Volunteer Of The Year Award

YOLANDA RODRIGUEZ, VICE CHAIR, COMMUNITCATIONS COMMITTEE

The CSMFO Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes outstanding volunteers for going above and beyond the call of duty for the benefit of the CSMFO members. In 2020, the year of the pandemic, CSMFO leadership was especially challenged with the pivot to exclusively online content delivery to our members. Whether it be for our upcoming annual conference, our Career Development classes or our local chapter meetings. This was an especially challenging year for our local chapters, which are at the core of CSMFO’s member engagement. However, our chapter leadership rose to the occasion, effectively mastering Zoom for chapter meetings, and in many cases using Zoom breakout rooms to better allow for networking and small group discussion. The CSMFO 2020 Volunteer of the Year Award is being awarded to Debbie Rosales, from the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, Chapter Chair for the Inland Empire Chapter, AND, Kim Scott from the City of Victorville, Chapter Chair for the Desert Mountain Chapter.

Debbie Rosales had relocated to the Channel Counties Chapter area yet continued to lead the Inland Empire Chapter for the better part of two years until such time as an orderly transition of chapter leadership could occur. In the virtual event aspect, Debbie has moved forward with procuring speakers and trying to gather CSMFO members together for relevant sessions during the pandemic. The Inland Empire Chapter was an early adopter of the Zoom breakout room feature, allowing for more efficient member networking in a smaller group setting.

Kim Scott has actively participated in CSMFO leadership since becoming the Chapter Chair for the Desert Mountain Chapter. In addition to her chapter chair duties, Kim is amongst our most active chapter chairs, regularly contributing at board meetings and in our annual strategic planning sessions. Kim has taken charge of a chapter which had been largely inactive for several years but now holds regular chapter meetings, albeit remotely these days. She is highly enthusiastic and embodies a spirit of service to others which is inspiring and contagious.

How did it feel to be on a live zoom call and hearing the news that you were being recognized as Volunteer of the Year?

Debbie: To say that I was blown away is an understatement. I was told that the Executive Board Committee wanted to get some feedback from a couple of Chapter Chairs so I think I even had some notes prepared to share at the meeting (even though I had no idea what they were looking for). When the Volunteer of The Year was mentioned I wanted to jump up and dance and cry with joy all at the same time. I love volunteering for CSMFO and was so humbled to know that my efforts had been noticed. Honestly, to know that I was even

nominated is something that I hold near and dear to my heart. The experience is something I will remember always. Kim: Melissa was so sneaky to set that meeting up and I was totally in shock. When it was announced that Debbie received the Volunteer of the Year award, I was so happy as I had seen her putting herself out there and taking charge of a new chapter while still assist her old chapter. Her energy level is something to strive for. That said, when it was announced that I also was receiving this award, I was totally shocked and very humbled. I had volunteered to help restart the Desert-Mountain chapter only because nobody else was stepping up to do it and I had someone that was volunteering to help and be a vice chair. I really struggled to get it right and am still working on that one. I am very thankful for all of the support from other chapter chairs and the CSMFO leadership for their support and assistance and also all of the SMA support in the transition to Zoom and getting the registration links and postings handled.

Where did your journey with CSMFO begin and when did you know that you wanted to get more involved?

Debbie: I knew I wanted to become more involved after the annual conference in Monterey in 2015. I’ve told the story many times about how, in general, I am not super outgoing person (astonishing I know) when it comes to 1:1 interactions. Put me in a room of a thousand people and give me a topic and I could speak for days. Send me to a luncheon with nine other people at the table I don’t know? Total Wallflower! I saw a flyer at the conference about becoming more involved and the committee positions that were open. About the same time I heard about the coaching program so I thought I would check it out. I knew I was interested in advancing my career and wanted to gain some insight from an expert. Selecting a Coach was a little intimidating because I honestly did not know any of the names on the list and they were all Finance Directors, Administrative Service Directors, Assistant City Managers, General Managers, and the like. I picked one, Margaret Moggia, really because she looked nice. I sent her an email and waited for her response. We talked about many things and, to this day, I really appreciate all she said. After talking about my individual career, the topic turned to how intimidated I felt when I went to business lunches, trainings, and the CSMFO conference. She suggested getting more involved as a way to get to know more people. As she put it, those gatherings were “like a family reunion” for her. I took her advice to heart and reached out to CSMFO about committee opportunities and found that the career development committee had an available spot. I met some great people and was in awe of all they knew. I realized that, although the committee experience was great, I wanted something that would offer more face to face interaction with my peers so I became more involved with my local Chapter meetings. The rest, as they say, is history. Currently I am the Chapter Chair for Channel Counties and serve on the membership committee and help in other areas where I can. Kim: I begged my manager to let me attend one day of the CSMFO conference in 2014 as I had just been promoted to grant accountant and the new regulations were overwhelming me so I wanted to attend that session. I was so impressed with the sessions that day that I couldn’t wait to attend a full conference. I used my CSMFO membership to the fullest I could, attending meetings at Inland Empire chapter by taking vacation time and paying my own way and loved seeing the way everyone reaches out to welcome and help each other out. I wanted to connect like that.

Did anyone within the organization help you achieve more within CSMFO and to progress your finance career?

Debbie: Absolutely – a whole village. I previously mentioned my CSMFO involvement and I can’t say enough about how much I have gained by participating. One thing that stands out most was when I relocated from the Inland Empire to Ventura County. Several peers from CSMFO knew I was looking for a new position after moving and they were so helpful. From sending me links to openings to actually reaching out to others at the conference that year, gathering information, and then letting me know where the openings were, it was amazing and I was really touched. It was like having my own personal employment agency with a touch of sleuthing mixed in. Kim: I was very fortunate that my organization supported the annual conference attendance and membership so I could attend all of the Southern California conference sessions since then. Once I volunteered to chair the chapter, my Deputy City Manager at the time George Harris II, supported it 100% and let me take my work time to attend the planning session in 2019 before the 2020 conference. There I really got to know several people better and Margaret Moggia really encouraged me to speak up and I felt so welcomed and valued that I knew I wanted to do that with others. Seeing the value that others placed on my input helped my confidence to continue to progress in my career. My current title is Finance Analyst although the duties equate to an Accounting Manager. My current finance director, Bobby Magee, enrolled me in a Dale Carnegie course when I let him know my major fear was public speaking and that has also helped my confidence in reaching out to others to help them grow also.

What do you believe to be the best aspect of CSMFO?

Debbie: I know it sounds cliché but the people. Everyone I have met is so talented and knowledgeable and willing to share that knowledge with others. We have such an amazing resource in CSMFO, from the topics that are presented by each Chapter, to the trainings provided by the Career Development Committee, and the sessions at the conferences, there are so many opportunities to continue learning and that wouldn’t be possible without the people. All you have to do is read through the knowledge base on CSMFO’s website to see how much people are willing to share. Kim: I believe that the best aspect of CSMFO is the people. I joined CSMFO for the knowledge, but continue to pursue active involvement because of the great people who are also a part of this fantastic volunteer organization. The fact that we reach out to each other and share so much more than just professional assistance and growth but often become friends and sometimes family. I know that someone out there will always reach out with a helpful hand or a smile when needed.

What would be your recommendation to someone who wants to be more involved within CSMFO but has no idea where to start?

Debbie: I am going to be biased here and say by attending your local chapter meetings. Whether held virtually or in person, this provides such a great start in meeting people and learning more about a wide array of topics that affect us all. There is so much going on at the Chapter level and even if you are not ready to be a Chapter Chair/Co-Chair, there are other opportunities to get involved. I started by being the person who dismissed tables for the buffet line! Kim: I would recommend attending your local chapter meetings and asking if you can help out. Getting involved at the local level is a great start. If you can’t attend local meetings, volunteer to be a reviewer for budget or financial statements or see if there is a committee that sounds interesting. There are a bunch of opportunities listed on the CSMFO website. If you want to get involved, you won’t be turned away.

Bonus Fun Question: What’s a CSMFO award that doesn’t exist, but totally should?

Debbie: This is a tough one. There are so many great people who devote so much time and energy in putting together great programs for us that deserve recognition. Maybe something like the Academy of CSMFO Awards Event of the Year? Kim: I think there should be a “Spirit Award” (and no Marcus, I did not say “Spirits Award” although best drink recipe could be a good one also). I would love to see someone recognized for embodying the theme of the annual conference.

- - - Both Debbie and Kim are highly engaged chapter leaders who may not fit the typical profile of department director or manager, but are, regardless, leaders in the true sense of the word. They both stepped into their respective chapter leadership roles at a time when others were either unable or unwilling to do so. Debbie and Kim’s tireless commitment to the CSMFO membership is commendable. Congratulations to Debbie and Kim as our 2020 CSMFO Volunteers of the Year!