URA/FRA chief financial officer-treasurer appointed

Leah Burnett

Leah Burnett, CPA, who joined URA/FRA on July 5 as chief financial officer-treasurer, has a long and distinguished career. She provided executive-level financial leadership to national and international nonprofit organizations, with a focus on organizations that provide service to federal agencies and foreign governments. She worked with DOE, Dept. of Defense, United States Agency for International Development, Dept. of Justice, Dept. of State and Health and Human Services, as well as many national laboratories. She succeeds Ben Stauss, who retired on July 29 after 11 years of service.

Burnett most recently led a for-profit energy consulting firm under contract to DOE and Oak Ridge National Lab. Her prior experience includes over 10 years of consulting for government contractors and grantees. She provided strategic guidance, contract and rate negotiations, proposal development, as well as expert financial advisory services. As budget officer for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Burnett was responsible for the fiscal viability of all proposals and the ongoing contractual compliance, as well as the financial and budgetary reporting. She developed and led process improvement initiatives, designed and implemented state of the art accounting systems and developed training programs on best practices in the nonprofit industry. She provided her assessment, observations and technical advice to Senate Finance Committee staffers during the review of regulatory and industry requirements for nonprofit organizations.

Her experience as a CPA in public accounting, working with a large variety of organizations and funding sources, as well as her knowledge and experience with federal contracting, enrich Burnett's approach to issues and opportunities. She brings a depth of knowledge and experience that will benefit both the URA and the FRA now and into the future.