Jeffrey L. Esser

Jeffrey L. Esser is the Executive Director Emeritus of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). He recently retired from the GFOA after serving more than 35 years as chief executive officer. He began his career with GFOA in 1979 as the director of its Federal Liaison Center. He joined the Financial Accounting Foundation Board of Trustees in January 2018. 

Mr. Esser served on the board of directors of the Center for State and Local Government Excellence and is Chair of the Endowment Board of the Bernard Zell Day School in Chicago. He is a volunteer consultant with the Executive Service Corps of Chicago and provides strategic and financial advice to not-for-profit organizations. 

Mr. Esser holds a B.A. in economics and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and he also studied in the public administration graduate program at George Washington University in Washington D.C.