
- Team leadership and collaboration
- Attention to detail
- Fund allocation management
- Cost analysis
- Compiling data
Technology Skills
- CAPPS
- USAS
- ABEST
- LTS
- MS OFFICE
- BUSINESS OBJECTS
- COGNOS
Timeline
BUDGET ANALYST V- Team Lead – Budget & Internal Accounting (BIA)
Comptroller of Public Accounts
08.2024 - 05.2026
BUDGET ANALYST V – Budget & Internal Accounting (BIA)
Comptroller of Public Accounts
02.2013 - 07.2024
SYSTEMS ANALYST - Budget
Department of Aging & Disability Services
01.2013 - 02.2013
BUDGET ANALYST IV - Budget
Texas Department of Aging & Disability Services
12.2008 - 01.2013
BUDGET ANALYST III - Budget
Texas Department of Insurance
08.2007 - 12.2008
BUDGET ANALYST II - Budget
Texas Department of State Health Services
03.2006 - 08.2007
Accountant I
Department of State Health Services
01.2005 - 01.2006
Administrative Assistant III
Department of State Health Services
01.2005 - 12.2005
Administrative Technician III
Texas Building and Procurement Commission
01.2003 - 12.2004
Administrative Technician
General Services Commission
01.2000 - 12.2002
Administrative Technician II
Texas Dept of Protective and Regulatory Services
01.1999 - 01.2000
Administrative Technician II
Texas Workforce Commission
01.1999 - 12.1999
Administrative Technician I
Texas Workforce Commission
01.1998 - 12.1998
Clerk III
Texas Department of Public Safety
04.1997 - 01.1998
B.S. - Marketing/Management
Park University
Austin Community College
A.S. - Management
Park University