Vanessa Howard

Dynamic Budget Analyst with extensive experience at the Department of Energy, skilled in preparing budgets and utilizing advanced Excel techniques. Proven track record of enhancing resource allocation and ensuring compliance, while demonstrating exceptional attention to detail and strong communication skills. Committed to driving financial success and optimizing budget execution strategies.

Available upon request

• Award of Merit for excellent team efforts in closing the books
• Award of Merit for outstanding handling and completion of the NIEHS reorganization
• Award of Merit for exceptional performance during the NIEHS Gulf Oil spill response

• Budget Analyst, Department of Energy, Apex, NC, 01/01/25, present, Review, analyze, and interpret existing and proposed legislation, appropriation language, executive orders, circulars and bulletins to carry out the assigned budget functions, Serves as a liaison between assigned program/functional office and the Budget Office and Chief Financial Officer, Formulate, develop and implement justifications for requested funds, Allocate project funding across multiple programs, ensuring optimal resource utilization and timely project completion, Analyze allotment input and incoming funds distribution actions for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with Departmental policies and procedures, OMB regulations, legislative actions and committee reports, Develop and maintain supplemental tracking tables, documentation, and other supporting data for all aspects of funds distribution and control for assigned accounts, Conduct comprehensive research on issues or inquiries and recommend solutions and responses consistent with legislation funds distribution and control policies/procedures, Maintain and strengthen internal controls by adhering to DOE’s procedures to ensure funds control is established and maintained at the appropriation apportionment, allotment and obligation control levels for accounts.
• Budget Analyst, National Institute of Health, RTP, NC, 05/01/06, 01/01/25, Monitored the budget by reviewing and analyzing reports, spend plan lines and accounting transactions, including the Treasury SF133 budget execution reports, to determine if allocated funds have been spent properly and transactions are valid and correct, Served as a mentor and train other Budget Analysts on Budget Execution policies and procedures of the National Institute of Health and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and provide guidance and consultation on budget assignments to ensure we are in compliance with strategic and budgetary goals, Analyzed all budget obligations, accruals and disbursements and perform several audits throughout the year on appropriated and multi-year funds. Identify any financial and accounting issues and provide long range analyses of the effects of the issues to management and provide the divisions with a process to correct the errors., Compiled Budget Presentations for the Director and top level/senior management to present during the Congressional Hearings which includes the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees, Presented and justify budget strategies to leadership, Communicated with Administrative, Program divisions, management and internal and external stakeholders to ensure funds are spent appropriately, Formulated the budget by reviewing historical data and current trends for all centrally tracked funds in the Financial management branch, Developed, prepared and completed all Financial Spending plans for the institute to ensure that all the budget authority funds are in place and in the right mechanism, Provided agency with funding using Oracle based accounting systems, Prepared detailed budget estimates and formulations for items such as contracts, personnel, supplies, travel, equipment and grants by using historical data, current trends and guidance from OB and OMB and complete several budget charts for the Congressional Justification (all duties within the Budget Formulation and Budget product development phases of the Budget), Maintained and oversaw the primary Budget System (Beacon Finance) used at NIEHS, Provided technical assistance to all NIEHS users of the financial database and provide input to leadership on ways to improve the financial systems, Assisted with creating detailed internal budget policy and procedures for internal Institute use and serve as a Subject Matter Expert in Budget Execution, Facilitated and led all End of Year reviews and meet with management and senior leadership to update them on any financial issues and identify any financial problems and discuss strategies to spend all funds and resolve all issues by the end of the year., Served as the Acting Budget Officer when needed which consists of signing Interagency agreements and other budget agreements, attending management meetings, leading, guiding and providing instruction to the Budget team, Reported and monitored FTE usage and determine the division's FTE projections for future years, Analyzed, reviewed and approved all of the Institute's personnel CAN (Common Account number) changes, Advanced Excel skills which includes the ability to produce graphs and tables, use spreadsheets efficiently, and perform calculations and automation to process large volumes of data., Prepared budget execution documents including SF132 apportionments(apportionment transfers); reprogramming of funds and budget allocations, Reviewed, processed and monitored Interagency agreements, Routed and tracked all reimbursable Interagency agreements in G-Invoicing
• Proof Encoder, SunTrust, Durham, NC, 02/01/08, 04/30/08, Operated a proof machine which encoded and endorsed checks and deposits and used 10-key typing, Proof read documents and found errors and made appropriate adjustments and corrections, Organized and filed checks and other banking documents
• Medical Debt Collector, Absolute Collection Service, Raleigh, NC, 02/01/08, 02/01/09, Contacted debtors by phone to collect on delinquent medical accounts, Maintains strictest confidentiality; adheres to all HIPAA guidelines/regulations., Responded to customer requests and recorded information accurately and efficiently, Evaluates patient’s financial status and establishes budget payment plans. Follows and reports status of delinquent accounts.
• Teller, State Employees Credit Union, Durham, NC, 05/01/05, 05/01/06, Reconciled approximately 600 transactions weekly with a cash total of $250,000, Audited end of the day cash transactions yielding $60,000, Communicated with customers and delivered exceptional customer service which increased business by 10% and provided members with efficient and accurate transaction processing., Explained various types of accounts and financial services offered by the State Employees Credit Union to members and referred interested members to Member Services