Council praises treasurer’s new investment certification as city begins investing outside state pool

The Southbridge City Council on Monday publicly recognized City Treasurer Kia Jensen for earning a Certified Public Financial Investment Manager credential and discussed the council’s recent move to invest a portion of city funds outside the State Public Treasurers’ Investment Fund.

S5 opened the presentation by saying the credential is “a really big deal for the city and for the community,” and noted the council approved reallocating some funds out of the state pool late last year to be “better financial stewards of the city's money.” S1, a staff presenter, walked the council through slides describing the certification’s curriculum and the policies and procedures Tia prepared to govern investments, saying the training “provided tools for her to for how to invest, what to invest, and different strategies that we can use here at the city.”

Council members praised the work during the brief presentation. S5 told the council that the administration and finance committee had begun reviewing the new investments this quarter, and that having certified staff “adds a layer to the city of the financial acumen and knowledge within staff that can really be a benefit to the community.” Staff said they will continue to report investment performance to the council and the finance committee.