Susan A. Gennoe, a Certified Public Accountant with nearly two decades of service in Alcoa and Blount County public financial management, has been named as the City of Knoxville’s Chief Financial Officer by Mayor Indya Kincannon.

Gennoe since January 2016 has been the City of Alcoa’s Director of Finance and City Recorder, serving as the chief financial advisor to the City Manager and City Commission. In that role, she helped prepare and managed the city’s budget, supervised the collection of taxes and fees, and oversaw annual audits, purchasing and investments.

Mayor Kincannon’s appointment makes Gennoe the first woman in the City of Knoxville’s 228-year history to direct the City’s finances. The City’s 2020-21 net budget totals $334.4 million. 

“Our Finance Department has for many years won national awards for its transparency and excellence in budgetary oversight and management,” Mayor Kincannon said. “Susan Gennoe’s skillsets and philosophy match well with the dedication of our Finance Department professionals.”

Kincannon thanked Boyce Evans, the Deputy Finance Director, for serving as acting CFO since December. Evans will return to the No. 2 position in the Finance Department.

Gennoe, who earned her degree in accounting from the University of Tennessee in 1991, will begin as the City’s CFO on Aug. 10.

“Knoxville has a vision and momentum, and I look forward to contributing to that,” Gennoe said. “I’m honored to join the strong team that Mayor Kincannon has assembled.”

Before serving as Alcoa’s Director of Finance, Gennoe worked off and on between 1998 and 2015 for Blount County government in a variety of roles, most recently as the county’s Accounting Manager. 

Gennoe started her career with Ernst & Young in Knoxville and has also worked in the private/corporate arena as well as with other public accounting firms in the Knoxville area.