Staff

Lita Gonzalez
Co-Team Leader

Academic Background: Bachelor of Arts in Government, the University of Texas at Austin; Doctor of Jurisprudence, the University of Texas School of Law.

Areas of Expertise: Legal and fiscal issues

Key Projects: Legislative drafting and rule drafting related to creation of Texas Lottery, Texas Tomorrow Fund, and the Council on Competitive Government

Lita Gonzalez has worked for the Comptroller's Office for more than 10 years, first as an attorney for the Fund Accounting Division, then the General Law Division and currently as manager of Trust Operations in the Treasury Division. Gonzalez has extensive experience in evaluating complex legal and fiscal issues, including bond and appropriations issues. She is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Texas Safekeeping Trust Company, which manages more than $2.8 billion in funds held outside the Treasury.

Gonzalez has been a member of various request-for-proposals review teams involving funds management, investment advisors and managers, outsourcing and other fiduciary processes. She headed the legal team during the Treasury transition. Gonzalez also represents the Comptroller on the Bond Review Board, where she is responsible for reviewing state bond issues and lease purchase issues brought before the board.

Before managing the Trust Company, Gonzalez worked on major projects including legislative drafting and rule drafting related to the creation of the Texas Lottery, the Texas Tomorrow Fund, the Council on Competitive Government, funds consolidation measures, debt limits, the transition of the Treasury and the outsourcing of TexPool.

Laure McLaughlin
Co-Team Leader

Academic Background: Bachelor of Arts in Government and History, the University of Texas at Austin; Legal Assistant Certificate, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. Working toward a Masters in Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin's LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Areas of Expertise: Environment and natural resources

Key Projects: Texas Performance Review

McLaughlin is the Research and Policy Development analyst for energy issues, with particular expertise in oil and gas, water, and state lands issues. She has 18 years of administrative and policy experience in both houses of the Texas Legislature, both houses of the U.S. Congress, and as a corporate lobbyist in Washington for an energy concern, in addition to her work for the Comptroller.

McLaughlin authored or co-authored four issues in the most recent major TPR report; these concerned state lands, brush management, desalination, and the leasing of highway rights of way. She has written several recent articles for Fiscal Notes, the Comptroller's newsletter, on the development of interstate highways in Texas, technological innovations from NASA that have made their way to the marketplace and budget conditions among the 50 states.

Robert E. "Bobby" Aziz, Jr.

See E-Government Team.

Ellen M. Beeson

Academic Background: Bachelor of Arts in Economics, University of Colorado; Masters in Economics, University of Colorado.

Areas of Expertise: Economic modeling and public finance

A recent addition to the Comptroller's team, Ellen Beeson conducts dynamic economic and fiscal analyses and tax incidence studies.

Susan Biles

Academic Background: Bachelor of Arts with Honors, Plan II Honors Program with a concentration in Government, University of Texas at Austin; Master of Public Policy, Duke University.

Areas of Expertise: business process reengineering, immigration

Before joining the Comptroller's office in spring 2000, Susan Biles worked for Andersen Consulting, specializing in business process reengineering. Her other previous employers include the US Commission on Immigration Reform and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Cindy Coats

Academic Background: Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, the University of Texas at Austin. Cindy Coats is a Certified Public Accountant.

Areas of Expertise: Auditing, budget and accounting

Key Projects: Contract workforce and agency project prioritization

Cindy Coats has more than 20 years of experience in state government and has served on numerous agency projects including those involving the contract workforce, agency project prioritization and legislative analysis. Coats acted as project leader for the legislative transfer of two major taxes to the Comptroller's office, the mixed beverage and insurance taxes. Her roles in the Comptroller's office have included those of tax auditor and manager of budget and internal accounting functions, as well as a variety of activities concerning daily operations related to budget, personnel and legislation. Coats previously served as director of Internal Audit for the Texas State Treasury before its merger with the Comptroller's office.

Michael (Mike) Hay

Academic Background: Bachelor of Science and Masters of Education, Stephen F. Austin State University; post-graduate work in Educational Administration, Stephen F. Austin State University and the University of Houston. Mike Hay is a Certified School Business Official, a Certified Governmental Finance Manager and a Certified Professional Property Manager.

Areas of Expertise: Asset management, project management and statewide system development

Key Projects: State Property Accounting System

Mike Hay has more than 20 years of experience in state and local government and has directed a number of large-scale government transformation and reengineering projects. Hay currently is supervisor of the Comptroller's State Property Accounting System, responsible for administering all laws and policies pertaining to the management of state personal property as well as all information contained in the State Property Accounting database. Hay also is national director for State and Local Government of the National Property Management Association and was a contributing author and editor for The Standard Property Book: Asset Management for the New Millennium.

Before joining the Comptroller's office, he served as an assistant superintendent for Business in several school districts. In this capacity, he was responsible for all business processes and automated business information systems.

James LeBas

See Education Team.

Justine Martone

Academic Background: Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Pan American University, Edinburg, Texas.

Areas of Expertise: Fraud and federal revenues

Key Projects: Texas Performance Reviews

Justine Martone has 15 years of experience with the Comptroller's office. Martone participated in two major Texas Performance Review reports on state government as a member of the Health and Human Services, Fraud and Regulatory Review teams. She also contributed to a report to the Governor's Office and Texas Legislature on the implementation of Supported Employment initiatives, and has worked with Brazoria and Smith counties and the City of Harlingen to help these local governments maximize their federal revenues.

Martone worked in the Comptroller's Local Assistance Division for 12 years and was a supervisor for two years, managing nine employees who produced the publication City and County Financial Management; maintained the agency's state and federal grant directory; and compiled and published the Sheriff and Constable Manual.

Prior to joining the Comptroller's office, she was a bailiff for a district judge.

Danny Sachnowitz

Academic Background: Bachelor of Arts in Economics, the University of Texas at Austin; Master of Business Administration, Southwest Texas State University.

Area of Expertise: Portfolio management

Key Projects: Texas Performance Review, Texas Southern University and Capital Metro reviews

Sachnowitz has nearly seven years of experience in public funds investment. For the past two years, he has served as chief investment officer for the Comptroller's Treasury Operations Division. As manager of the Investment Section, he is responsible for managing the state's multibillion-dollar investment portfolio and for funds and security settlements through Texas' Federal Reserve account. Prior to this post, he served as an investment officer and supervised the trading desk.

Sachnowitz has contributed to TPR's studies of Capital Metro and Texas Southern University, and served as project leader for the selection and procurement of the new investment management/ accounting system and funds/security transfer system. He also chaired an evaluation team for custodial services and served as team member for the recommendation of equity managers for the Texas Tomorrow Fund.

James A. "Jim" Scogin

Academic Background: Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Parks, Park Administration, and Resources Planning, Texas A&M University; Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Areas of Expertise: information operations management, management information systems, strategic planning, government contracting, project management

Key Projects: seat management, procurement reform, telecommunications billing

Jim Scogin is a retired US Air Force officer with more than 20 years of experience in information operations management, strategic planning, government contracting, and program management. Scogin has directed several large-scale government and business process reengineering projects, and has planned, coordinated, and implemented a number of worldwide Air Force operational readiness exercises.

Before joining the Comptroller's office, Scogin served as site manager for an information technology (IT) services provider at the National Drug Intelligence Center and as the director of Personnel Systems and program manager for a Department of Defense IT contractor, managing more than 250 IT professionals and $16 million in annual revenues.

Marci Shafto

See Competitive Government Team.

Tom Smelker

Academic Background: Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, University of Texas at Austin. Tom Smelker is a Certified Cash Manager and an Accredited Automated Clearing House (ACH) Professional.

Area of Expertise: Cash management

Tom Smelker has more than 10 years of experience in state government cash management, specializing in designing, implementing and administering automated collection programs that involve electronic payments, electronic data interchange, interactive voice response systems, lockbox operations and the use of credit cards. At present, he supervises the administration of more than 100 cash management programs that receive and process about 75 percent of the state's revenue.

Smelker began his career in government with the State Treasury, spending nearly nine years at the agency and moving to the Comptroller's office when the Treasury merged with the Comptroller's office. Before joining state government, he owned and operated a small business and worked in the savings and loan industry.

Kenneth S. Welch

Academic Background: Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting, Southwest Texas State University. Welch is a Certified Public Accountant.

Areas of Expertise: Financial and administrative management

Key Projects: Reengineering and automation of business processes

Welch has directed financial and administrative functions at two state agencies, including accounting, budget, procurement, personnel, data services, property and risk management and intergovernmental relations. During the course of his career, Welch has directed the reengineering and automation of various business processes, as well as startup operations for a major scientific and economic initiative within the state.

Before joining the Comptroller's office, Welch served in a dual capacity as director of Administration and State Affairs coordinator for the Texas National Research Laboratory Commission, the agency representing Texas' interest in the Superconducting Super Collider National Laboratory. In this capacity, he directed the agency's administrative and financial functions and coordinated with the state's legislative leadership on issues concerning the project. He also directed the issuance of $500 million in bond financing for the project.