The Department of Accounting and General Services in Hawaii is starting a new chapter in their Business Transformation Office (BTO) with Roxanne Watanabe stepping up as the new BTO director. Watanabe, who has already put in over half a decade in the department’s Accounting Division and has garnered a repertoire that spans 27 years across various public service sectors, is filling the shoes left by Yovo Stefanov, a press release from the Department of Accounting and General Services revealed yesterday.
She assumes leadership over the EFS project, a $66-million undertaking setting out to revolutionize Hawaii's five-and-a-half-decade-old financial system, which handles 900,000 transactions a year, dealing with more than $72 billion, the need for an upgrade is long overdue; said systems are critical for the state’s functioning. "Roxanne's career in public service has spanned 27 years and all of it in fiscal management, she is the perfect fit to continue the next phase of the EFS project," Department of Accounting and General Services director and comptroller Keith Regan remarked in an interview with the department’s press office.
This endeavor, by the sound of it, aims not just to modernize but also to inject transparency across state agencies, facilitating data sharing and streamlining processes. According to the Department of Accounting and General Services BTO deputy director, Susan Abe, "We are excited about the vision and direction Roxanne will be leading us in as we move forward," also highlighting Watanabe’s fresh perspective and energetic approach. Watanabe's readiness to spearhead the transition away from paper-driven procedures is a leap towards efficiency, for she understands the immense potential EFS possesses, a quote from Watanabe herself echoes through the DAGS statement, "EFS will help us be more transparent across the state and to share data with other agencies."
Watanabe's predecessors laid foundational work, and the handover signals a turning point for Hawaii’s financial system, Watanabe’s historical and operational knowledge of the Department of Accounting and General Services’ operations appears to be a promising fit for guiding the BTO as it tackles the implementation challenges of the EFS, her enthusiasm is palpable as she steps into a role that is expected not just to push but leap the boundaries of fiscal management into a new era for the state’s public service mechanisms. "I am incredibly excited to be part of this program and help the state modernize," Watanabe told the Department of Accounting and General Services press corps.
