LAEDC Announces Retirement of CFO Susan Stel after 16 years 

News Release 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2021 

 

LAEDC Announces Retirement of CFO Susan Stel after 16 years
Kendal Turner will take over as Executive Vice President and CFO on October 1st. 

LOS ANGELES – September 30, 2021 – Today, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) announces the retirement of Executive Vice President & CFO Susan Stel. Ms. Stel joined LAEDC in 2005 and, in 2012, she was honored with the Los Angeles Business Journal CFO of the Year Award in recognition of her outstanding performance in the role of corporate financial steward, exhibiting “exceptional financial leadership in a Non-Profit Organization.” She was also nominated for the award by readers in 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2020, a testament to her perennial dedication to excellence. 

 “It has been an honor to work with my colleagues at LAEDC as their dedication, passion and leadership is an inspiration for me. I am especially proud of the incredible successes our team has achieved over the years meeting the needs of vital support to our region’s residents and employers and the extraordinary recent milestone reached of 250,000 direct jobs retained or created as a result of the LAEDC support,” said Stel. “While I leave LAEDC with a sense of accomplishment and humility, I am looking forward to devoting time to other adventures and enjoying more time with my family.” 

“It is a rare privilege to work for more than 15 years alongside a colleague with the exceptional talent, deeply held values and tireless work ethic that Susan Stel has demonstrated each and every day of her service to the LAEDC. Everyone at LAEDC will miss Susan’s wisdom, leadership and encouragement, and we wish her the absolute best in her well-deserved retirement,” said Bill Allen, President and CEO of LAEDC. “Susan and I are both excited to announce that Kendal Turner will now be taking over as CFO starting October 1. Kendal brings a wealth of experience in non-profit management and a genuine enthusiasm for LAEDC’s mission to collaboratively advance inclusive growth and prosperity for all in our region.”

After a nationwide search, Kendal Turner joined the LAEDC as Executive Vice President  and CFO-elect in August 2021 and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in Louisiana and California and a Chartered Global Management Accountant.  Kendal has served as a Chief Financial Officer in the charter school sector for the last ten years, serving students in the greater Los Angeles area, New Orleans, La., and Ohio and Florida.  Before entering the charter school sector, Kendal was an auditor servicing clients in the non-profit, government, and education industries.   

I am honored LAEDC selected me to succeed Susan in this role.  Susan advanced a department committed to excellence, built on best practices, and streamlined to advance the organization’s mission,” said Kendal Turner, Executive Vice President and CFO-elect. “With the foundation she created, I look forward to shuttling the organization into the future by automating processes and integrating systems that will provide leadership with real-time information for data-driven decisions at all levels. LAEDC is composed of brilliant minds with passionate motivation.  It is my privilege to lend my skills to aid this team in serving all of the residents of Los Angeles County.  

Kendal is currently a doctoral candidate in Public Administration at California Baptist University. She has earned a Masters of Governmental Accountancy from Rutgers University and a Bachelor in Accountancy from the University of New Orleans.  Kendal also holds Bachelor in Arts degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice from Southeastern Louisiana University. Kendal currently is a member of the American Institute of CPA’s Government Performance and Accountability Committee. 

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