Kendal is currently the Executive VP and CFO of Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization focused on equitable economic growth in the Los Angeles region. She directs and oversees the financial and administrative activities of the organization, including finance, human resources, facilities, and information technology, to assure the proper allocation of funds to advance the organization's mission and recognize its vision. She also acts as the organization's board liaison to the LAEDC subcommittees and the treasurer and secretary of the Southern California Leadership Council. For eleven years prior to her current role, she served as CFO in the charter school sector, stewarding funds in California, Louisiana, Ohio, and Florida. She is currently a doctoral student in Public Administration and earned a Masters of Governmental Accountancy from Rutgers University and a Bachelor in Accountancy from University of New Orleans. Kendal currently serve as a member of the American Institute of CPA’s Government Performance and Accountability Committee and is a single mother of a highly energetic, eager, clever beautiful four-year-old “big girl” named Kali Rain.
I graduated at the bottom of my high school graduating class and did not score the highest on the ACT. I had working class parents who were not college graduates, which made it difficult to navigate the search. I struggled to find a university that would give me a chance. Southeastern at the time was an open admission school and welcomed me with open arms.
My time at Southeastern consisted of three buildings, where I slept, where I studied and where I lived. My freshman year, I was assigned to Lee Hall, the iconic dormitory of all girls. I gained so much sisterhood being in an all-female dormitory. Being a social science major, D Vickers was the only building that I studied in. I did everything in my power to complete every course possible without having to leave the building. I almost accomplished it. But nothing reminds me of Southeastern more than the Student Union, it was at the mecca of everything. It was where I lived. It was where I became. The Student Union was my life.
My fondest memory of Southeastern was pledging the Eta Lambda chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. I embodied the ideals of sisterhood, service, scholarship and finer-womanhood. My sisters and the brothers of the Omnicron Nu Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. created memories and bonds that have lasted a lifetime.
Did a Southeastern professor inspire you? Who was that and how was that person inspirational?
The professor who had the greatest impact on my life was Dr. Jerome Salomone. Within the last week of graduation, Dr. Salomone approached me in the hallway and asked me to read a book and handed it to me. The book was a collection of essays from a professor at UC Berkeley. He wanted me to pay attention to one particular article on the concept of “Race-Holding.” I brought back to him one quote from the book that I have carried with me throughout my entire life. Dr. Salomone told me that if I walked out of school and did not achieve that it would not be because of my race, gender, age, or geography; it would be because I chose not to do so. He said I possessed everything inside of me to become great.
I used both my sociology and criminal justice degrees while working for the CASA program at Jefferson Parish Juvenile Court. Shortly after leaving my position, I decided to get my accounting degree. My sociology and criminal justice degree helped me become a better auditor because I understood at a different depth the nonprofits that I audited.
How did your Southeastern degree prepare you for success in your career?
As a nonprofit CFO, my degrees in sociology and criminal justice give me an unmatched skillset that allows me to translate numbers into meaning and service. I don’t have to operate as the traditional accountant, I lead with compassion. I understand how finance is used to create opportunities for those traditionally disinvested populations. I see the role of finance in changing and uplifting members of society.
I enjoy the ability to affect change through finance. I fulfill an essential role within the organization. Being able to do it with my background in sociology and criminal justice give me an advantage to see it form every vantage point. I am inspired by lived experiences. The organization’s vision is to create “A reimagined Los Angeles regional economy – growing, equitable, sustainable, and resilient – that provides a healthy and high standard of living for all.” The people in the community I serve represent me. Because of Southeastern, I was able to begin my educational journey, which has led me to an amazing career, grounded in service to my community. My experience teaches us that our expressions of values are not only in our words, but also in the allocation of resources. Finance within an organization not only result of management’s decisions, but the tangible outcomes to align our values with our resources in a quantitative way to hold ourselves accountable.
As with most New Orleanians, Hurricane Katrina was the most impactful unexpected life experience. But, what most don’t know is Hurricane Katrina had the most impact on my professional life. I was still working for Juvenile Court at the time. I was using both of my degrees as I planned. However, when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city my parents and siblings evacuated and resided in Dallas, TX for a year and a half. I returned to the city within a month of the devastation. I felt trapped. My job was so unique to the court, I knew that finding the same position in another part of the country was like looking for a needle in the haystack. I then decided to return to school to get a degree in accounting. With an accounting degree in hand and years of experience in nonprofit and government service, I could find a nonprofit of government finance, removing any geographic barriers from my life. The rest is history.
Has something about your Southeastern education surprised you since graduating?
The thing that has surprised me most about my Southeastern education is how much I learned outside of the classroom. Taking on leadership roles within the university taught me just as much as the lessons in the curriculum.
What advice would you give to a driven college student about to enter the "real world"?
Your career path does not have to be linear. Create experience that gets you to the ultimate goal. Grab a hold to a mentor who coaches you into becoming the best version of yourself. Then create safe spaces for yourself to grow, learn and make mistakes.
What advice should they ignore?
The voice in your head that scares you from achieving your best. Typically, we are our own worst enemy. Give yourself the freedom to dream and become.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
In my free time, I like to travel with my six-year-old daughter. We like exploring new places, collecting state stamps, and immersing ourselves in local culture.
Do you have a fun or interesting fact that you would like to share about yourself?
As much as I adore the city of Los Angeles and all it offers, I still split my time at home in the city of New Orleans. The split allows me to still spend valuable time with my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, giving my daughter the best of both worlds.
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