Kari Carlson

Kari Carlson began her career with the City of Bloomington, Minnesota, as an Accountant in 2008. She was promoted to Assistant Finance Manager in 2012, and in 2014, she led the project to implement the City’s new ERP software. In 2019, Kari became the City’s Budget Manager, and in 2023, she was promoted to Deputy Finance Officer, overseeing budget, grants, and special projects. Kari has leveraged the City's ERP software to streamline all areas of the budget process and has transformed the City’s budget process to be more transparent, accessible, and engaging for the public. Before joining the City of Bloomington, Kari worked as a Senior Accountant at Cargill Inc., a global food corporation. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and a minor in French from Iowa State University. Kari also has a Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO) designation from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and is currently serving on the GFOA’s Committee on Governmental Budget and Fiscal Policy.