NEEF / PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
A 63% shorter monthly close.
12 days returned to the reporting cycle through finance modernization and stronger process ownership.
CFO-CALIBER FINANCE & OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE
Western New York · Remote, hybrid & local opportunities
Strategic finance.
Enterprise value.
Growth that lasts.
I’m Morgan Lafornara, an executive finance and operations leader who helps CEOs, boards, investors, and operating teams create enterprise value, scale with discipline, and turn financial insight into stronger business decisions.
SECTOR EXPERIENCE
Private equity-backed portfolios / SaaS / Manufacturing / Nonprofit & community / Education
01 / IMPACT AT A GLANCE
The outcomes behind the work.
Selected results from organizations
I’ve helped lead and strengthen.
$2.4MApprox. organizational savingsNEEF · Finance & operations ↗19 → 7Days to close the booksNEEF · Financial transformation ↗$1M → $11M+Approx. annual revenue scaleWEDI · Growth & scalability ↗$55MInternational SaaS sale supportedPrivate sector · Transaction execution ↗
Selected career results; figures are approximate where indicated. Each case study describes my contribution and the organizational context.
THE PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD
Clarity you can measure.
Personal execution and organizational scale,
shown with their own context.
WEDI / ORGANIZATIONAL SCALE
Finance leadership through growth.
$1M → $11M+
Approximate annual revenue at the beginning and later in my tenure. I strengthened financial infrastructure to support that growth.
Organizational growth; not revenue attributed solely to me. Supported more than $12M in capital and financing activity.PRIVATE SECTOR / LEADERSHIP SCOPE
Complexity at portfolio scale.
25+portfolio businesses
~$100Mportfolio valuation
~30finance team members
FP&A, treasury, forecasting, cash management, and executive reporting across Advantage’s 25+ businesses and approximately $100M portfolio.
02 / SELECTED WORK
Strategy, put into practice.
Explore the challenge, my contribution,
and the result.
COMMERCIAL RESULTS · MISSION CONTEXT
Enterprise discipline with meaningful impact.
Infrastructure for opportunity.
I oversaw project construction and managed donations, grants, and appropriations for the West Side Bazaar expansion. The incubator helps underserved entrepreneurs access business space, resources, and a path to sustainable ownership.
$8.5Mtotal project cost reported by NTCIC
$1.75MNew Markets Tax Credits reported by NTCIC
These project figures have a different scope from the $11.5M capital campaign. WEDI also supports multilingual learners through literacy, social-emotional learning, and college and career readiness.
Read the project profile ↗The West Side Bazaar was also mentioned in TIME’s 2024 Buffalo AKG travel feature as part of Buffalo’s cultural growth. Read the coverage ↗
Stewardship that supports a mission.
My financial and operational leadership supported an organization working across environmental education, health, conservation, grants, and public engagement.
59,161people supported by grants and community projects
$925Kgrant funds awarded
NEEF-reported 2025 organizational outcomes. These provide mission context and are not presented as individual accomplishments.
Explore NEEF’s 2025 impact ↗WORK SAMPLES / THE EVIDENCE
Explore the work itself.
Dashboards, case studies, economic impact reports, and financial models—each with context on the challenge and my contribution.
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03 / CFO-LEVEL VALUE CREATION
Strategy, scale,
and strong execution.
I partner with CEOs, boards, investors, lenders, and operating leaders to shape decisions, strengthen performance, and align finance with enterprise priorities across for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
Strategic financial leadership & enterprise value
Guide financial strategy, capital allocation, profitability, liquidity, and investment decisions with CEOs, boards, and investors.
Organizational growth & scalability
Build the financial infrastructure, capital structures, and multi-entity discipline that support an organization’s next stage.
Financial & operational transformation
Improve performance, modernize systems, automate processes, strengthen controls, and turn reporting into timely decisions.
Executive leadership & cross-functional collaboration
Lead finance teams and work across operations, technology, procurement, and other functions to deliver shared business objectives.
04 / EXPERIENCE & RANGE
A career across boundaries.
Finance leadership that spans
sectors, systems, and stakeholders.
National Environmental Education Foundation
Vice President, Finance & Administration · CFO
Finance and key administrative functions for an approximately $20M national organization. Financial transformation, federal grants, forecasting, audit, and operational savings.
Westminster Economic Development Initiative
Finance & Accounting Director
Helped scale the organization from roughly $1M to more than $11M in annual revenue while supporting over $12M in capital and financing activity, including tax credits, debt, bridge financing, and public funding.
Advantage
Accounting Director / Controller
Executive finance leadership across 25+ businesses representing approximately $100M in portfolio value. Led a 30-person finance organization and partnered with CEOs and investors on FP&A, treasury, forecasting, cash management, capital allocation, and performance.
Health Sciences Charter School · Grant Thornton
Financial Controller · Public Accounting Senior
A foundation in school financial leadership, audit, controls, compliance, and enterprise accountability.
05 / AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Stronger teams.
Stronger communities.
Recognition for leadership, workplace culture,
and contributions to Buffalo.
INDIVIDUAL HONOR
ATHENA Award
Recognized for leadership and contributions to the community.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Brick by Brick Award
Recognized for helping change, shape, and grow Buffalo into a better community.
WEDI · WORKPLACE CULTURE
Best Places to Work
Helped strengthen WEDI’s HR culture as the organization earned recognition as one of the best places to work.
HEALTH SCIENCES CHARTER SCHOOL
Best Places to Work
Health Sciences Charter School was also recognized as a best place to work during my tenure.