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Life is Never a Straight Line

They say life is never a straight line -- that it’s more accurately described as a series of twists and turns. You can have your sights set on where you want to be, but the journey of getting there is what makes us who we are in life.

If that’s the case, than Judy Aubin, now the Internal Auditor for the City of Cranston, has proven herself as a dedicated professional with a thirst for hard work. Her journey offers a wonderful lesson for others, that hard work, does indeed, pay off.

Aubin’s entrance into the world of accounting came after a series of turns. A straight line would have led her directly from high school to college to the professional arena. But that wasn’t in the cards for a young woman growing up in a family of 17. Fueled by economic realities, Aubin learned an important life lesson at a young age – and she hasn’t stopped pouring herself into her work since that time.   

WHAT COUNTS: Tell us about your early work experience and how it set you on a path towards becoming a CPA.
Judy Aubin: While in high school, I began working at Landmark Medical Center as a dietary aide, which mostly meant washing dishes. At the time, the pharmacy on site was also offering training for those interested in becoming a Pharmacy Technician.  Having enough of washing dishes, I took the 10-month course without pay, and became a Certified Pharmacy Technician. My job as a Pharmacy Technician lasted over seven years at Landmark, but during those seven years I realized that I wanted more for myself, which was when I eventually decided to pursue a career in accounting.

I initially began taking courses on a part-time basis and then in 1990, when my daughter was just a year old, I decided it was time to attend school full time.  Being married and having a child, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We needed two incomes to make ends meet, but I’ve always said that ‘where there is a will, there’s a way.’ Fortunately, I had the will and I just had to find the way.  So I took a position as a Unit Secretary on the Psychiatric Ward at Landmark. My hours were from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, but the schedule allowed me to attend college full time during the week. My husband worked second shift so our daughter would be taken care of during the day, and I was taking four to five courses at a time. It wasn’t easy, by any means, but I knew what I had to do to get things done. So going to school full time, taking care of my daughter when I arrived home, keeping up with all the homework and projects, and working every weekend at 12-hour intervals for three years was a load. But I am proof that if you want something bad enough, it can be done. I obtained this work ethic from being part of a large family. We grew up with the understanding that if you wanted something in life, it would require a lot of work and dedication. It wasn’t going to come easy.

WC: Receiving your college diploma must have been especially rewarding.
AUBIN: Absolutely!  I graduated from Bryant College in December of 1993 and received the Jere St. Angelo ‘61 Accounting Award. It was presented to two graduating seniors in accounting who demonstrated a high level of achievement, were in the top 10 percent of their class, were residents of an urban area, and were entering a career in public accounting.   

WC: Why accounting?
Aubin: The thing that drew me to accounting was the diversification of the field. A degree in accounting is as broad or as narrow as one chooses. If you want to concentrate in taxation and nothing else, that’s fine. If you want auditing or consulting, that is also fine. If you want a bit of everything, that door was and still is open to you.  The accounting profession has offered me a nice balance between family and career. Not at first, but over the years it allowed me that balance, especially after obtaining my CPA. I could have stopped after obtaining my accounting degree but that just wasn’t complete enough for me. I wanted more so I pursued the CPA. 

WC: What is it about the profession that appeals to you?
AUBIN: What appeals to me is what drew me to the profession in the first place, the broad spectrum of opportunity it offers.  My desire at this point in time is to become a Forensic Auditor. I would also like to pursue teaching within the profession.

WC: When and why did you decide to join the RISCPA?
AUBIN: I joined the RISCPA in 2002.  I decided to join because of what it had to offer and still offers.  It gives me a ‘One Stop Shop’ for obtaining my CPE’s. I must also mention the friendly atmosphere and welcoming personalities of those who are employed at RISCPA and the location of the courses offered.

WC: What do you get most out of the RISCPA?
AUBIN: The quality of CPE courses offered is superb. The RISCPA goes out of its way to ensure that all avenues of your career are covered. For example, I am now in the Internal Auditing sector of the accounting profession for a municipality, and last year I got a call from a RISCPA representative asking what I would like to see offered in the courses. Sure enough, since that call I’ve noticed more curriculum offered in my area. The RISCPA is like an accounting mom, making sure you are up to date with all of your CPA requirements. And it always keeps you up to date with current local and national events.

WC: What are your responsibilities in the City of Cranston?
AUBIN: My responsibilities in the City of Cranston are vast and range from the performance of analytical procedures, to monitoring policies and procedures for compliance and completeness, to account reconciliations, as well as reviewing the work of others. In addition to these responsibilities, I am asked to: oversee the payroll process; review union contracts for compliance on both sides; perform analytical procedures on various accounts; perform account reconciliations; oversee the Police and Fire Pension Investment account; monitor policies and procedures of the City; answer notices received from the federal and state government; calculate severance pays for police and fire retirees; perform year-end wrap up and reporting requirements for local, state and federal levels; prepare annual audit work papers for the yearly audit; and monitor the Revolving Fund loan account. The aforementioned are just a few things that I am responsible for. It’s easier to say that I am a “Jack of all trades” in the accounting profession for the City of Cranston.

WC: What is different about working for a municipality, as opposed to the private sector?
AUBIN: There are many approaches to answering this question. I am honored and privileged to have worked for KPMG upon receiving my accounting degree. Working in the private sector before working for a municipality has conditioned me in my profession to strive for excellence and resolution. I think all accountants who enter into the municipal sector should be required to have been employed in the private sector prior to their employment. Working in the private sector forces you to look at things differently, as compared to one who has only known the municipal world of employment. My views are always on the outcome of my work.

WC: With the national (and local economy) being in the state that it is, do you feel an added responsibility as a financial expert—or does the state of the economy, in a sense, help folks to focus on ways to do things more efficiently?
AUBIN: Absolutely, in both areas!  My added responsibility, as it has always been, comes down to the same question that I always ask myself, “How will the citizens of Cranston benefit from my work?”  I make it my job to report to the administration, those things that I come across that could make a difference in governing. In a sense, the state of the economy does help folks to focus on ways to do things more efficiently, in that it forces a more cognitive approach in voting and in spending habits from the federal level down to the municipal level of governing. It brings the folks to the forefront of the problem by encompassing a view of their own personal financial situations.

Clearly, Judy Aubin’s hard work and dedication to the profession has made for a successful journey!