CCC Executive Vice President Dr. Jami Van Ess holds a plaque with the latest years of receiving an award for financial excellence. With her, from left to right, are Isabella Zagare, Executive Director of Accounting; Suzzanna Rodriguez, Assistant Director of Accounting, CCC President Dr. Colleen A. Smith, and District Governing Board Member Patricia Garcia. Courtesy photo.
FLAGSTAFF — Twenty-five years in a row and counting.
Coconino Community College received recognition for its financial responsibility to the public by being awarded the Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting for its 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The award is issued by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.
“Receiving this recognition for 25 years is an amazing accomplishment,” said CCC’s Executive Vice President Dr. Jami Van Ess. “First, I want to thank the District Governing Board for their dedication to being good stewards of public funds.”
Additionally, Van Ess wanted to recognize Isabella Zagare, CCC’s Executive Director of Accounting, and her team from the CCC Business Office for their work that makes the award possible, with so much information going into the report from all over the college.
CCC President Dr. Colleen A. Smith said, “Coconino Community College is fortunate to have an exceptionally strong Finance and Budget team. Their work has earned the respect of other colleges in Arizona and has made all the difference in keeping CCC viable, even with extremely limited resources.”
According to information from the GFOA, the certificate “is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.”
CCC’s report had to “meet the high standards of the program, including demonstrating a constructive ‘spirit of full disclosure’ to clearly communicate its financial story” to the public it serves.
To view CCC’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports, visit https://www.coconino.edu/financial-reports
About Coconino Community College — CCC has served residents across 18,000 square miles of Coconino County since 1991. The College has the goal of improving the lives of our residents through workforce development and higher education.
CCC provides affordable tuition and offers certificate programs and two-year associate degrees in academic and career fields. CCC also has programs that ease student transition to any of the three state universities, including the award-winning CCC2NAU.
CCC reaches out to the more rural portions of the County and Tribal Lands. Instructional sites offer classes through online, in-person and Zoom video conferencing classes to meet the needs of students in rural and remote areas. Nearly 20 percent of CCC’s students are Native American learners.