A Westfield deputy clerk recently earned the Certified Public Funds Investment Manager certification from the Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada.
Marla Ailor, who has worked for the city since May 2022, earned the certification through the program that is “designed to give treasury professionals the confidence and knowledge to manage investments on their municipalities’ behalf better,” according to a news release. Ailor is set to become clerk-treasurer in January after defeating challenger Tonya Hyatt by 135 votes during the May 2 primary election.
She will fill the role currently held by Cindy Gossard, who declined to run for reelection earlier this year, citing a “deteriorating relationship with the mayor and the administration.” Gossard was initially appointed to the clerk-treasurer position in 2001 and had been reelected in her role since 2003.
Ailor said she looks forward to stepping into the clerk-treasurer’s position.
“Working for the clerk-treasurer has been a unique opportunity to take on new tasks that are helping me identify the skills necessary to advance my role as Westfield’s clerk-treasurer-elect,” Ailor said. “The advantage of continuous learning in the workplace is generating new ideas and perspectives, which is very exciting for me.”
To earn the CPFIM certification, individuals must participate in a six-hour certification training and successfully pass a comprehensive exam on the following training objectives components: identifying and understanding investment options; how and where to buy investments; establishing internal controls and developing procedures; identifying and mitigating risk in the portfolio; quantifying and reporting safety measures; understanding liquidity needs and yield calculations; managing and forecasting investments; and implementing and monitoring strategy.
The certification is awarded to about 125 individuals on an annual basis, according to the city, which said that recipients must demonstrate continued investment training through an application process every five years to maintain certification. For more, visit aptusc.org.
