Leigh Wallace

About Leigh Wallace

Leigh Wallace, Chief Financial Officer, has served nine years at the City of Georgetown, Texas, one of the fastest growing cities in the country. The Finance Department includes Utility Billing, Budget, Accounting, Purchasing, Warehouse, Municipal Court and Fleet. Under Leigh’s leadership, Standard and Poor’s upgraded Georgetown’s bond rating to She is the independent risk manager for the City’s electric utility – including successfully financing the extreme energy costs of Winter Storm Uri in 2021. Leigh was the project team lead for selecting and implementing Workday – an enterprise resource planning software system. Leigh’s prior local government service includes 8 years with the City of Austin Finance Department where she led the team responsible for developing and monitoring the City’s $3.5 billion operating budget. During her tenure in Austin, she managed all public engagement efforts for the budget, including the award-winning Budget Basics Video and Budget in a Box. Leigh also worked for Austin Water Utility and the City of San Antonio. Leigh is a member of the International City/County Management Association, the Texas City Management Association, the Government Finance Officers Association, and the Government Finance Officers Association of Texas. Leigh is a Certified Government Finance Officer, a graduate of the Texas Women’s Leadership Institute, and a graduate of Leadership ICMA. Leigh is a certified instructor for the Arbinger Institute Outward Mindset. She represents Georgetown on the Williamson County and Cities Board of Health.Leigh obtained her Master of Public Affairs at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas – Austin, where she was awarded the Blodgett Fellowship in Urban Management. She also received a Portfolio in Dispute Resolution from the Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution at the UT School of Law. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Trinity University, San Antonio.

Experience

1. Chief Financial Officer

   City of Georgetown

   Oct 2023 — Present · TX, US

   Represent Georgetown as a Board Member on the Williamson County and Cities Health District. Updated the 30 year old food sanitation ordinance. Assisted with commercial lease negotiations for the Women, Infants and Children clinic Georgetown location.Serve on the negotiation team for a 50-year groundwater supply agreement, overseeing cost of service and rate development, financial forecasting, fiscal policy and rating agency metrics, and financing structure.Improved the City\'s property tax-supported bond rating from AA- to Instructor for the Arbinger Institute\'s Developing and Implementing an Outward Mindset curriculum. Lead workshops for employees across the organization.Direct the billing and meter technician operations for electric, water, sewer, drainage, and solid waste utilities. Upgrade the utility billing system to the cloud.Oversee all municipal finance operations including Budget, Treasury, Purchasing, Warehouse, Accounting, Fleet and Municipal Court. Investment Officer of the City. Independent Risk Manager of the Electric Utility.

Education

• The LBJ School of Public Affairs

  Master of Public Affairs, Public Administration, Public Policy Dispute Resolution, Urban Management

  2006 — 2008

• Trinity University

  Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, Economics, French

  2002 — 2006

Skills

• Government
• Policy Analysis
• Public Policy
• Data Analysis
• Financial Analysis
• Public Administration
• Analysis
• Budgets
• Community Outreach
• Local Government
• Research
• Environmental Policy
• Program Evaluation
• Municipal Budgeting
• Public Speaking
• Leadership
• Policy
• Municipal Services