What little boy hasn’t told his parents that he wanted to be a fireman when he grew up? It was no different for Sunny Isles Beach Senior Accountant Joe Glendale. Despite being born with mild Cerebral Palsy, Joe’s parents encouraged him to follow his dreams. As it turned out, he ended up chasing a new dream and following in the footsteps of a new hero, his father.
Joe was born in Queens, New York but the family moved to South Florida when he was two. As Joe grew, several surgeries were required to help reduce the physical challenges of his condition. Out of necessity, he gravitated towards reading and music rather than sports. One of his accomplishments during his teenage years was learning to play the guitar. His fireman dream was replaced several times and eventually with the dream to become an accountant like his father.
Joe’s parents had a strong faith, and passed that faith to their son, they always told me: With God, all things are possible! When Joe observed his father’s job skills, he felt that was something he could do well. “So, I decided to give accounting a try. I am thankful for all that choice has brought to me, and also, the many different avenues still available to me within this career choice (audit, tax, financial/ budget analysis, etc.).”
Joe earned both a B.B.A. in Accounting and a Masters in Accounting from Saint Thomas University (Miami). He worked at several nonprofit institutions, Miami-Dade College and Nova Southeastern University before landing at the City of Sunny Isles Beach in April 2012. Joe’s duties include cash, investment, and financial reporting, including bank reconciliation, investment reporting, and assisting in quarterly/annual reporting and audit. Because Sunny Isles Beach is a small city, he also provides day-to-day assistance, as part of the finance team, in accounts receivable, accounts payable, and payroll.
Joe says his job is satisfying because of the great team in the Finance Department, who he works with daily. “They are all incredibly selfless and hard-working. As a team, I know how seriously all of us take our jobs, and the responsibilities we have to properly steward over the City’s resources on behalf of all of its residents.” He goes on to point out that the City transitioned to a new financial software and chart of accounts this fiscal year. He says, “Either of those transitions in and of themselves would normally be considered a substantive change. However, the Finance Department team was truly selfless and sacrificial during what sometimes proved to be a trying process for all of us. As the saying goes, though, anything worth having is worth fighting for, and with much effort, and great assistance from other city departments (especially Information Technology), and patience, we successfully transitioned.”
When Joe is not crunching numbers, he likes to watch sports (on TV or in person), especially pro basketball, football, and baseball. He is an unabashed fan of all things Disney, visiting at least twice a year. He likes to sketch, volunteer at church and in the past has coached youth basketball at the YMCA, which he considered a lifechanging experience.
Sunny Isles Beach residents can be assured that the accounting of their tax dollars is up to par. The funds are in the experienced hands of Joe Glendale, Department Director Audra Curts- Whann and the other members of the Finance Department. As Joe says, a great team effort is going on behind the scenes tracking and dispensing monies as needed to keep the financial system of the city functioning smoothly.
