Porter Becomes First Mayor To Receive CCFO Designation

Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter has become the first county mayor in Tennessee to be named a Certified County Financial Officer (CCFO).

Porter said said he received the designation after completing the state’s first-ever CCFO program.

“As the chief executive and financial officer of our county, I wanted to take this opportunity to continue learning as much as possible about achieving high standards in government finance,” Porter said. “Things constantly change, so staying on top of those changes is very important to me.”

Porter completed the program alongside Putnam County Budget Director Debbie Francis, Putnam County Schools Finance Director Mark Reynolds, and his executive assistant, Chelsea Qualls.

“That’s a team effort with these other employees,” Porter said. “I want to make sure, as the leader of that team, that I stay up to date on all these things just like I expect some of these employees to do.”

The CCFO program was developed by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury and University of Tennessee’s County Technical Assistance Service.

The program consisted of 11 different areas of emphasis, such as county budgeting, governmental accounting, financial reporting, debt and cash management, purchasing, and payroll.

Participants had to pass each section of the year-long class to achieve certification. Officials maintain certification by taking at least 16 hours of continuing education in accounting and finance each year.