Writer: Staff Reports
Published March 7, 2022
Clayton News-Daily
The city of Forest Park welcomed Chiquita Barkley as its new director of finance March 2. Barkley’s appointment was approved by the City Council during its Jan. 17 meeting.
“When it comes to providing stellar service for our residents and businesses, it is important for us to be able to rely on accurate business activity reports, spending forecasts and timely financial impact statements,” said Forest Park City Manager Dr. Marc-Antonie Cooper, ICMA-CM. “Chiquita brings years of professional experience to the city and has proven her ability to oversee operations that drive both productivity and efficiency.”
Prior to joining the city, Barkley served as a performance management consultant and business manager with the city of Atlanta. There, she was responsible for providing support to the city’s leadership team, while also assisting with refining budgetary control processes, maximizing profits and re-engineering revenue collections.
From 2013 to 2018, Barkley worked as the chief financial officer/controller for the Butts County Board of Commissioners. In this role, she helped manage the county’s $29 million budget and regularly assessed operations, policies and procedures in order to maintain compliance with financial regulations. She also served as interim county manager and advised elected leaders on accounting processes, findings and financial performance.
“As a dedicated professional, I pride myself on being able to build a positive rapport with all levels of management and staff in order to achieve organizational goals,” said Barkley. “I’m thrilled for the opportunity to work alongside a group of talented individuals and look forward to doing my part to help this amazing community grow.”
Barkley received her bachelor’s degree in social science from Mercer University and her master’s degree in business administration from the Keller Graduate School of Management. She also earned both her Finance Officer Level 1 and Level 2 certification from the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
