A NEW FINANCE director has been appointed for Garden Grove (Shutterstock).

Patricia (Yuan) Song, a 16-year municipal finance professional, has been chosen as the new Finance Director for the City of Garden Grove. Song, currently the manager of fiscal services for the City of Irvine, officially begins her new assignment on April 29, 2019.

“I was very impressed with Patricia’s professional background, her many  accomplishments with other cities, and her key understanding of our city’s financial strengths and challenges — all necessary qualities to successfully serve as Garden Grove’s chief financial officer,” said Garden Grove City Manager Scott Stiles, who made the final selection.

PATRICIA (YUAN) SONG, Garden Grove’s new Finance Director (City of Garden Grove photo).

“I’m elated to join Garden Grove’s vibrant municipality and serve as a fiscal steward among a dynamic team of highly-regarded professionals,” said Song.

As the manager of fiscal services for the City of Irvine, Song manages 23 full-time staff, oversees the city’s investment portfolio of over $940 million, and has managed the upgrade of Irvine’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system—an advanced financial software system that the City of Garden Grove is currently implementing.

Prior to her employment with the City of Irvine, Song served as finance manager for the City of Corona for over a decade, and as accounting manager for the City of Ontario.

She holds MBA degrees in both accounting and in management information systems from California State University, San Bernardino. She is also a certified public accountant.

Song replaces former Finance Director Kingsley Okereke, who retired last September after 15 years of service to Garden Grove.