Kristina considers herself an activist CFO, who comes into organizations with a unique perspective as a Black woman in finance, orienting around a framework centering policies, procedures, and processes in equity, that has an alignment to strategy, not just with the business.
Kristina served as the CFAO for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), where she oversaw a portfolio of Homeless Services funds of over $600 Million, and provided direct oversight of the Finance and Administrative Functions. Before rejoining LAHSA, she served as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of Nonprofit Finance Fund, where she oversaw the Finance and Administration Business Unit. In this role she helped advance NFF’s commitment to ensuring nonprofits, especially those led by and serving people of color, had the resources to meet community needs. Prior to joining NFF, Kristina served as the Director of Finance; at LAHSA, and when funding through the agency to address the homelessness crisis, grew from $75 million to over $400 million annually, she guided the organization’s financial operational expansion and its evolution as an active partner to service providers. She also previously held finance leadership positions with the Los Angeles Urban league, Jenesse Center, Chinatown Service Center, and worked as a key member of the finance team at First 5 LA. In all these positions, she earned a reputation as a truth-teller and trust builder.
Kristina has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in African American Studies from UC Berkeley; a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Management Leadership from the University of La Verne, where she is an adjunct professor teaching MBA and MPH students Accounting and Compliance for Nonprofit organizations as well as Budget and Financial Planning, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Public Administration, where her research focuses on building the financial and administrative capacity of organizations that receive public funds.