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CONVENT – Parish President Pete Dufresne is proud to announce that the St James Parish Finance Department has received the Government’s Finance Officer Association (GFOA) Certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting. This achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting. It is a testament to the department’s dedication and hard work in ensuring transparency and accuracy in financial reporting.

 

Parish President Pete Dufresne is proud of the Finance Department for securing this certificate. He said, “One of my biggest goals as Parish president is to remove politics and to increase transparency in our government. I’m proud to share that for the first time in our history, we have been awarded the GFOA Certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting – a testament to transparency and accuracy. This achievement would not have been possible without the leadership and dedication of Finance Director Felix Boughton, Controller Chantal Waguespack, and the entire finance department.”

 

The GFOA Certificate for Excellence is awarded to organizations that demonstrate excellence in financial reporting and meet strict guidelines set by the Association. It is the highest form of recognition in government and financial reporting. The St James Parish Annual Comprehensive Financial Report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report. It marks a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

 

Finance Director Felix Boughton expressed his gratitude for the recognition and commended his team’s efforts. “The Parish President told me he wanted transparency in government. Mission accomplished. Thanks to all the dedicated employees in the finance department, St James Parish is now in that very small elite group that has ultimate transparency.”

 

There are almost 100,000 local governments in the US and only 3,000 certificates were awarded for 2021. A total of less than 4% of organizations have received this certificate.

 

St James Parish Government congratulates Finance Director Felix Boughton, Controller Chantal Waguespack, and the finance department on this outstanding achievement and looks forward to their continued success in the future.