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Dare County has announced that, for the 33rd consecutive year, the Dare County Finance Department has been awarded the prestigious Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association. The honor was received in recognition of the Finance Department’s annual comprehensive financial report that was developed for the fiscal year that ended on Friday, June 30, 2023.

The award – which is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting – was formally presented to Dare County finance director David Clawson and assistant finance director Sally DeFosse by Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard during the board’s meeting that was held Monday, August 5, 2024.

Established in 1945 by the Government Finance Officers Association, the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting program is designed to encourage state and local governments to go above and beyond the minimum requirements of accounting principles and to prepare a financial report that provides full disclosure and transparency to the members of the community that particular government serves.

According to the Government Finance Officers Association, the purpose of the program is not to assess the financial health or status of participating state and local governments, but rather to ensure that citizens have all of the information needed to perform such an assessment themselves.

In order for an annual comprehensive financial report to be eligible for this award, a wide array of detailed financial information must be compiled and then condensed into a single, comprehensive document that can easily be accessed and understood by all citizens within the community, regardless of how familiar or experienced they may be with navigating the intricacies of complex financial information.

“Creating a report that fills all of the criteria that this prestigious award requires is incredible,” said Woodard. “It’s time-consuming, it’s challenging, and it makes it a massive achievement for local governments to attain. So the fact that Dare County has received this Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting consistently for 33 consecutive years speaks volumes about the exceptional talent that we have within our entire Finance Department – particularly Dave Clawson and Sally DeFosse. They’ve been instrumental in developing this annual report, which has been recognized with this prestigious award for decades.”

As he continued his presentation, Woodard highlighted the fact that Dare County has received the award every single year since Clawson starting serving in his role as Dare County finance director and offered a considerable amount of praise for his ongoing efforts over the years, as well as the incredibly talented team of dedicated staff members that comprise the Dare County Finance Department.

“Dave’s outstanding leadership, along with the remarkable team he has built within our Finance Department, deserves special recognition – and of course Sally is also a key player in our Finance Department’s success,” said Woodard. “Her many responsibilities include developing Dare County’s annual budget and producing the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. She plays an integral role in the county receiving this honor, which, as I previously mentioned, is the highest form of recognition for government accounting and financial reporting.”

Woodard continued, “In addition to Dave and Sally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t also recognize the Dare County Finance Department as a whole because I know that this accomplishment is a team effort. So many dedicated employees in the Finance Department have made significant contributions in their work every day, ultimately resulting in the county receiving this award again in 2024.”

To view Dare County’s annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2023, go to: darenc.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/12975/638370221466630000.

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