Coachella Valley Chapter – 2020 Leadership Update
Welcome to 2020!!! The new year has brought us new CSMFO leadership in the Coachella Valley (CV). After three years as Chapter Chair, I (Karla Romero, Finance Director for the City of La Quinta), have passed the baton to Kofi Antobam, Director of Administrative Services for the City of Rancho Mirage and Claudia Martinez, Accounting Manager for the City of La Quinta. As Chair and Vice-Chair of the CV Chapter, they look forward to providing local educational sessions, engaging with all membership and drawing new members.
Kofi Antobam joined the Rancho Mirage executive team in 2018. He holds an MBA and various professional certifications including a CPA, CFE, CIA, CGMA and CGAP; with a combined 20 years of experience in the public and private financial industry.
Originally from Ghana, Antobam arrived in California in 2003. He acquired his MBA in Finance in 2004 and went to work at a non-profit. There he rose steadily through the ranks to an Accounting Manager position before transitioning over to a CPA firm in 2007. Antobam’s duties at a Riverside CPA firm included auditing different governmental agencies and non-profits, including several in the Coachella Valley. In 2012, he left the CPA firm and began working as the Assistant Director of Finance for the Town of Apple Valley and subsequently as the Director of Finance/Treasurer until he joined the Rancho Mirage team.
Antobam is married to Elizabeth and they have a daughter, Dannelle. He enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, singing, volunteering for church activities, and watching basketball.
Claudia Martinez is the Accounting Manager for the City of La Quinta. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Finance with a minor in Psychology and has over 10 years of progressive government accounting experience. In addition to spending time with her family and friends, Claudia enjoys the outdoors with her crazy but loveable dogs and visiting spots in Southern California with her boyfriend. She is driven by a desire to inspire and develop others and sees herself a student of leadership always working to better herself and her team. Martinez leads by example and looks forward to her new role as Vice-Chair for the CV Chapter.
The chapter will continue to thrive under their leadership, and we should all look forward to what they do in 2020 and beyond. It’s always exciting to have new ideas and fresh energy infused into the organization. Thank you to everyone who has answered the call and accepted new CSMFO leadership roles in 2020. Let’s make this a great start to a new decade.
Karla Romero, City of La Quinta Finance Director/City Treasurer since 2016 and is honored to serve CSMFO’s Communications Committee Chair. Karla was also CSMFO’s 2017 Volunteer of the Year, Coachella Valley’s Chapter Chair from 2016 to 2019, Communications Committee member since 2017, and is a proud CSMFO member since 2007.
She has earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Administration and has over 20 years of progressive private and public finance experience. The favorite part of her job is seeing others succeed, thus her passion for mentoring, sharing knowledge, and empowering others.
On her free time, she enjoys “trying” to garden (getting better), reliving her childhood with a very active son (Titus), and staying connected with family and friends.
