Not too long ago a Parish Finance Committee Chair suggested parishes don’t need to budget.  “God will provide” he said.  While it is true that God will provide, that doesn’t absolve us of our responsibility to be good stewards of the gifts, or in this case, financial resources, He has given us. Better yet, if we want to actually “Go and Make Disciples”  we will need to ensure we have the resources available and that those resources are aligned to support the mission. The budgeting process when well designed and collaboratively implemented will do just that. This presentation will walk through the who, what, how and why of budgeting, while also identifying the pitfalls along the budget journey.

Ashley began her career as an auditor in the Assurance Practice of Arthur Andersen in 1996.  During that time her clients included Sinclair Broadcast Group, State of Maryland, and the Archdiocese of Baltimore, among many others. Ashley transitioned to the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 2000 as the Archdiocesan Financial Affairs Manager, primarily responsible for establishing and overseeing the Internal Audit Process.   She managed 4 staff auditors and over 500 internal audits as well as oversaw the implementation of Quickbooks Online in 200+ locations, developed the annual consolidation process of reporting parish and school financial results to Executive Leadership and Archdiocesan Boards and Committees and developed ongoing training for finance personnel at the parishes and schools.  In 2011, Ashley took the position of Director of School Finance and worked to assist schools in budgeting, financial reporting and analysis and overall business management.  In addition, the role oversaw the Grant and Aid process for the Archdiocese, the Archdiocesan High School Financial Statement audit process and the Catholic Accounting Services group.  In 2019, Ashley became the Director of Parish and School Finance and now oversees 4 Regional Controllers that serve the over 180 parishes and schools within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Ashley is leading the change in how Central Services of the Archdiocese of Baltimore serves its locations from a financial and operational perspective.  

 Ashley has served on several Boards and Committees in recent years, including Archdiocese of Baltimore Investment Committee, New Cathedral Cemetery, St. John Regional School, John Carroll High School and the United Way of Central Maryland.

 Ashley Conley is a 1996 graduate of the University of Delaware with a BS in Accounting and Minor in Economics.  Ashley received her Masters of Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame in May 2018.  She lives with her husband and three children in Marriottsville, MD and attends Church of the Resurrection in Ellicott City.