USOC: Terri Velasquez

City worker gets finance post

July 9, 2004 | THE GAZETTE

A longtime city employee will become Colorado Springs' finance director, City Manager Lorne Kramer announced Thursday.

Terri Velasquez will replace outgoing finance director Steve Hilfers, who is retiring July 30 after 16 years.

Velasquez has been accounting and payroll manager since 1999 and was the city's accounting supervisor for six years before that.

She is a certified public accountant who has a master's degree in business administration from the University of Colorado.

"She has the expertise, the education and without a doubt the leadership abilities to keep the finance department moving in the right direction," Kramer said in a news release.

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City Manager names Finance Director

City Manager Lorne C. Kramer announced today the appointment of the new City Finance Director. Ms. Terri L. Velasquez will be promoted to the Senior Management position. Terri Velasquez joined the City of Colorado Springs Finance Department in 1987. Since 1999 she has been the Accounting and Payroll Manager for the City and prior to her promotion to manager she was the Accounting Supervisor from 1993 through 1998.

Velasquez holds numerous degrees and professional certifications. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Public Finance Officer; she holds an MBA with an emphasis in finance and a Bachelor of Science with an emphasis in accounting from the University of Colorado.

Ms. Velasquez will replace Finance Director Steve Hilfers, who is retiring after 16 years of service to the City of Colorado Springs. “Terri is the perfect choice for this position. She has the expertise, the education and without a doubt the leadership abilities to keep the Finance Department moving in the right direction,” stated City Manager Lorne Kramer.

In addition to her educational qualifications Velasquez holds memberships in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Government Finance Officer’s Association. She has been a significant contributor to the City’s finance team, assisting The City of Colorado Springs in earning the  Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association twelve years in a row.

Velasquez will take over as Finance Director on August 1, 2004. Her annual salary will be $95,000.