Cleveland County announces new finance director

Cleveland County recently announced the selection of a new finance director.

Following a national recruitment effort, which included a comprehensive vetting process, Philip Steffen was selected to lead the finance department for Cleveland County government.

According to a press release from the county, Steffen has 17 years of local government finance experience serving the city of Anacortes, Washington. During his tenure with Anacortes, Steffen served in progressively responsible roles culminating in his appointment as interim finance director.

“It is my privilege to welcome Mr. Steffen to the Cleveland County team as our new finance director,” said David Cotton, county manager. “He is an exceptionally well-rounded subject matter expert who has a demonstrated track record of successfully implementing complex financial and budgeting plans.”

According to the release, Steffen recently led the city of Anacortes through the process of developing and adopting a $109 million annual budget along with a $252 million capital facilities plan, which is comparable to Cleveland County’s annual budget.

He has a bachelor of arts with majors in accounting and finance along with minors in economics and business administration from Western Washington University. Steffen will officially start his new role as finance director Jan. 29.

Philip Steffen was selected to lead the finance department for Cleveland County Government.
Philip Steffen was selected to lead the finance department for Cleveland County Government.

This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: County announces new finance director