Mayor to appoint new chief financial officer for Lincoln
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird will appoint Joe Dondlinger of Lincoln as the city's next chief financial officer.
As chief financial officer, he will be the director of the finance department, which has seven divisions: accounting, administration, budget, city clerk, city treasurer, information services and purchasing.
Dondlinger is the CFO for Apace, formerly known as Region V services, which is responsible for developing and coordinating publicly funded behavioral health services in southeast Nebraska.
He will start Dec. 10, following approval by the Lincoln City Council.
Dondlinger replaces Lyn Heaton, who served as city financial officer from June 2022 until July of this year. Former City Budget Officer and Finance Department Director Steve Hubka has served as interim chief financial officer since July.
"As we looked to fill this important leadership position, Joe Dondlinger's experience in public sector financial management, commitment to fiscal responsibility, and ambition for organizational excellence stood out," Gaylor Baird said. "Joe's background will position the City to maintain its top financial ratings that support our ability to provide great services to the residents of Lincoln."
He has more than 10 years of experience in government budgeting and finance, including being CFO of Apace since 2021, and as deputy director of finance and program integrity with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services division of developmental disabilities. He's also been the division's financial officer and was financial services program analyst for the operations division.
He has three degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: a master's in business administration and bachelor's in economics and chemistry. He currently holds Certified Management Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner designations.
"I am deeply honored to serve the people of the City of Lincoln and to contribute to advancing the mayor's priorities," he said in a prepared statement. "The finance department's commitment to excellence in financial reporting and budgeting is inspiring, and I am humbled to join such a dedicated team."
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