HomeMy WebLinkAboutResume - Erma F. Jefferson
RESUME
ERMA F. JEFFERSON
4320 S. CONGRESS AVENUE, APARTMENT #3109
AUSTIN, TEXAS 78745
512-462-0417
1-888-637 -4500
Date of Birth: June 8, 1940
Divorced: Mother of four, two living children.
Secondary Education: Graduated E. A. Kemp High School, Bryan, Texas in June
of 1958. Editor of annual, president of student council and valedictorian.
Higher Education: Lack 15 hours obtaining a degree from Texas A&M
University with a major in political science and a minor I sociology. (I lack
statistical analysis for political science majors, last semester of Spanish and
biology.) I returned to school as a student older than average. My first course at
Texas A&M was in COBALT (old computer science technique). I was one of the
first black women to attend Texas A&M after women other than the daughters of
faculty and foreign students.
Previous Employment:
March 19, 1991 to September 8, 1998:
.. .
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA): When I began
working for the agency in 1991, it was for the Texas Department of Community
Affairs, (TDCA). In 1992, the Department of Housing (TDH) and TDCA were
combined through a legislative act and became the Texas Department of Housing
and Community Affairs (TDHCA). I was first hired by the Department to be a
financial monitor in the Community Services section. My primary duty was to
conduct on-site financial monitoring of Community Service Block Grant (CSBG)
funds and Energy Assistance funds. These funds are allocated to Community
Action Agencies across the state of Texas. There were approximately 54 agencies
when I began working for the Department in 1991. (There are fewer today.) There
are 254 counties in Texas. The CAAs were based on the proverty population of
those counties that were in Statistical Metropolitan Areas and those that were not
in SMAs. The funds originate from the Housing and Human Services Department
and the Energy Department. They flow directly from,tp~ Governor's office to
TDHCA. The job did not require that I be an accountant. Most of the skills that
are required to conduct an on-site financial review of Community Action Agencies
(CAA) are people skills and a modicum of financial record keeping experience.
There were instances where the Director of an agency was the highest paid official
in the county. There were specific federal guidelines' for how funds dispensed to
CAAs were to be spent. Community Service Block Grants began during the
Johnson administration. Funds were sent to CAAS to help alleviate proverty.
Examples of specific work performed:
1. Conducted on-site in depth financial revi.ew of assigned contractors for
compliance with federal and state regulations/requirements. The monitoring
encompassed a comprehensive review a comprehensive review of the
contractor's financial system, expenditures, support documentation, journals
and ledgers. :
2. Prepared reports that addressed non-compliance of financial findings, required
corrective actions and recommendations for all contracts reviewed.
3. Responded in writing to contractor's regarding monitoring reports and
correspondence.
4. Responded to contractor's and target populations inquires.
5. Developed . and provided training and technical assistance to assigned
contractors' staff.
6. Assisted in development of program policy documents.
7. Provided training and technical assistance to assigned contractor's staff as
applicable.
8. Assisted in the development and preparation of financial training materials for
contractors.
9. Participated in the development of financial monitoring instruments.
10.Provided fiscal training at statewide workshops.
II.Provided technical assistance to computerized subgrantee's fiscal systems.
12.Provided technical assistance to sub grantees that needed to change or improve
their financial record keeping systems.
13.Detected and made reports of questionable erroneous transactions or recordings
to supervisor.
14.Performed all or any combinations of tasks to verify accuracy and conformance
of accounting records such as " verify ledger accounts, reconcile cash with bank
statements, prepared adjusting entries to make records conform with acceptable
standards; verified classification codes of transactions.
15 . Verified the allowability as a proper charge to program costs under all
applicable conditions of the grant award.
16. Worked in conjunction with representatives of local, state and federal agencies.
17.Advised interested parties of requirements, liabilities, and penalties, and
recommendations improved accounting systems.
18.Participated in team monitoring visits.
19.Assisted in budget preparation and justification.
. .Assisted technical staff in compiling and analyzing data, in making calculations,
and in preparing reports.
In early 1992, after TDCA and TDH were combined, I was transferred from being
a financial monitor for CSBG to becoming a financial monitor for the Compliance
Division that was newly formed. The Compliance Division had two (2) focuses,
federal funding, (CSBG, Energy Assistance, Homeless funding, Weatherization.
etc) and the housing component.
When the Department signed the memorandum of understanding with the
Resolution Trust Corporation, I became a compliance monitor for housing
specially.
Over the years, my specific responsibility as a compliance monitor was to perform
advanced monitoring of properties under the Low Income Housing Tax Credit
(LIHTC), Affordable Housing Program, HOME, and Housing Trust Programs.
My work involved administrative and field reviews of housing projects to ascertain
if housing was being provided to eligible persons. I worked under the supervision
of the Compliance Program Manager, with wide latitude for use of independent
technical judgment.
Some of the examples of the work performed were:
1. Acted as liaison between Compliance Manager and on-site personnel.
2. Assisted in reviews of administrative reports to determine violation of
directives and guidelines relating to multiple programs.
3. Analyzed reports and supporting documentation to identify reports and
supporting documentation to identify adequate internal controls and
accountability of program participants.
4. Tracked and logged receipts, reviews and level of compliance of reports.
5. Assisted in field visits, examining incoming reports, and eligibility
determinations for compliance with the terms of programs and Department
policy;
6. Generated correspondence relating to audit exceptions by defining errors and
recommending appropriate remedies to supervisor.
7. Tracked responses to discrepancies noted in desk or field reviews.
8. Transmitted unresolved problems to compliance supervisor.
9. Complied statistical data on applicants and recipients of the programs.
10.Prepared regular reports, which were of a quality sufficient for evidence in
cases of non-compliance, summarizing desk and field reviews performed
findings, conclusions and recommendations.
II.Assisted in the development of policies, procedures, training tools and program
manuals relating to monitoring and enforcement.
12.Provided technical assistance to participants relating to program procedures.
13.Researched legal, technical or policy issues as directed.
Performed related work as assigned.
When I resigned from the Department, I was one of the trainers for the Affordable
Housing Program seminars that were held in Austin, Dallas and Houston. I began
training immediately after the Compliance staff was trained by individuals who
wrote the AHDP manual. (They suggested to Amy that I probably would be
someone she should consider as a trainer.) Over the years that I was involved with
training, I never got adverse evaluations, because it is my philosophy that the
trainer has to be aware of the attendees. Dress, speech and behavior are factors
that one should consider when speaking before group.
I completed the Certified Occupancy Specialist (COS) course, so am certified with
basic knowledge of Section 8 occupancy requirements
Previous Employment: I worked for the Texas Employees Retirement System from
1985 to 1991. I was primarily responsible for assisting retirees and new employees
of the State of Texas with their health, life, and disability insurance programs. I
was responsible for instituting the COBRA insurance when it became effective.
One of my other responsibilities was to correspond with judicial and legislative
retirees regarding their insurance.
1982 to 1985: Between these years I worked for several political candidates
campaigns. I also worked for the Texas Comptroller's office as tax enforcement
Officer. My key responsibility was to collect income taxes for five counties.
(Individuals pay taxes when they purchase products, goods or services from
merchants). It is the responsibility of the merchants to submit the taxes they have
collected to the Comptroller's office monthly. Many of the providers of services
fail to submit the taxes. It was the responsibility of the enforcement officer to both
go on site and collect the taxes if at all possible. The enforcement officer could
estimate the merchant's taxes, levy funds from their accounts, freeze their
accounts, etc. Prior to that time I worked at Texas A&M University in the
Insurance Division. I counseled active employees and retirees about their
Insurance coverage.
1958-1972: Worked for J.C. Penney Company. Started working right after
graduation from high school. Begin as a maid in Bryan, when I left J.C. Penney's
in 1972, I was the supervisor of merchandize records in Beaumont.
I was selected Woman of the Year of Brazos County in 1982, I think.
Is this sufficient?
I sent you this over the internet. Hope it arrived without problems.
Send the reviews again, the ink is now changed. Thanks. :