April WAKE UP! Newport – Breakfast with Newport Beach City Finance Director Scott Catlett

Scott Catlett became the Finance Director / Treasurer for the City of Newport Beach in January 2021.  His experience in public sector finance includes working directly for cities since 2006, after serving as a management consultant for state and local governments for six years.

As a consultant, Scott provided financial consulting services to municipalities and commercial service and general aviation airports throughout the United States, later transitioning to managing a financial software implementation team delivering projects for state departments of transportation, airports, and other public and private clients.  He went on to work at the City of Riverside for 10 years and held the positions of Principal Management Analyst, Budget & Debt Manager, and Assistant Finance Director.  Most recently, he served as the Finance Director / City Treasurer for the City of Yorba Linda for five years.  Through these various roles, Scott has managed budgets ranging from $100 million to $1.2 billion and investment portfolios of $75 million to $500 million.

Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Tulane University and a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB).  He has been a member of the adjunct faculty in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration at CSUSB since 2014, where he teaches courses in public financial management and public budgeting in the Master of Public Administration program.

Scott is active in various professional associations, including the Government Finance Officers Association, California Municipal Treasurers Association, and California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO).  He has been a volunteer leader with CSMFO for over 10 years, serving successively as Chair of the statewide Professional Standards and Recognition, Career Development, and Administration Committees.  In 2017, he was elected to a three-year term on the CSMFO Board of Directors, and in 2020 he was elected to be CSMFO’s 2022 President.

Scott lives in Yorba Linda with his wife Kelli and three children.  He enjoys hiking and gardening.