Georgia’s storytelling deputy state auditor, double Bobcat Kristina Turner as Executive in Residence

By Gil Pound

D ouble Bobcat Kristina Turner's ('99, '03) path towards becoming the first female deputy state auditor for the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts began at Georgia College & State University.

As an undergraduate Accounting major approaching graduation, Turner did what many students in her position do - she attended an on-campus career fair. She was introduced to the Department of Audits and Accounts, the agency established to promote accountability among state-funded entities as they spend taxpayers' dollars.

The career fair meeting kicked off a 25-year professional journey that saw her advance from staff auditor to the department's only deputy state auditor.

"I saw this organization as one that was giving back," said Turner, whose educator parents modeled public service for her. "It felt like a natural fit for me."

Early in her DOAA career, Turner chose Georgia College again to earn her master's in Management Information Systems by attending graduate school at night. Throughout her working tenure, Turner's interdisciplinary background helped her lead major departmental initiatives in technology integration, data analytics and research development. In 2019 she became the first woman and youngest person to be named deputy state auditor for Georgia.

"I think my degrees from Georgia College really drove some of my movement within the department," she said.

Although accounting and auditing have long been seen as professions dealing strictly in numbers, Turner sees her work as an opportunity to tell stories. An audit serves as a bridge between where an organization is and where it wants to be. Colleges and universities have their financials checked as part of their accrediting processes. Public school systems do the same to ensure they can borrow funds to build new facilities to serve their students.

"I believe auditing is really about investigating and reporting what we see," said Turner. "We're focused on recommendations that are practical. It's not just about the numbers. It's about the people, the organization, the operation and the efficiency. If you can't tell that story in a way that makes sense to someone who's not an accountant, you're not going to move the needle the way you want to."

Turner's story brought her back to her alma mater this week, serving in a dual role as keynote speaker for the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology Executive Forum and as a guest through Georgia College's Executive and Professional in Residence program. The forum serves as a resource for the region, facilitating an open dialogue between community leaders and those like Turner who make a difference in the state. The Executive and Professional in Residence program offers departments across the university unique access to business, education, government and health care professionals.

Turner addressed Middle Georgia business leaders at the forum Tuesday, spoke to several GCSU classes, led staff workshops and roundtable conversations, and networked with faculty and students over the course of three days. She also gave a campus-wide presentation titled, "Beyond the Bottom Line: Building Resilience Through Purposeful Leadership," on Thursday, Oct. 9, in the Arts & Sciences Auditorium.

"We were honored to have Kristina join us as Executive in Residence and keynote speaker for the Executive Forum," said Dr. Faye McIntyre, interim dean of the College of Business & Technology. "Her willingness to share her experience and knowledge truly demonstrates the Bobcat spirit."

"Georgia College gave me the foundation for my career," Turner said. "I had great teachers, strong curriculum and people who cared about my success. I was a person at Georgia College.

"Front Campus - one of the things that first drew me here - looks very similar to how it did when I was a student," she added. "I really enjoy the atmosphere on campus. The desire to better oneself is very obvious when you're in these classes talking to professors and students."

Header Images: While on campus as Business Executive in Residence this week, Turner spoke to several class, recorded an episode of the BizCast podcast, and addressed a campus-wide audience Thursday evening in the A&S Auditorium. (Photos: Anna Gay Leavitt, Nancy Finney and Gil Pound)