Organization

• Financial Services Department Organization Chart

Maria Woods

Maria received a master's degree in business administration from Brenau University and a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Georgia. Maria is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Georgia. She has also received her certification as a Certified Financial Officer Level II from the University of Georgia. She has 24 years of experience in local government. She has been with the County since October 1997. She has provided training services for the Carl Vinson Institute of Government Certified Financial Officers Association. She was previously a reviewer for the Government Financial Officers Association Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. She is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association and the Georgia Government Finance Officers Association.

Karen Karasinski

Karen received her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Michigan, a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Michigan State University, and she is a Certified Public Accountant. Prior to coming to Gwinnett County in 2010, Karen worked in municipal finance for 17 years. Most notably, she was the Finance Director for Orange County, Virginia and Deputy Finance Director for the City of Dearborn, Michigan. She is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association. Karen resides in Buford with her husband and daughter.

Rick Reagan

Rick began his career with the County in 2006 as a manager in the Performance Analysis Division where he was involved in continuous improvement initiatives, operational evaluations, audits, special projects, and the implementation of performance measurement systems. Rick spent over 25 years in the private sector in Quality Assurance, Contractor Relations/Purchasing, Auditing, Records Management, and Regulatory Compliance. Rick is an experienced Lean trainer, a Certified Fraud Examiner, and has earned his Six Sigma Master Black Belt certification. He holds an Associate of Science in business, and a Bachelors of Business Administration. He lives in the Snellville area of Gwinnett County with his wife and two children.

Buffy Alexzulian

Buffy received a master's degree in business administration from Shorter University and a bachelor's degree in business administration with a focus in finance from North Georgia College and State University. Buffy began her career with Gwinnett County in the Accounting Division in 2008. She worked a year in the Strategic Business Development Division, working on special finance projects before returning to the Accounting Division in 2010. Buffy has more than 15 years of experience in various finance and accounting roles in the public and private sector. She resides in Buford with her husband and two children.

Roslyn Forstot

Roslyn has over 15 years of government experience, serving Gwinnett County Department of Finance since 1994. She is a member of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing and the Georgia Chapter of NIGP. Roslyn attended the University of Georgia and has lived in Gwinnett County for 35 years. She currently resides in Lawrenceville with her husband.

Beth Horacek

Beth received a master's degree in business administration from West Georgia University and a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Georgia. Beth is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Georgia. She has nine years of experience in local government, as well as six years of accounting experience in the private sector. She has been with the County since May 2010. She is a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Beth resides in Statham with her husband and three children.

Steve Pruitt

Steve holds a bachelor's in finance from Georgia State University. He has over 25 years experience in the administration of Georgia's Property Tax System. Prior to joining Gwinnett County in August 1997, Steve was in the private industry as a property tax consultant to state and local governments. He has also served as a County Tax Assessor and was a member of the Georgia Department of Revenue's Property Tax Division. He is an active member of the Georgia Association of Assessing Officers and the International Association of Assessing Officers, where he served as chairman of the Technical Standards Committee. He resides in Cumming with his wife and two daughters.

Paul Turner

Paul graduated Cum Laude from the University of South Florida in 1992 with a BS in Accounting and is a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society as well as a Certified Public Accountant. Prior to coming to Gwinnett County in 2012, Paul worked in several state agencies including the State Accounting Office, Georgia Department of Transportation, Georgia Building Authority, the Department of Driver Services, and the Department of Human Resources. Paul’s background includes compliance, internal auditing, and accounting. Paul has 18 years of experience in various auditing and accounting roles in the public sector.