Jennifer Teal
Manager

Jennifer Teal

Education

Master of Public Administration – George Mason University; Bachelor of Arts (Urban Planning and Public Administration) – Miami University

Certifications

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification

Email

jteal@raftelis.com

About Jennifer

Jennifer has over 20 years of public sector experience, including ten years of leadership experience in local government. She has a wide array of expertise in organizational assessment, process improvement, financial management, strategic planning, and leadership development. Jennifer is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Her commitment to empowering others has led to the implementation of numerous lean management projects that improve the efficiency and quality of government services. She is a skilled facilitator, trainer, and problem solver, having led several organizations through the development of strategic plans, strategic business plans, and detailed implementation plans.

Jennifer began her local government career as an undergraduate intern with the Village of Lincoln Heights, Ohio, where she developed a parks plan and several grant applications for the community. After working for the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, Jennifer returned to local government to manage the business operations of the City of Colorado Springs’ Stormwater Enterprise. There, she oversaw the business, finance, customer service, IT, and GIS functions of a $16 million/year utility responsible for maintaining and improving stormwater infrastructure.

In Gahanna, Ohio, Jennifer worked as the deputy finance director, chief financial officer, and finally, city administrator. In her finance roles, Jennifer was instrumental in guiding the City out of the recession while strengthening its financial position and management strategies. Jennifer led the City through a bond rating increase, multiple debt issuances, the development of key financial policies, and multiple rounds of union negotiations. Working with the elected leadership, Jennifer transformed the City’s budget and financial reporting processes to align with best practices and Government Finance Officer Association award standards.

Jennifer is active in the local government industry and has presented at several conferences and co-authored a recent peer-reviewed article on process improvement in the public sector for the Journal of Public Integrity. She is also a lecturer at the Ohio State University John Glenn College of Public Affairs, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate seminars in Local Government Administration.