Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater Announces the Appointments of Key Staff at the Florida Department of Financial Services
Jan 26, 2011
The Office of Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater issued the following news release on January 25, 2011:
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater Announces the Appointments of Key Staff at the Department of Financial Services
TALLAHASSEE-Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today announced the appointment of three key staff members at the Department of Financial Services who will oversee the payment of the state’s bills, information technology resources and program assessment.
“I am honored that these accomplished professionals have agreed to continue their careers with the Department of Financial Services,” said CFO Atwater. “Their combined skill sets will help us accomplish our aggressive agenda to reform the state’s purchasing processes, put the thieves committing fraud behind bars and ensure that our programs are providing value to Florida taxpayers.”
Christina Smith, a veteran of the department, will oversee the Division of Accounting and Auditing, which pays the state’s bill, approximately 36 million bills annually, and audits state payments. Ms. Smith previously served as the Assistant Director of the division. She has more than16 years of experience monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of the various programs and accounting and auditing activities. Ms. Smith received her Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Florida State University.
Terry Kester will serve as the Chief Information Officer and will oversee the department’s technology resources. Mr. Kester comes from Department of Business and Professional Regulation, where he served as CIO and Director of Service Operations. He has more than 25 years of experience in the IT and telecommunications fields, including managing information technology operations, network design, vendor relations and project planning in both the public and private sectors.
Allison Carter will serve as the Director of Program Management responsible for assessing the department’s programs and recommending improvements. Ms. Carter began her career in the public sector as a Senate legislative assistant. She continued her government service with the Public Service Commission before rejoining the Senate where she most recently served as the Staff Director of the Majority Office.