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While this job is political, it also demands a high level of expertise! Upon earning my accounting degree from UW, I worked in public accounting in Cheyenne and became licensed as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Performing in-depth audits of small businesses, nonprofits, and governments gave me a critical understanding of accounting principles, financial statements, internal controls, and federal funds management. Later on, I began my public service career with Wyoming’s judicial branch, and ultimately served as the Chief Fiscal Officer and Director of Human Resources. In that role, I prepared and managed a statewide budget of $80 million. Personally, my husband, two teenagers, and I enjoy hunting, running, hiking, and shooting sports.
The State Auditor must oversee the state's electronic accounting system. This is a highly sophisticated system that is responsible for capturing and reporting on every dollar that flows in and out of state coffers. As state revenues and outflows shift and change, and as fraudsters continually become more sophisticated, the system must keep up. The current system is modern, cloud-based (meaning it doesn't rely on outdated physical hardware), and has extensive protections and control features to make sure state assets are protected and accurately recorded. However, this work is never done - we have a environment of continuous improvement, and are always assessing the needs of users and constituents to make sure needs are met.
As the official custodian of the accounting record of the State of Wyoming, the State Auditor plays a big part in transparency. When I took office, I inherited a public records lawsuit from my predecessor, and within 30 days produced and turned over six years’ worth of State spending data. Six months later, my office debuted WyOpen.gov - Wyoming’s online checkbook. However, there is always room for improvement. Last year, I worked with the legislature to enshrine WyOpen.gov into law, ensuring this high level of transparency cannot be undone. We always go above and beyond with public records requests, and I am currently working with stakeholders to further strengthen and improve Wyoming's public records laws.
The board has a constitutional duty to utilize state lands to earn revenue for the K-12 school system. Our public lands are also one of the things we treasure most about Wyoming life - and as a frequent user of both state and federal public lands, I get it. It isn't something we are willing to give up - but letting these lands sit dormant from a revenue perspective also doesn't work. Balancing multiple use is critical, but it's tricky - and the Board doesn't always get it right. It's incredibly important for local communities to be proactive about uses of state lands in and around their community.
I remain committed to my constitutional duty - but communication with the community is key, so that no one is surprised or voiceless.
