Dear friends and neighbors,
It's been a busy month in my office! My audit team is currently immersed in auditing crucial county services, including Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Intellectual and Disability Services Division and Primary Care Clinics. As part of maintaining our continuing education hours, staff attended two conferences this month: the national Association of Local Government Auditors (ALGA) Conference and the Pacific Northwest Intergovernmental Audit Forum Conference. A consistent theme at both conferences was, how can auditors better engage with the community members they serve? I have greatly enjoyed and appreciated meeting with and getting to know community members from across Multnomah County. I've met residents for coffee and talked about ideas, suggestions and concerns. In the process, we get to know each other as people, becoming invested in each other's successes, making it easier to reconnect and follow up with one another. Building authentic relationships - valuing people's lived experiences, recognizing the uniqueness of each person I meet, and continuing to stay connected - is integral to the process of community engagement. I'd like to thank those of you who have taken the time to meet with me, as well as those who sent in emails of support and/or testified in person to support our Advancing Equity and Inclusion program offer. We are stronger as a community when we can unite around the shared values of equity, access and inclusion; my office is stronger with your feedback, ideas and support.
Best,
Jennifer
June 1 Community Coffee in Fairview
Join me this Saturday, June 1 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM at Stomping Grounds Coffee in Fairview for coffee and conversation! This is a chance to talk together about the work my office has been doing and to share your questions, concerns and ideas.
Stomping Grounds is located at: 21825 NE Halsey Street, Fairview, OR 97024
If you need an accommodation, translator, or childcare (though kids are welcome to attend!) please contact my office at mult.auditor@multco.us or call 503-988-3320 by Tuesday, May 28.
Welcome New Audit Committee Members
On May 9, 2019, the Board of County Commissioners appointed four community members to the Multnomah County Audit Committee. The Audit Committee serves as a liaison between the Board, the independent external auditor and management, as their duties relate to financial accounting, reporting, and internal controls and compliance. My office staffs the Audit Committee.
The Committee assists the Board in reviewing county accounting policies and reporting practices as they relate to the county’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The Committee is the county’s agent in assuring the independence of the county’s external auditors, the integrity of management, and the adequacy of disclosures to the public. Members are appointed for 3-year terms. Welcome to our new Audit Committee members, and thank you for serving our community!
Rambod Behnam has a B.S. in Accounting from Loyola Marymount University, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and is currently Director of Finance at the Latino Network. He started his career in public accounting as an auditor and transitioned to the nonprofit sector when he moved to Portland. In his spare time, Rambod enjoys biking.
Donald R. Cox, Jr. has an MBA and CPA, and is an Adjunct Instructor at Portland State University for Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting. He is retired from Metro as their Accounting Compliance Officer, where he worked for 34 years.
Terri Preeg Riggsby has an MPA and worked for several years in the Audits Division of the Oregon Secretary of State Office, has served on several community-based volunteer committees and currently serves as the elected Zone 5 Director and Board Chair for the West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District. She is also the Executive Director at Tryon Creek Watershed Council. Over the past 20 years, Terri has served on several community-based advisory committees on local transportation, environmental and equity issues.
Kevin C. Rogers is a seasoned financial and operations professional. During his career, he has functioned in diverse roles, such as Industrial Engineer, Senior Accountant, Senior Financial Analyst and Chief Financial Officer. He has experience in several industries such as manufacturing, technology, healthcare, consumer goods and not-for-profits. Throughout his career, Kevin has provided financial advice and counsel to senior management teams and has provided financial leadership to business units and organizations. He possesses a B.A. in Business Administration from Washington State University. Kevin is a 22 year resident of Oregon and resides in NE Portland with his wife, Sharon and daughter Faith.
National ALGA Conference
County Charter states that every audit my office does must comply with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards. One way we meet these standards is through education. Every two years, the auditors in my office have to earn 80 continuing education credits. This month, two of my staff auditors and I earned some of these credits when we attended the annual conference of the Association of Local Government Auditors in Kansas City, Missouri. Principal Auditor Caroline Zavitkovski picked up the award she and Principal Auditor Marc Rose earned for our office through their diligent work on their recent emergency department audit. And five of my auditors and I also attended the annual Pacific Northwest Intergovernmental Audit Forum here in Portland. Caroline presented on the emergency management audit at both conferences. We also participated in important sessions including auditing body-worn camera programs, Tribal issues to consider during audits, and how to conduct audits focused on ensuring equity and inclusion.