The group of people who serve as the foundation of the incredible work being produced by The Garrett Companies is a team of number-crunching, ledger-loving, compliance-keeping experts. They are also known as The Accounting Team. While the role of accountants may be perceived as a “boring” job of entering invoices, The Garrett Companies’ Accounting Team challenges the norm. Data entry is only a small portion of their job. This team is the front-line defender of minimizing risk for The Garrett Companies.
When the role of accounting formed into a team at TGC in 2015, the primary focus was on the company’s first and only construction project: Echelon on 99 (referred to as “Waterview” in the early days). As the number of projects grew, so did the number of team members and the need to create policies and procedures. With the adoption of accounting software programs (Sage, Procore, Entrata, Concur, Restaurant 465, Toast, and counting….), the added business lines of Residential and Restaurant, and an explosion of growth in the project pipeline, the Accounting Team now sits at 14 employees and a summer intern.
The department works as one unified team, despite being segmented into 4 main areas of specialty: Construction, Corporate, Residential/Restaurant, and Risk Management. During the early days of the pandemic, the department adopted a practice of daily team meetings via Microsoft Teams, and they have continued this daily check-in to this day. “The meeting is short but informative, keeping everyone on the same page about priorities and challenges. It is also a great way to keep us all feeling connected as a team,” we heard from Megan Grider during a recent Ignite Leadership meeting. The Construction Accounting Team may be focused on processing subcontractor billings and monthly draw packages, or reviewing commitment reports, COI compliance reports, and job cost reports. While the Residential/Restaurant team is producing financial reporting packages each month for every active community, ensuring that all invoices are being processed and coded correctly, watching over cash balances, and managing bank accounts. Although each division of the department has its own responsibilities, the team appreciates the support they can each provide to help solve big problems. “Our team has adjusted to the fast-paced growth, the process changes, and the subcontractor challenges with stride. I can’t think of a stronger team,” Jenny Williams, Assistant Construction Controller told us. “They support one another and work side by side with their Project Teams with grace. I am so proud of how hard our team works!”
MEET THE ACCOUNTING TEAM:
CFO: Evan Brown | 8 YEARS
Assistant Construction Controllers:
Jenny Williams | 8 YEARS
Misty Kane | 1 YEAR
Senior Construction Accountants:
Megan Grider | 5 YEARS; 11 PROJECTS
Kelli Parham | 2.5 YEARS; 5 PROJECTS
Holly Clark | 2 YEARS; 5 PROJECTS
Laurie Bauer | <1 YEAR; 3 PROJECTS
Construction Accountant: Kyle Romas | <1 YEAR; 3 PROJECTS
Construction Accountant Assistant: Kayla Allen | 3 YEARS
Corporate Controller: Tracey Ruble | 6 YEARS
Corporate Accountant: Riley Shives | 1 YEAR; GIP ALUM
Corporate Senior Accountant: Jen Marie Williams | <1 YEAR
Director of Risk Management: Soni Leturgez | 4 YEARS
Residential/Restaurant Controller: Matt Stump | 3 YEARS