Melissa Morales joins Southern Community Services as Chief Financial Officer
May 3, 2018
Southern Community Services (SCS), one of only six AAMC –accredited community association management firms in South Carolina, announces the appointment of Melissa Morales as the company’s chief financial officer. With more than 20 years of operations and accounting experience, Morales is spearheading SCS’ financial services, optimizing current processes and maximizing the strengths of the back-office team.
Having served as accounting manager at SCS from 2008 to 2012, Morales is familiar with SCS’ internal protocols and has maintained positive relationships with many of SCS’ longtime clients. Most recently, Morales served as the Vice President of Operations at Elauwit Networks, LLC in West Columbia, S.C. Her expertise in project management, field operations, operational support, purchasing, and maintaining inventory make her uniquely suited for the role of CFO at SCS.
A graduate of the Leadership Columbia Class of 2008, Morales is invested in the community and committed to reinforcing SCS’ team environment.
“The strength of SCS is our team concept,” says Larry Ridlehoover, president of SCS. “With Melissa on board as CFO, we’re seeing even more cohesiveness between the departments under her purview. It’s clear that she is taking this already great ‘back office’ team to a new level, bringing even better operations and accounting service to our clients across the state.”
Morales has taken charge from an accounting and systems perspective, working with the operations group, customer service team, community managers, and key clients’ on-site staff. Her skills range from forecasting and budgeting to financial analysis, auditing and more.
“I look forward to working with the team to identify areas where we can streamline and synergize our accounting processes to better serve our clients and HOAs,” says Morales. “Collaborating with both internal staff and board members to evaluate our systems for additional integration is high on my priority list. I am confident that our team will go into the next quarter stronger than ever.”
Morales plans to conduct surveys with internal staff and homeowner association board members as part of the process of exploring possible software upgrades, and she already has attended several associations’ board, finance and annual meetings.
“SCS is known for providing deliverables in a timely and accurate fashion to clients that require extensive, concierge-type service on the financial side,” notes Ken Tamsin, CEO of SCS. “Melissa’s breadth of knowledge, attention to detail and years of experience enable us to exceed the expectations of all of our communities, from large-scale, master-planned developments to condo and townhome associations.”
“With proven success in client experience, business development and a commitment to cultivating talent, Morales’ appointment as CFO bolsters our growing leadership team,” says Ridlehoover. “Her professional career reflects consistent performance, leadership and trustworthy character, all of which are core values that SCS works to exude through all of our business practices.”
About Southern Community Services
Founded in 2000, Southern Community Services, (SCS), specializes in the management of homeowner associations across the Carolinas, and has a long-standing reputation as the leader in its industry. Staffed with accredited professionals who work diligently to accommodate the unique needs of each community, SCS provides turnkey solutions, state-of-the-art technology and decades of association management experience to boards, with senior-level involvement in every aspect of the business. Learn more about SCS at www.trustscs.com.
