Monica Puente, Camp Fire Chief Financial Officer
Fort Worth, Texas (March 1, 2022) – Camp Fire First Texas has hired Monica Puente as Chief Financial Officer. In this role, Puente is responsible for overseeing and guiding Camp Fire First Texas accounting and finance operations with the goal to build a sustainable infrastructure for the accounting and finance operations that will support and contribute to Camp Fire’s success.
“My focus is on streamlining processes and always looking for ways to improve efficiency. This requires collaboration and a solution-based mindset. Data-informed practices and hands-on learning are extremely important in accounting and finance. Numbers tell a story and it’s critical that I communicate that story effectively by providing useful information,“ said Monica Puente, CFO of Camp Fire First Texas.
Prior to joining Camp Fire, Monica served as chief financial and operating officer for Prospanica where she managed the financial health of the organization and administrative process. She has concentrated the past 20 years of her career on improving the financial health and operations of nonprofit organizations in North Texas in various financial leadership roles.
“Bringing Monica on board has already proven to be a game-changer for our organization. Not only does she have the financial expertise we need, she is also a strategist who understands the big picture – the financial story of Camp Fire – and uses that knowledge to help us improve systems, make sound decisions and develop ambitious, sustainable goals for the future,” explained Lauren Richard, President/CEO of Camp Fire First Texas.
As CFO, it is important for Monica to build and lead a diverse, dynamic team to ensure not only that the day-to-day activities run smoothly, but also to add value when managing the overall financial health of the organization to support the mission and strategic goals.
“Camp Fire is the first youth development nonprofit I’ve worked with but supporting youth organizations has always been a passion of mine. As a Latina, it has been very important to be part of an organization that serves diverse communities and for children to see leaders that look like them. After working directly with youth as a cheer coach several years ago, I saw first-hand how amazing it was to provide them with an outlet to be themselves and to capture their spark within. Camp Fire does exactly that but on a much larger scale. Investing in our youth in our local communities is the best impact we can have on building leaders for tomorrow.” Puente shared.
Monica attended Northlake Community College and holds an Executive Certificate in Non-Profit Leadership from Duke University. She is a member of Prospanica, the Association of Hispanic MBAs and Business Professionals and ALPFA, the Association of Latino Professional for America.
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About Camp Fire First Texas
Camp Fire First Texas is one of the largest Camp Fire councils in the country and invests in North Texas communities by providing out-of-school time and outdoor learning programs for children and youth while also offering workforce development programs for the educators who care for them.
Camp Fire programs stand out from others as they are uniquely focused on the two periods of greatest brain growth and development: early childhood and early adolescence; they leverage the impact of the outdoor environment on the brain to educate and connect children to each other and the world around them; and maintain a continuous improvement loop to maximize community impact.
We envision a community in which every child has equitable access to quality learning opportunities that cultivate the skills they need to succeed and thrive in a rapidly changing world.
