The City of Galveston is excited to announce that Csilla Ludanyi will become the city’s Chief Financial Officer effective October 1, 2023.
The City’s previous CFO, Mike Loftin, announced his intent to retire earlier this year, and Ludanyi started with the city in April to work beside Loftin during the FY2024 budget season and prepare to take over the role.
Before joining the City of Galveston, Ludanyi worked as the Finance Director for the City of Nassau Bay for 13 years where she oversaw the city’s annual audit and budget, advised management on financial planning and debt management, and implemented effective internal control systems.
“We are so very pleased to have Csilla join our team and become our next CFO. She brings to the table a wealth of experience and knowledge and the great ability to communicate it all. We look forward to moving forward with Csilla in both work and technology,” City Manager Brian Maxwell said.
Ludanyi hit the ground running in her first months with the City of Galveston. Working alongside Loftin and the finance department, she helped prepare and present the City of Galveston’s fiscal year 2024 budget to the City Council. She worked with management to identify city priorities and implement the budgetary changes necessitated through collective bargaining with the police and fire departments.
She also worked closely with the Galveston Park Board of Trustees to co-present the Park Board budget to council and has worked closely with the Port of Galveston on a proposed bond sale.
As the Chief Financial Officer, Ludanyi will be responsible for directing the preparation of all financial statements, tax returns, and governmental agency reports, producing the annual budget and forecasts, reporting significant budget differences to the City Council and executive management, comparing budgeted expenditures to actual expenditures, and reviewing planning processes and suggesting improvements to current methods, among other responsibilities. The CFO works closely with city management as well as with department heads across the city.
“Csilla Ludanyi is well prepared to lead the City of Galveston and provide guidance to elected and appointed officials alike in making informed financial decisions that will ensure future success for residents and the City itself. She stepped in and assumed the responsibilities for the most critical financial management cycle - the city budget - upon her arrival. I expect Csilla will help the finance department achieve success in other aspects of financial management as well,” Mike Loftin said.
Ludanyi has been in the Galveston County region since 2002. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Butler University in Indiana and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from the University of Houston.
As a reminder, all city budget documents are available online at galvestontx.gov/financialtransparency.