Christina (Tina) M. Gourley, Blanco City Council member, spent the holidays between Christmas and News Years studying for a four-part examination to earn the designation of Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). She began the exam on December 30, completing parts I and II. On December 31, she completed parts III and IV.

On January 2, 2009, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners notified her by e-mail that she had passed all four parts of the exam. The CFE exam tests the applicant’s knowledge and expertise in the four primary areas of fraud investigation: Fraudulent Financial Transactions, Legal Elements of Fraud, Fraud Investigation, and Criminology and Ethics.

After passing the exam, the Certification Committee of the Board of Regents then had to review the application for Certified Fraud Examiner status to ensure the academic and professional requirements were satisfied. The application was accompanied by three letters of recommendation from professionals in the auditing field, attesting to professional qualifications as well as character and integrity.

The final step to certification arrived on January 14, 2009, with a letter that began as follows:

Dear Ms. Gourley: This e-mail is to inform you that the Certification Committee of the Board of Regents approved your application for Certified Fraud Examiner status. Congratulations! You may now begin using the CFE credential.

In September 2007, Gourley earned her professional designation as a Certified Governmental Auditing Professional (CGAP).

The ACFE’s Board of Regents awards this designation only to select professionals who meet a stringent set of criteria, including character, experience, and education. Ms. Gourley has successfully met these criteria and now joins the ranks of 23,000 business and government professionals worldwide who have also earned the CFE certification.

CFEs have the ability to: Examine data and records to detect and trace fraudulent transactions; interview suspects to obtain information and confessions; write investigation reports, advise clients as to their findings and testify at trial; be well-versed in the law as it relates to fraud and fraud investigations; and understand the underlying factors that motivate individuals to commit fraud. Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE’s) on six continents have investigated more than 1 million suspected cases of civil and criminal fraud.

The ACFE, the world’s premier provider of training and education for fraud detection and deterrence, has nearly 50,000 members, sponsors more than 124 chapters worldwide and provides anti-fraud educational materials to over 100 universities. Identified as “the premier financial sleuthing organization” by The Wall Street Journal, the ACFE has captured national and international media attention. For more information about the ACFE, visit www.ACFE.com.