Editor's Alley September 2022
Kofi Antobam, Communications Committee Vice Chair, Director of Administrative Services, City of Rancho Mirage
Hello CSMFO! I hope you all had a great and relaxing summer. If you are like me, however, summer was too short this year as I was not ready to send our daughter to college yet. Anyway, with most of us back in the office and either going through year-end audit, implementing new programs, etc., I would like each of us to reflect on how far we have come in our careers as I share my story of how I got into public finance and how CSMFO has helped me along the way.
Growing up, I liked working with numbers and serving others, but public finance was not something on my radar. Originally from Ghana, I arrived in California in January 2003 and commenced studies at La Sierra University in Riverside. In June 2004, I graduated with an MBA in Finance and went to work at a non-profit in January 2005, and then transitioned over to a Riverside CPA firm in February 2007. This move was in line with my goal to study for and acquire my CPA certification.
At the CPA firm, my duties included auditing different governmental agencies and non-profits. Working as an auditor, I walked into different cities, special districts, and non-profits, saw what worked, what didn’t, and learned there are many different ways to accomplish the same goal. I also quickly realized that by the time auditors came into an agency, mistakes had already been made, and fixing those mistakes could take up to a year or two. This is when my desire to get into public finance peaked. I wanted to get in on the front-end of decisions and minimize mistakes before the auditors came and at the same time give back to the community. I liked the idea of tracking the daily spending of government or nonprofits, preparing budgets, establishing spending appropriations for the next fiscal year, and planning how to fund a new program. As a result, in December 2012, I accepted the Assistant Director of Finance position in Apple Valley and subsequently the Director of Finance/Treasurer before joining the Rancho Mirage team as Director of Administrative Services in August 2018. I am glad I made the transition into public finance as I can see the immediate results of the impacts of the decisions I make.
As an auditor, I joined CSMFO primarily so I could earn CPE for my certification renewal. However, after my first Conference in 2011, I realized there was more to CSMFO than just CPE. Being a member of CSMFO meant I belonged to one of California’s biggest groups for professional connections, engaged career support, authentic peer-to-peer guidance, and many discounted training opportunities. Through CSMFO, I have had mentors who provided essential guidance in my early years of public finance. I am also able to reach out to colleagues who freely share their ideas and provide guidance to numerous questions. As someone who did not grow up in the United States, understanding the public finance sector was a bit challenging, but CSMFO made my transition easier. If you or someone you know are considering a career in public finance or looking to enhance your public finance knowledge, I encourage both to join CSMFO and you will never regret it! Don’t wait to graduate before you become a member. CSMFO can help you now!
| Kofi Antobam is the Director of Administrative Services for the City of Rancho Mirage. Kofi serves as Vice-Chair on the Communications Committee, Coachella Valley Chapter Chair, and a member of the Recognition Committee. Kofi has a combined 20+ years of experience in the public and private financial industries. He enjoys spending time with his wife Elizabeth and daughter Dannelle, singing, volunteering for church activities, and watching basketball. |
