Certification As a Project Management Professional®

An experienced audit executive, Brenda Roberts has served as City Auditor for the City of Oakland. But during her diverse career she has also worked with public accounting firms, Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Ms. Roberts appreciates that audit work is project management—managing audit engagements, internal fraud investigations and special projects. In order to further her knowledge in this area, she became a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and is now studying for a certification as a professional project manager.

Having recently celebrated its 50th year anniversary, PMI has taken a leading role in certifying those working in fields such as portfolio, program, and project management. Its certification programs have gained global recognition for quality standards developed through meticulous methodology research.

The PMI’s certification programs include the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification. Applicants with a 4-year degree must have at least 36 months of experience in project management, in addition to other requirements. Those candidates with an Associates degree must have 60 months of experience. PMI offers other certifications to align with the emerging practices in project management, including the PMI-ACP – PMI Agile Certified Professional. All of these certifications acknowledge the competence and technical expertise of project managers and enhance the career options of credentialed professionals.

Recently, in response to the shelter-in-place mandates, the PMI made the decision to make the PMP® exam available online. To learn more about PMI, to find a local chapter in your area and for information about other certification programs, visit http://www.pmi.org.

Three Great Hikes in Oakland, California

Based in Oakland, California, Brenda Roberts most recently served as a city auditor for 3 years. Prior to that she served as director of internal audit for AAA Northern California, Nevada, and Utah. In her free time, Brenda Roberts enjoys cooking and hiking around her Oakland home.

Oakland offers some of the best hikes near the Bay Area. One such hike is the Stream Trail, which is part of the famed Redwood Regional Park. This stretch of trail runs along Redwood Creek and connects to many other trails throughout the park. The mostly flat Stream Trail is a great shorter option, while hikers looking for a longer day should begin at the Skyline Gate Staging Area and go down the Stream Trail, then make a loop back on the French Trail.

For a great view of Contra Costa County and San Francisco Bay, visit the Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve, which was once an active volcano 10 million years ago. This is a short hike, only 2.5 miles, but in addition to the aforementioned views, hikers can witness a variety of colorful wildflowers.

Finally, there is the Sequoia-Bayview Trail, which is found in Joaquin Miller Park. This is a great trail for runners, as there are few elevation shifts. There are also great views of San Francisco Bay and the redwood forests.

Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Highlights Education Fraud

Based in Oakland, California, Brenda Roberts has spent over a decade as a professional internal auditor and a Certified Fraud Examiner. Ms. Roberts has worked in public accounting firms, and for public and private companies and government agencies. In addition, Brenda Roberts has been a member of several professional organizations, including the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), which has recently highlighted the potential for fraud in higher education institutions.

The ACFE notes that colleges and universities can be as vulnerable to fraud as other organizations; and their vulnerability to misdeeds can be exasperated by the de-centralized structure of many universities. In some cases, department chairs or others are provided a high level of authority without the needed oversight. ACFE claims there are a variety of ways in which a university could be a victim of fraud. And this has been most evident this past year in the high-profile admissions scandals of prominent US colleges.

Fraud has a wide-spread negative impact on its victims, and educational institutions are particularly hard-hit. Most universities have diligently built their reputation and ‘brand’ over many decades. Acts of wrong-doing can derail this hard-earned image as a trustworthy organization in a short period of time, impacting the school’s ability to secure its endowments, attract students, professors and employees, and could even displace its position in its community.

Certified Fraud Examiners and Internal Auditors play an important role in preventing fraud through regular fraud awareness programs and trainings, promoting ethics policies and conducting investigations to identify and root out waste, abuse and fraud.

For more information about the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, visit their website at www.acfe.com.

2018 Audit of Oakland’s Emergency Medical Services Retention Act

Serving as the elected City Auditor for the City of Oakland, Brenda Roberts oversaw an independent body tasked with audits and reviews of municipal finances and projects. With a focus on identifying issues of fraud and waste while ensuring proper use of taxpayer dollars, Brenda Roberts directed diverse performance audits, including one focused on Measure M – the Emergency Medical Services Retention Act. Passed in 1997 by Oakland voters, Measure M is a parcel tax. These monies are intended to support the Oakland Fire Department’s (OFD) Medical Services Division. Similar to other parcel tax measures, this legislation requires an audit by the City Auditor every year. When Auditor Roberts came into Office, the audit of this measure had not been conducted regularly, as required. Taxpayers and citizens rely on this oversight to confirm that tax monies are spent as intended.

The audit, covering several years determined that although tax proceeds were spent in line with the measure’s intentions, the City’s spending plan was incomplete and did not show enough detail to support forecasted expenditures for future tax years. A forecast is important, as it is a guideline for City management for spending. And it also conveys to the taxpayers a plan for how these funds will be used. Auditor Roberts recommended the City Administrator and Medical Services work together to develop a realistic spending plan, with guidance from the City’s budget office. At the same time, the report reinforced the critical role the OFD plays in providing Oakland residents with access to timely emergency medical services, a top priority when it comes to public safety.