Gainesville finance director Sue Wang resigns – The Independent Florida Alligator

The City of Gainesville announced its director of financial services has submitted her resignation and will be leaving office Dec. 1. 

Sue Wang was hired in June 2022 as controller for general government, six months after an audit raised concern about the city’s financial accountability.

City manager Cynthia Curry quickly moved Wang to the position of finance director due to staffing shortages, where Wang worked for 16 months to resolve issues raised by the audit — including improving back reconciliations, government accounting practices and financial reporting.

Wang has been terrific to work with and good for the city, said Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward in an email to The Alligator.

“I wish her well in future endeavors,” he wrote.

In completing the city’s fiscal year 2021 and 2022 audits, Wang’s team corrected four of six findings and laid groundwork to resolve the remaining two, according to a news release announcing Wang’s resignation.

Curry credits Wang with moving the city’s finances forward even in her short time in office.

“We are in a far different position now than we were two years ago,” Curry said in a press release. “Director Wang propelled us forward, bringing to the City many improvements in a very short period of time. She has left us in a good position, with a clear path forward and strong and reliable staff in place.”

Wang thanked the city for the opportunity to serve as financial director in submitting her resignation. She has begun preparing her staff for the transition to her absence.

Curry is developing an interim plan in preparation for recruiting a new finance director.