Los Alamos County CFO Helen Perraglio accepts a Recognition Award from Los Alamos County Councilor Randall Ryti at Tuesday’s County Council meeting as her four proud daughters look on. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

County CFO Helen Perraglio and her four daughters at the Los Alamos County Municipal Building Tuesday evening. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

Helen Perraglio has been the Los Alamos County Chief Financial Officer since 2017. She recently earned the prestigious 2023 Distinguished Leadership Award from the Association of Government Accounts and was honored at Tuesday’s Los Alamos County Council meeting for her work and achievements.

A graduate of the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, she has been a certified public accountant for many years. Before joining Los Alamos County in 2012, she served as Santa Fe County’s Accounting and Financial Reporting Manager. In 2016 she was promoted to County Deputy CFO prior ro moving to her present position.

The recognition of Perraglio, which was read by Councilor Randall Ryti, reads as follows:

 WHEREAS, the Association of Government Accountants (AGA), a professional organization for government financial management professionals dedicated to increasing government financial performance and accountability; and  

WHEREAS, the National Leadership Training (NLT), a leadership program under AGA, established the Distinguished Local Government Leadership Award to recognize exceptional leadership that led to improved financial management practices, policies, systems or operations and individuals that have consistently exhibited the highest personal and professional standards; and

WHEREAS, this award is presented annually to an individual who exemplifies and promotes excellence in government financial management and who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in enhancing sound financial management legislation, regulations, practices, policies, and systems; and 

WHEREAS, the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Local Government Leadership Award is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Helen Perraglio with the Los Alamos County Finance Division; and 

 WHEREAS, Mrs. Perraglio has been an instrumental leader and motivator of a high-performing team for whom she goes to extensive lengths to recognize, reward and advocate; and 

WHEREAS, Mrs. Perraglio led one of the largest enterprise resource planning (ERP) conversions for the County, which resulted in engaging and building successful teams in all business functional leaders to streamline efficiencies in business processes by maximizing the significant investment in technology; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Perraglio served dual roles as the CFO and Acting Administrative Services Director for roughly a year and a half and led the County’s Finance, Procurement, and Information Management Divisions through some of the most significant challenges over supply chain shortages and cyber threats all while shifting the work paradigm to maximum telework and performing extensive efforts to fiscally guide management through retention and recruitment efforts and adjust compensation in a fiscally sound manner to ensure accountability of taxpayer assets; and

 WHEREAS, Mrs. Perraglio achieved uninterrupted services in the County’s Finance operations even during the COVID pandemic due to the telework pilot policy she implemented; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Perraglio oversaw the administration of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to maximize the benefit to the community most impacted by the negative economic impacts of the pandemic; and

 WHEREAS, Mrs. Perraglio achieved unqualified audit opinions and Government Finance Officer Association (GFOA) Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) award recognition during the COVID pandemic while receiving an unqualified opinion of the Federal audit the County recently underwent with its most complex Cooperative Agreement (which will have a significant impact on future negotiations); and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Perraglio received recognition from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the submission of the Cerro Pelado Fire Disaster Declaration reimbursement, which resulted in FEMA requesting the County to assist in the development of a “Best Practices” document to share with the State of New Mexico as well as other counties and municipalities for use in future disaster declarations; and

 WHEREAS, Mrs. Perraglio has served her colleagues and community as an outstanding steward in local government during very challenging times. 

 NOW, THEREFORE, on behalf of the Council of the Incorporated County of Los Alamos, I do hereby recognize  HELEN PERRAGLIO As a dedicated public servant and leader, she has brought national recognition to Los Alamos and New Mexico. We commend Helen Perraglio for this prestigious honor from AGA and say “thank you” for championing excellence and leading the Los Alamos County Finance Division to continuously be high-perform