City of Beaumont Announces Plans for CFO Position

The City of Beaumont has a plan in place to cover the duties of Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Ray. While searching for a permanent replacement, the department will not appoint an interim, but instead will operate under the following structure:

Assistant City Manager, June Ellis, will handle the administrative duties with oversight responsibilities of the department and any personnel approvals. Ellis has a master’s degree in political science with 28 years of municipal experience. He was the Finance Director for the City of Buda for 5 years and managed budgets for multiple other cities since 1996. He attained his certification as a Certified Government Finance Officer (CGFO) from the Government Finance Officers Association of Texas (GFOAT), and his certification in Economic Development from the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute (OU EDI).

Duncan Brown Jr, the City’s Assistant Chief Financial Officer, will provide oversight of the budget and office operations. Brown has over a decade of experience in government/finance administration with previous budget and fiscal roles in the cities of Mesquite, Dallas, and San Antonio. He earned his master’s degree in public administration from Texas Tech University.

Bridgette Evick, C.P.A, Deputy Controller will oversee audit and accounting functions. Evick is a certified public accountant with over 10 years of experience. Over the last several years she has worked to make sure the City stayed compliant with the latest governmental accounting standards, overseeing the annual audit, and reviewing financials, investment reports, and transactions, and has received cross-training to fill many of the CFO responsibilities.

“These three City employees are more than capable in their assigned areas, and I feel confident in the smooth operation of the department in the meantime,” said City Manager Kenneth Williams.