SANTA FE, NM – Today, the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) announced that two of its lead staff won New Mexico Society of Certified Public Accountants (NMSCPA) Pride in the Profession Awards. Sanjay Bhakta, Deputy State Auditor, won the award for Outstanding Member in Government. Emily Oster, Director of Compliance and Quality Control, won the award for Woman to Watch, Emerging Leader.

"We are honored that two of our office's lead staff have been recognized for making significant contributions to the accounting profession and to our community," stated State Auditor Tim Keller. "We are grateful to have Sanjay Bhakta and Emily Oster on our team, demonstrating the kind of leadership, ethics and hard work that can make government work better for all New Mexicans."

The NMSCPA is an association dedicated to the CPA profession. The winners will receive the awards during the 23rd Annual Pride in the Profession Awards Luncheon on Thursday, November 2, 2017 at Sandia Resort and Casino.

Earlier this year, two of the three nominees for the Financial Manager of the Year Award of the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) were from the OSA, Sanjay Bhakta and Shannon Sanders, Audit Manager.

Please see biographies for the winners of the NMSCPA awards below:
Sanjay Bhakta, CPA, CGFM, CFE, CGMA
Deputy State Auditor
Sanjay Bhakta comes to the State Auditor's Office from the Department of Finance & Administration (DFA). While at DFA, he served in various capacities such as Chief Financial Officer, Administrative Services Director, and acting Local Government Division Director.

Prior to joining the DFA, Sanjay worked at the NM State Auditor's office from 2004-2012. He started as a Senior Auditor and progressed through the rank of an Audit Supervisor and became an Audit Manager in 2011.

Prior to joining the State Government, Sanjay had a diverse career in the private sector. He worked as a Staff Auditor with Amin Parikh & Co., Chartered Accountants, in Baroda, India from 1981-1984. He then worked for four years as the Internal Audit Manager for Metro Group, a manufacturing concern in Lagos, Nigeria. Sanjay moved to the United States in 1988 and worked as the Import Manager for a women's wear company in New York from 1988 to 1990. He then became the Managing Partner of his family's business of developing hospitality and food services outlets in New Jersey and spent fourteen years in that business prior to moving to New Mexico in 2004.

Sanjay is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). Sanjay received his bachelor's degree in Advanced Accounting & Auditing from SPU in Vidyanagar, India and master's degree in Managerial Accounting & International Banking from MSU in Baroda, India.

Emily Oster, CPA, CGMA
Director of Compliance & Quality Control
Emily Oster began her accounting career over twelve years ago with a small public accounting firm. Emily earned her Master of Accountancy degree from the University of New Mexico in 2009 and has been licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New Mexico since 2010.

Emily continued to work in public accounting as an auditor and tax accountant until transitioning into State government in 2011. Emily spent almost five years with the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration's Financial Control Division, during which time she became a Chartered Global Management Accountant. Emily currently serves as Director of Compliance & Quality Control for the Office of the New Mexico State Auditor. In this capacity Emily helps government work better throughout New Mexico by providing technical insight and leadership and ensuring that the Auditor's Office is at the forefront of emerging standards and financial reporting issues.

Emily holds active memberships in a number of professional organizations including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the New Mexico Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Association of Governmental Accountants. Emily's extensive experience with governmental accounting and financial reporting, as both an auditor and a member of management, and her passion for research and technical writing form the basis for her approach to ensuring that audits of New Mexico's governmental entities provide transparency, oversight and accountability for government spending and finance.