Vicki Bentz recently retired from her role as Fiscal Officer at BerksIDA. A great asset to the organization, Vicki served with us for fifteen years. We wish her well in her retirement. In July 2023, we welcomed Diane Bujnovsky as Berks IDA’s new Financial Coordinator. Diane comes to us with a long career in the financial field and a great enthusiasm for the work of BerksIDA. Like Vicki, in addition to accounting, record maintenance and general operations, Diane will serve as the liaison between banks, municipalities and Federal and State agencies with funding proposals, bond projects and grant applications/payments. We recently sat down with her to talk about her new role.
Q: How did you get your start in the financial field?
A: When I was in high school accounting class, for the final project in the class, we were given all the information on a company, and we had to run the company. The experience hooked me on the field.
Q: So that was the start of your fascination with numbers?
A: Numbers intrigue me. I love numbers. After starting out doing data entry, I worked in payables, receivables, and payroll. I worked for a payroll company for a while. I’ve been preparing taxes part-time for about 30 years. I just kept moving on and up. When I saw the opening for a financial coordinator here [at BerksIDA], I thought that sounded interesting, like an exciting endeavor. I like to do new things.
Q: Did you know much about the IDA before you took the position?
A: I didn’t know anything about them! I went online and looked them up. I think it’s a wonderful organization. It’s an awesome privilege to work here and offer these services to people who are trying to improve the area.
Q: Can you tell us more about how your role as Financial Coordinator integrates with what the Executive Director does?
A: Jeremy does the packaging part, figuring out what kind of funding or resources a project needs. I help with the implementation. For example, I manage compliance of the 11 grants we currently administer – they need detailed documentation of payroll certifications, or a personal match, commodity requirements, etc. I also do the accounting for the organization [Berks IDA].
Q: What do you like best so far about this work?
A: Everybody that I work with, from high up in the state to the contractors, are so nice to work with. There are so many different groups, like the chamber, County, etc., all there to help. Banks, solicitors, all come into it. It’s really a group effort. If we can offer that help to make the city and county a better place for the next generation, it’s always moving forward. It’s always going for the goal of bettering Reading and Berks County. That’s the place where we live.
Q: Speaking of where you live, how do you spend your time outside of work?
A: I live in Muhlenberg. I have a grown son and an eight-year-old granddaughter. We like to cook, bake, and work in the yard. Next time you see Diane or get the chance to work with her, make sure to welcome her to the IDA and thank her for the important service she provides!