In response to COVID-19, much of Arizona has come to a grinding halt during the last two months while communities Stay Home, Stay Healthy and Stay Connected. Although the walkways between our office and the courts are mostly empty, critical procurement, deposits, and financial reports are generated every day as the superstars on the MCAO Finance Team keep our balance sheets balanced.

While the MCAO Finance Team is primarily teleworking, its nine members are taking turns reporting to the office to handle any on-site issues and provide a friendly face to the few employees working at the office. Grants have deadlines and reimbursements for victims, prosecutors and staff have a timetable, so it is more important than ever that the Finance Team settles into their new routine and continues to provide the high-quality service we expect.

During the last two months, the Finance Team has accomplished:

• The MCAO Travel Coordinator has processed nearly 100 victim/witness travel reimbursements and continues to handle payments and scheduling for employee webinars.
• MCAO Accounting Specialists continue to process invoices for payment, discovery, and victim compensation claims, and lend a hand to the public records team.
• Procurement has been on the hunt for and successfully purchased face masks, hand sanitizers, sanitizing wipes, and thermometers.
• The Grants Team has completed more than 40 financial reports and continues to reconcile invoices for contract compliance.
• Discovery invoices, deposits, and journal entries are being approved and processed.
• Webinars and excel training classes are attended virtually.
• Attorney Loan Repayments are being processed, and financial reports are being generated and tracked to ensure vendors get paid and organizations can receive RICO disbursements.

Despite this new normal, the MCAO Finance Team has worked on gaining new skills so they can continue to add value, embracing new technology, learning better ways to collaborate and communicate, and strengthening their relationships around the office. MCAO thanks the hard-working members of the Finance Team and appreciates their commitment to justice.