National ministries’ new chief financial officer has government, business background

The national ministries of the United Church of Christ have a new chief financial officer.

Tami Marinella starts work March 16. She brings more than 25 years of experience with:

• A large housing authority.
• Two city agencies.
• A state hospital.
• The wholesale and retail operations of a for-profit business.

The Rev. John Dorhauer, general minister and president, called her “a finance professional with a focus on process improvement and financial reporting and analysis.” He said “forecasting, operating budgets, systems implementation and treasury functions” are just a few of her areas of expertise.

Many responsibilities

Among Marinella’s many responsibilities will be to:

• Oversee the day-to-day financial work of the UCC’s national Covenanted Ministries. That includes overseeing monthly financial reports, wire transfers, check authorizations, contracts, banking relationships and audit prepration, to name just a few responsibilities.
• Prepare and present financial reports to the General Synod.
• Serve as treasurer of the United Church of Christ Board, and staff several of its committees.
• Supervise the national ministries’ financial services, information technology and building services staffs.

Since 2015 she has been chief financial officer of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority. The agency services 55,000 residents with 10,000 units at 60 sites in greater Cleveland. Among Marinella’s many tasks there were supervising a financial staff of 25 and managing $246 million in revenue, including federal grants of $207 million.

Previously, she was:

• Fiscal manager of the Cleveland Department of Public Health (2014 to 2015).
• Business analyst with the Cleveland Department of Public Utilities (2012 to 2014).
• Fiscal director and performance improvement director with Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare, Northfield, Ohio (2009 to 2012). Serving seven counties, it’s a hospital operated by Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services.
• Controller of Serv-A-Rack, Inc., Cleveland (1997 to 2009).

“What attracted me to the UCC was the statement, ‘We welcome all, love all, and seek justice for all.”

UCC Chief Fiinancial Officer-designate Tami Marinella

Marinella earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting 2009 and 2011 from Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, Ohio.

Mission an attraction

When not at work, Marinella said, she enjoys “spending time with my husband, children and grandchildren and with our two retired Greyhounds, one cat, a leopard gecko and a dozen chickens.”

As for the CFO position, “what initially attracted me to the UCC was a statement on the website that read, in part, ‘we welcome all, love all, and seek justice for all,'” she said. “For someone like myself, who truly aspires to behave and act constructively and beneficially, I felt that our missions were highly compatible.

“I am looking forward to working with an outstanding group of people to provide quality, connective services to our community.”