St. John’s Antigua- Accountant General of Antigua & Barbuda Dr Cleopatra Gittens has been elected chair of the FreeBalance International Steering Committee (FISC), a leading vendor of Government Resource Planning (GRP) software.

She was elected at the FISC conference held in Istanbul, Turkey in January and will be responsible for guiding the programme for the 2013 FISC Conference scheduled for Hong Kong.

“Dr Gittens impressed FISC members by sharing good practices in budget, treasury and civil service management,” according to a release from the organisation.

“We congratulate Dr Gittens and look forward to her contribution for the 2013 FISC Agenda,” said Manuel Pietra, President and CEO of FreeBalance. “FISC members value her insight and appreciate her domain expertise in budget planning, treasury management and capacity building in government.”

Dr Gittens is a graduate of the University of the West Indies and the City University of New York – Baruch College. She has been the Accountant General of Antigua & Barbuda since September 2009.

“The FreeBalance International Steering Committee provides a unique opportunity for public financial management (PFM) professionals to share country experiences on good governance and accountability,” Finance Minister Harold Lovell said.

“Dr Gittens plays an active role in the PFM community and we are pleased that she will be in a position to contribute her expertise and leadership to the FISC in her role as chair,” he added.

Previously, Dr Gittens was deputy director and director of Banking and Monetary Operations at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.