After losing two chief financial officers in one year's time, the city of Beaumont continues to search for a replacement, having received 18 applications for the job so far.
With budget season in full swing, the Enterprise filed a public records request to obtain the applications of the candidates who have applied. The applications received had blacked out most of the personal information.
The applicants come from a diverse pool of candidates, including some locals and individuals with a variety of work experience. When it comes to compensation, the lowest minimum requested was $50,000 per year while the highest salary was $350,000.
There are several questions about the candidate's financial competency. These questions ask if candidates have a bachelor's degree related to accounting, four years of supervisory experience, if they are a certified public accountant, a certified government finance officer or a certified public finance officer. Other questions ask if they have experience working in finance for a large city or company, and if they have a minimum of six years of experience in the public sector finance administration, with four of those at a management level.
The Enterprise outlined the number of these qualifications met by each candidate.
Former Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Ray submitted her official resignation Dec. 9. She was the second CFO the city lost in a one-year timespan.
Ray's predecessor, Todd Simoneaux, resigned in December 2023, stating financial concerns as his reason. In January, the city announced its decision not to hire an interim and instead appointed three current employees to take on the responsibilities of the role until it could be filled.
City manager Kenneth Williams said at a council meeting Aug. 19 that the city plans to make a hiring decision "soon." In the interim, Williams said the city remains confident in the department.
"We feel good about our department," he said. "We have an assistant CFO and CPAs there, and we have June, who's been a finance director. So we feel comfortable getting through this process there, but we'll be (hiring someone) real soon."
Below is a detailed breakdown of the applications:
Applicant 1
The first candidate for the position submitted their application Dec. 16. They are a graduate of both Duke University, where they majored in finance and strategy, and the University of Cincinnati, where they majored in finance and accounting. Their highest level of education is a master's degree.
They are requesting a minimum annual salary of $165,000. They currently work as a corporate controller supervising 300 employees, and before that, the individual worked as a senior finance manager. Additionally, this applicant answered yes to all the supplemental financial qualifications and is willing to relocate to Beaumont.
Applicant 2
The next applicant submitted their application Feb. 20. They are a local who mentions their work experience and that they relocated to Beaumont in 1997. The applicant holds a bachelor's of business administration degree from Lamar University and is seeking a minimum annual salary of $240,000.
The applicant listed 13 financial-related positions held since 1994 as work experience, including serving as a Chief Financial Officer in 2017, working as a senior director of finance for 13 years, and currently holding both a full-time corporate controller and a part-time CFO oversight consultant roles.
Throughout their career, this individual has been responsible for preparing both complex and simple tax returns, completing audits and creating annual operating budgets and capital expenditures budget proposals. The applicant is a certified public accountant through the Texas State Board of Certified Public Accountants, but is not certified as a finance officer of any kind. Additionally, the applicant does not have six years of experience in public sector finance administration, with four years at a management level.
Applicant 3
The next candidate for the CFO position seems to be another local and mentions graduating from West Orange-Stark High School. They hold professional finance degrees from Lamar University and Trinity University. This individual submitted an application Dec. 14. They are requesting a minimum compensation of $90,000 per year and list nine jobs held since 2002.
During the applicant's career, they've been responsible for payroll and budgeting at several jobs, supervised at least 140 employees and analyzed financial assets. The applicant worked for the city of Beaumont from 2015-16 as an events coordinator/ manager. However, they aren't a certified public accountant or a finance officer of any kind.
Applicant 4
This applicant is seeking a minimum annual salary of $135,000 or at least $65 per hour. They applied for the job Dec. 19. They hold an Associate of Arts degree from South Seattle Community College and a bachelor's of business administration in finance from Western Washington University.
This individual has held two finance-related positions, including Business Services Analyst II and Business Director. In these roles, they were responsible for developing annual revenue and expenditure projections, managing day-to-day accounting operations and developing a budget exceeding $3.5 million per year.
They have been a member of the Association of Government Accountants since September 2024 and have a certificate from completing the TD Securities Investment Banking Virtual Experience. However, the only financial qualification they have is a bachelor's degree related to accounting.
Applicant 5
The next applicant is a graduate of York University in Toronto, Canada, holding a bachelor's degree in accounting. They applied on Dec. 25 and are seeking a minimum annual compensation of $195,000. They are willing to relocate to Beaumont. Since 2002, they have been a managing partner of a firm providing financial services. During their career, they have also held six other positions, including serving as a budget execution specialist and CFO for two groups from 2002-09.
They have experience working internationally with companies in Sudan and Iraq, and have been responsible for providing financial management, overseeing the financial operations of entire companies, and training others in budget preparation, planning, and execution. They have a CPA license from the Michigan Board of Accountancy and a Chartered Accountants license from the Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountants. They are fluent in Arabic, but they are not certified as any type of finance officer.
Applicant 6
This candidate, who applied on Jan. 10, is seeking a minimum yearly compensation of $120,000 or $57.70 an hour, and they are willing to relocate. They hold both a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's degree in accounting from California State University.
They have held five financial-related positions since 2004, including serving as a director of finance and operations and as a CFO for three years. Throughout their career, this individual has been responsible for creating a zero-based budget, implementing financial operations for an agency and developing a services costing model and analysis. They hold a CPA license issued by the California State Board of Accountancy, but they are not certified as a finance officer of any kind.
Applicant 7
This candidate submitted an application Jan. 5. They hold a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and are requesting a minimum annual salary of $175,000.
Their work history includes four finance-related positions since 2007. Most recently, they served as Chief Financial Officer, where they oversaw financial statements, general ledger operations, treasury management and audits. This applicant is a Certified Public Accountant through the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy but is not certified as a Government Finance Officer.
Applicant 8
This candidate submitted an application Jan. 4. They hold a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of South Africa, a bachelor's in applied accounting from Oxford Brookes University, a professional designation from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, and a master's degree from an Australian institution. They did not list a requested minimum salary.
Their career includes more than 20 years in finance, with experience as both a chief financial officer and a senior finance manager. They have overseen multi-million- and multi-billion-dollar budgets, managed risk and compliance, implemented new financial systems, and directed teams across multiple divisions. This applicant is a Certified Public Accountant but is not certified as a Government Finance Officer.
Applicant 9
This candidate submitted an application Jan. 13. They hold a doctorate in management in organizational leadership with a specialization in information systems and technology from the University of Phoenix, a master's degree in accounting and financial management from the Keller School of Management at DeVry University, a bachelor's degree in accounting from Texas Southern University, and an associate's degree in computer information systems from Educational America, Inc.
They are requesting a minimum annual salary of $175,000. Their work history spans over 20 years of experience in finance and accounting. They have served in both chief financial officer and other senior financial roles, managing large teams and overseeing budgets, audits, tax compliance and human resources.
In their supplemental responses, they reported not having six years of progressively responsible experience in public-sector finance administration at the management level. This applicant is neither a Certified Public Accountant nor certified as a government finance officer.
Applicant 10
This candidate submitted an application Feb. 27. They hold a bachelor's degree in finance and accounting from Benedict College, a master's degree in accounting and financial management from the Keller Graduate School of Management, an executive MBA in human resources management from the Keller School of Management and a master's degree in information technology management systems from Florida Atlantic University.
They are requesting a minimum annual salary of $135,000. They report more than 20 years of experience in finance, including senior-level positions in government budgeting and financial operations. Their responsibilities have included overseeing large budgets, consulting on budget performance and implementing financial reporting systems. This applicant is not a Certified Public Accountant but reported being certified as a government finance officer.
Applicant 11
This candidate submitted an application Dec. 16. They hold a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Arkansas at Monticello and a master's degree in religious education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Their salary request was not specified.
They have more than 25 years of experience in financial management, administration and education, including preparing budgets, managing accounting operations and overseeing nonprofit finances. This applicant is not a Certified Public Accountant and is not certified as a government finance officer.
Applicant 12
This candidate submitted an application Jan. 23. Their highest level of education is a high school diploma from Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur and their salary request was not listed. They have more than 20 years of experience working in financial services, primarily as a loan officer or with a bank. They reported handling loans, conducting financial assessments and managing client relationships.
This applicant is neither a Certified Public Accountant nor certified as a government finance officer. They also do not have a bachelor's degree related to accounting.
Applicant 13
This candidate submitted an application Jan. 10. They hold a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Phoenix, a master's degree in public administration from Golden Gate University, a master's degree in urban planning from the University of Southern California, an associate's degree in business and accounting from Los Medanos College, a vocational credential in redesign and home staging from Canada College, and coursework in real estate from Skyline College.
They are requesting a minimum annual salary of $163,500 and have more than 25 years of experience in city and county finance, including serving as a finance director, chief financial officer, and deputy city manager. They reported overseeing large budgets, supervising accounting and treasury divisions and leading policy development.
This applicant is a Certified Public Accountant through both the California Board of Accountancy and the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. They also hold a Grants Management Certificate, are a Certified Public Funds Investment Manager, and are awaiting confirmation as an Economic Development Finance Professional. They are not certified as a government finance officer. This applicant is not certified as a government finance officer and does not have experience working in a finance-related capacity for a large city or company.
Applicant 14
This candidate submitted an application Dec. 25. They hold a bachelor's degree from Mumbai University and a master's of science degree from Lamar University. They are requesting a minimum annual salary of $50,000.
Their background includes experience in business development, operations and brokerage, along with internships in data analysis and construction operations. They reported skills in financial modeling and contract preparation and are also fluent in Hindi. This applicant is not a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Government Finance Officer or a Certified Public Finance Officer.
Applicant 15
This candidate submitted an application Dec. 28. They hold a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Memphis and two master's degrees in business administration and leadership from Grand Canyon University. They are requesting a minimum annual salary of $75,000 or $36 per hour.
Their career has been focused primarily in education. They reported working as a classroom teacher and in student services, with responsibilities that included supervising staff, preparing budgets and managing operations. The only supplemental experience they have is a bachelor's degree related to accounting.
Applicant 16
This candidate submitted an application Feb. 27. They hold a bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of Kerala, a professional accounting qualification from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, and a professional certificate from the American Institute of CPAs. They are requesting a minimum annual salary of $350,000 or $168 an hour.
They listed one job in finance and listed the duties as deputy CFO and supervised 50 employees. This applicant does not hold a government finance officer certification and does not have experience working in a finance-related capacity for a large city or company.
Applicant 17
This candidate submitted an application Dec.15. Their highest level of education is a high school diploma from Central Medical Magnet High School in Beaumont. They are also certified as a CPR Trainee and they did not list a salary request. Their work history includes positions in transportation, customer service and retail. They reported supervising staff and handling cash, dispatching and meter reading. The only supplemental experience they mentioned was four years of supervisory experience.
Applicant 18
This candidate submitted an application March 13. They are currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in accounting at Southern New Hampshire University. They also hold an associate's degree in legal studies from Kaplan University and an associate's degree in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University. Their requested minimum compensation is $23 per hour.
Their work history includes serving as a finance director for a city since 2023, where they have led financial operations, prepared audits, overseen policy development and managed bond issuances. They have also held roles as a telecommunications operator, a chief scribe and an office assistant. This applicant does not have six years of progressively responsible public-sector finance administration experience at the management level. They are not a Certified Public Accountant and do not hold a government finance officer certification.