GFOA Scholarship Spotlight: Kimber Eden

Kimber Eden began her career in governmental accounting in November 2020 when she was hired by Liberty County, Georgia, to work in Accounts Payable. In March 2022 she was promoted and now handles fixed assets, capital projects, and purchasing. She also completed her Level I Finance Officer certification from University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government in September 2022. Kimber is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, and expects to graduate in Spring 2024. Her goals are to advance in her career while continuing to serve her community.

Q & A with Kimber

Where and what are you currently studying, and why did you choose this?

I am currently finishing my Bachelor’s degree in Accounting at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. I chose Accounting because I have always loved math and wanted a career that I would be able to take with me wherever life happens to take me. Having a career in Accounting further cemented this choice as I got to experience the challenges of having to keep everything balanced and investigating the issue when things weren’t.

What government are you working in or hope to work at in the future?

I currently work for Liberty County, on the Georgia coast. I handle fixed assets, capital projects, and purchasing. I love what I do because every day is a new problem to solve, from basic tasks like filing to rushing to meet a deadline. Some days I’m researching a piece of land that was bought before I was even born, other days I’m completely revamping a spreadsheet that hasn’t been touched in five years. Every day brings new chaos and discoveries as the county grows and GASB standards change.

What are your future career goals?

In the short term, I plan to stay with Liberty County as I finish my degree. In the long term, I hope to stay in my local area, as it’s been amazing to see my community grow and know that I’ve had a hand in that progress. I can drive past a fire station and know that I issued the purchase order for the fire trucks parked inside, or drive over a newly paved street that was paved under the CIP process I handled. However, I’d be happy to go anywhere life takes me. There will always be roads that need to be paved, fire stations that need to be built, and capital projects to organize.

How will GFOA’s scholarship help you achieve those goals?

This scholarship will allow me to graduate with very minimal student loans, moving up the timeline for many of my other goals. Choosing to go back to school at twenty-six was a difficult choice and I was quickly made aware of the fact that most of the students I took classes with were nearly a decade younger than me. It was easy to feel like I had already been set back in my career, especially as my first position was considered entry-level. However, this scholarship gives me the invaluable opportunity to get some of that time back.