Controller’s Office in A-State’s Finance and Administration Division Wins National Award for Excellence
JONESBORO – The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has awarded the prestigious Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to Arkansas State University in recognition of A‑State’s comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR).
According to a spokesman for GFOA, the Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government agency and its management.
GFOA presented the award to the Controller’s Office at A-State, which is the only institution in Arkansas to receive the award.
"I'm very proud of our entire financial management team at Arkansas State," said Dr. Tim Hudson, chancellor. "This national recognition of our reporting practices shows we are working hard to be transparent and communicate our financial story."
An impartial judging panel presents the CAFR award to recipients who meet the high standards of the program, including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.
"This is a significant accomplishment by our Jonesboro campus and its management team," added Julie Bates, vice president for finance of the ASU System. "It is rewarding to be recognized nationally by our peers in government finance. We appreciate the leadership of Dr. Len Frey, Dr. Russ Hannah, Myra Goodwin, Brandy Hampton, and the rest of the Finance and Administration division for their commitment to excellence."
According to its website, GFOA established the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program in 1945. Its purpose is to encourage and recognize state and local governments that exceed the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles by preparing comprehensive annual financial reports that exhibit the spirit of transparency and full disclosure.
Reports submitted to the CAFR program are reviewed by selected members of the GFOA professional staff and the GFOA Special Review Committee (SRC), which comprises individuals with expertise in public-sector financial reporting and includes financial statement preparers, independent auditors, academics, and other finance professionals.
GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving approximately 17,500 government finance professionals in the United States and Canada.
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The Controller’s Office at Arkansas State University received the prestigious Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. Chancellor Tim Hudson (from left) congratulates Myra Goodwin, controller, Dr. Russ Hannah, associate vice chancellor, and Brandy Hampton, associate controller and director of financial operations, as Dr. Len Frey, vice chancellor for Finance and Administration, looks on.
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