Accounting
July 27, 2022
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, VA — After more than two decades of service to Chesterfield, including the past 20 months as assistant director of accounting, Consuela Y. Wilson has been promoted to lead the county’s Accounting Department.
Wilson was chosen to succeed Donna Arrington, who retired as accounting director June 30.
She began her new assignment on July 11 and will be introduced at the July 27 Board of Supervisors meeting.
“I am honored and humbled to have been entrusted with leading a tremendous team of dedicated accounting professionals,” Wilson said. “This is not a responsibility I take lightly.”
The Accounting Department is tasked with establishing reliable internal controls through policies, procedures and business practices that promote financial integrity and protect public assets. This includes processing and managing payroll and payments for active and former county employees and accounts payable for Chesterfield County government and schools. Accounting also assists county departments with grant processes and compliance, prepares the comprehensive annual financial report and serves as a fiscal agent for various regional organizations.
A University of Virginia graduate, Wilson began her career with Chesterfield in October 2001 as a senior automation analyst. She served as financial systems coordinator from 2007 until 2018, when she was named financial systems manager. She was promoted to assistant accounting director in November 2020.
Wilson has more than 10 years of progressive management experience, with active participation in the Accounting Department’s strategic planning.
As assistant director, she oversaw a multi-phase Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) modernization effort to complete industry analysis and benchmarking and identify a strategic path forward for replacement of legacy systems, coordinating with county and school stakeholders and acting as primary contact with the county’s consultant. ERP is an integrated financial, HR and payroll system.
She also managed the Accounting Department’s operational, personnel and capital improvement program (CIP) budgets, while coaching and mentoring three managers with guidance on performance evaluations, recruitment, retention, and succession planning.
“We couldn’t be happier to name Consuela as our director of accounting,” said Matt Harris, deputy county administrator for finance and administration. “She has demonstrated her commitment to serving the citizens of Chesterfield over the past 20-plus years. She understands and respects the culture of our organization and brings a wealth of institutional knowledge to her new position. We know she will hit the ground running.”
