Jodi Dobson, partner on the energy and utilities team with Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP, has been with the firm since 1998. She specializes in serving municipal utilities (electric, water, wastewater, stormwater and transit) and joint action agencies. Her experience includes performing financial audits, single audits, agreed upon procedure reviews and fraud investigations as well as preparing rate studies, cost of service studies, rate designs and financial forecasts. Jodi is active in several industry associations including the Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin (MEUW), Wisconsin Section of American Water Works Association (WIAWWA) Board of Trustees and Wisconsin Rural Water Association (WRWA).
Experience
- Oversees audits for municipal electric, water, wastewater, stormwater and transit utilities and joint action agencies
- Leads agreed upon procedure reviews related to contract compliance for utilities, joint action agencies and regulatory bodies
- Facilitates utility rate studies, including cost of service studies and rate design options
- Assists governmental units with interpretation and implementation of Governmental Accounting Standards
- Analyzes the financial impact of construction projects on utility customer rates, borrowing needs and operational results
- Directs the preparation of annual operating budgets and long-range financial forecasts for electric, water and wastewater utilities
- Provides support to municipal utilities with complex retail and wholesale rate issues
- Leads special projects, including chart of account separations, specific rate designs, departmental cost analysis, development of connection fees and impact fees, operational benchmarking and basis of accounting conversions
- Compiles annual reports to regulatory agencies
- Performs compliance audits of federal and state funded programs under OMB Uniform Guidance
- Performs compliance audits of federal and state funded programs under OMB Uniform Guidance
Involvement
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- American Public Power Association (APPA) – utility education courses instructor
- Government Finance Officers Association Comprehensive Annual Financial Report reviewer
- MEUW
- WIAWWA Board of Trustees
- Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- WRWA
Thought Leadership
- Speaker on internal controls, fraud prevention, budgeting and other industry topics at management conferences
- Organizes annual Baker Tilly Utility University seminar
- “GASB update including GASB 75 on OPEB accounting and reporting,” Baker Tilly Utility University, 2017
- "Maintaining or improving your utility's bond rating," APPA webinar, 2017
- “Beyond cost: positioning the value of water utility services,” WIAWWA Spring newsletter, 2017
- “GASB financial reporting model project: potential impact on utilities,” bakertilly.com, 2017
- “Long-range planning: balancing costs with customer service,” WIAWWA Spring newsletter, 2017
- “Long-range planning: balancing costs with customer service,” WIAWWA Spring newsletter, 2017
- “GASB 72: fair value measurement and application,” bakertilly.com, 2016
- “Long range planning: why? how? who?” WIAWWA Annual Conference, 2016
- “Understanding utility finances,” Baker Tilly webinar, 2016
- "Value of water,” WIAWWA Annual Conference, 2016
- "Governmental accounting update," Baker Tilly Utility University, 2015
- “New accounting standards impacting public power – GASB 65 and 68,” APPA webinar, 2015
- “PSC annual report changes; best practices in sharing financial information with a governing body,” MEUW Accounting and Customer Service Seminar, 2015
- “Understanding payments in lieu of taxes and other contributions made by public power,” APPA webinar, 2015
- “2013 Wisconsin Act 20 levy limit impacts public fire protection,” bakertilly.com, 2014
- “GASB 65: items previously reported as assets and liabilities,” bakertilly.com, 2013
- “Sequestration effects build American bonds,” bakertilly.com, 2013
- “Advanced utility accounting manual,” APPA (contributing author), 2012
Education
Carthage College (Kenosha, Wisconsin)
Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and international business
Continuing Education
- APPA, various seminars
- Baker Tilly, Essentials of utility financial management
- Baker Tilly, Governmental auditing update
- Baker Tilly, Performing single audits under the Uniform Guidance for federal awards
- Baker Tilly, Utility rate studies
- Fraud examination for managers and auditors
- Internal control and fraud detection
- Internal controls for small entities
- The strength behind boards of directors: accountability and oversight
- Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Accounting, Auditing and Financial Management Conference
