Hi, Tony Vu here. Starting as a summer intern and teller more than three decades ago has led to a rich and rewarding career in finance and more specifically, treasury management. For me, the last two decades have been in service in the public sector - mainly K12 and higher education. Three stints as the top treasury officer has provided a depth of experience around the risks and challenges in managing the processes and people interacting with the financial services industry.
There are 90,000 local governments, each with their own financial management systems. These systems include the people, policies, and processes of treasury operations -- each with their own unique cash flows. Those treasury ops always involve cash management, and sometimes debt administration, and sometimes investment management, too overseen by dedicated finance officers who want to do the best for their constituents.
But with limited or diminishing resources and increasing mission critical demands including the budgets and GASB reporting, how do finance officers deliver the optimal treasury experience within their fiscal systems and cycles? Add on top of that a looming talent crisis, how much priority will treasury or cash management command? Probably not enough but I hope this blog will help you focus on the important parts of treasury and the key decisions you can make to protect your financial assets and deliver high service levels to your community.