As Deputy City Auditor for the City of Columbus since 2018, Darlene supervises the City Auditor's Office leadership team responsible for Accounting & Operations, Financial Reporting, Financial Analytics, Payroll, Debt Management, Financial Systems, Human Resources, Communications, and the Income Tax Division. With over 35 years of experience with governmental accounting and reporting, Darlene is responsible for ensuring all City financial transactions remain in compliance with federal, state and local laws as well as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). In 2024, Darlene was the recipient of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) national recognition for Outstanding Public Service for her dedication to the profession, her colleagues, organizations, and the community.
Darlene’s decades of experience have led her to understand that the true measure of a municipality’s financial health is in its financial reporting. The City’s Triple-A bond rating is a direct result of Darlene’s unwavering commitment to correct, current, complete and consistent data. For 25 years, Darlene has helped the City receive national recognition for consistently issuing the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report within 90 days of the City’s December 31st year-end making Columbus the fastest, large municipality in the entire country to consistently issue audited financial statements.
Darlene holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree from Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. She has been a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) for 35 years. She was born and raised in Maine (“The Way Life Should Be” state). In her free time, she enjoys being bossed around by her 3-year old granddaughter, Amelia.