NCACC will kick off its first meeting in a series of virtual events called “Ask An ARPA Expert,” on Thursday, February 16 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. This free virtual meeting series will provide a forum for counties to seek technical guidance from a broad range of subject matter experts on issues related to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) program. Future dates and times for this meeting series will be announced via email.
- Click here for more information and to register for the February 16 meeting focused on Records Retention and Management.
- Counties are encouraged to submit questions in advance by email to [email protected].
Each session will feature the following panel of experts who will discuss a selected ARPA related topic and answer questions from participants:
Moderated by Lacy Pate, NCACC Policy Research Director — Lacy advises counties on ARPA eligibility, compliance and reporting issues and assists NCACC’s new Strategic Member Services team on ARPA inquires. She has nearly a decade of federal policy experience working in the U.S. Senate, serving as Senior Policy Advisor on a range of federal programs. She also served as an advisor to the former Secretary of the NC Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and developed a successful $2.7 million grant proposal in partnership with NC State Industry Expansion Solutions to support military connected businesses in North Carolina.
Danny Martinez, Government & Public Sector Accounting Advisory Lead, Director, Cherry Bekaert Advisory, LLC — Danny has over 16 years of experience providing advisory, grant management and compliance, and training services to some of the largest municipalities and counties in the country. He has led or assisted with state and local government grant management projects for a wide variety of CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act funds totaling nearly a billion dollars. Services included grant application review, risk assessments, subrecipient monitoring, template development, expenditure justification memos, eligibility memos, software evaluation, meeting with government stakeholders and reporting. He is a frequent presenter at national and state conferences on a variety of topics including grant internal controls over compliance, grant compliance, federal grant regulation and Single Audit issues.
Kara Millonzi, Professor of Public Law and Government — Kara specializes in local government finance law, general county law, school finance, utilities finance, development finance, and incorporation. She administers the Coates’ Canons Local Government Law Blog and has authored well over 100 posts on issues related to local government law and finance. Millonzi also administers NC Finance Connect, an online community portal, centered around the topic of local government finance.
Johnna Sharpe, NCACC County Operations Consultant — Johnna’s business focuses on working collaboratively with counties to pinpoint solutions for fiscal and operational challenges. She spent three decades in local government leadership roles in Virginia and Wake County, where her roles included Budget Director, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Operations Officer. She is partnering with the NCACC to bring her passion for public service and breadth of expertise to support all North Carolina counties.
Jim Wrenn, ARPA Legal Consultant, Partner, Smith Anderson — Jim’s practice is focused on serving as general counsel for numerous health care providers, business entities, governmental entities, and non-profit organizations. He also serves as the Granville County Attorney. He provides counsel on issues related to corporate governance, health care regulations, human resources, environmental compliance, contracting (including meeting state and federal contracting requirements), taxation, economic development, litigation, lobbying and internal investigations. He also regularly represents clients in connection with the acquisition and sale of businesses, particularly in the healthcare field.