Leslie Miller is a controller and has worked for KEC for 16 years.

What is a controller?

Controllers are primarily responsible for overseeing a company’s accounting processes, supervising accounting staff and maintaining the accuracy of financial statements.

How did you train for work in this field?

My interest in accounting began while working in the automotive industry after graduating high school. I worked full-time for several years at a car dealership processing titles and documents necessary for the legal transfer ownership when a car was sold. The owner of the dealership gave me the opportunity to help with basic bookkeeping and reconciling. It was something I enjoyed doing so they had me take an introductory accounting course at the North Idaho College Workforce Training Center. After several years of working at the car dealership I decided to become a full-time student at the University of Idaho to focus my studies on accounting where I obtained a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

What made you interested in working for KEC?

Just after I graduated college, I worked as a temporary employee in KEC’s accounting department. During that time, I learned more about KEC. Prior to this, I never really gave much thought to what makes it possible for me to turn my lights on at home every day. I found it fascinating to see a little bit about what goes on behind the scenes to make that happen. It was also very apparent that the culture at KEC was different, in a great way! I noticed there were many long-tenured, friendly and happy employees. Three months after my temporary work assignment at KEC, a full-time accounting position was advertised, so I applied and interviewed for the job. I was hired as an entry level accountant and have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn and grow into my current position as controller.

What does a day look like for you as a controller?

There is a lot of variety in my job. You can often find me analyzing and reviewing financial statements and transactions, assisting staff with payroll, plant accounting and general accounting processes. I also have duties that reoccur monthly, quarterly and annually. For example, I prepare financial statements monthly, complete tax filings quarterly and assist our chief financial officer in developing KEC’s annual budget.

What is the biggest challenge in your job?

Accounting is the process of recording and reporting a company’s financial transactions. These transactions must be recorded accurately and in accordance with a set of accounting rules called generally accepted accounting principles. Accurate financial statements are required by our lenders, are important to our members, and allow management to plan, forecast and make informed operating decisions. As you might imagine, KEC has a lot of transactions that must be recorded correctly. Examples are the electric bills that we issue to members, invoices we pay for expenses or keeping track of the many parts and pieces of distribution equipment that KEC builds to deliver electricity, such as poles and wire. Ensuring every transaction is recorded accurately can be a challenge to oversee because of the high volume of transactions. I spend a lot of time reviewing transactions and making sure our automated accounting processes are working properly.

What is the best part of your job?

Working with a great group of coworkers and for a wonderful company that is truly focused on our mission to provide our members exceptional service and dependable electric power at competitive rates.