Meet The Chief Financial Officer
Renee Ikard has been with DHS since April 2019, and was named CFO in April 2024. As CFO, Ikard manages the agency budget of more than $11 billion while working to ensure that key programs like Medicaid remain financially sustainable.
Ikard’s previous roles at DHS have included Deputy CFO and Director of Budget, Chief Internal Auditor, Chief Financial Officer for the Division of Youth Services, and the Chief Financial Officer and Business Manager for Shared Services. Prior to joining DHS, she served as Assistant Controller for the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College.
Ikard attended the University of Central Arkansas, where she majored in accounting and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration. A native of Nashville, Arkansas, Ikard lives in Little Rock with her husband, Craig.
Office Overview
The Office of Finance supports the programs within the Department of Human Services (DHS) by providing financial management.
Services
General Operations:
| Service: | Accounts Payable and Purchase Orders |
| About: | Pays invoices for vendors, clients, providers, agency credit card charges, and employee reimbursement for business expenses, and other miscellaneous accounts, and direct or claim payments. In addition, warrant re-issue on checks outstanding, and outlawed warrants to State Claims Commission for payment. Resolution of over-payment by memorandum to recoup payment and budget issues due to “lack of funds.” Process payments for grants, EBT, and Fund Reservations |
| Service: | Accounts Receivable |
| About: | Provides billing for Hospital Assessment Fees, Quality Assurance Fees, Provider Fees, Rents, Medicaid Match, Eligibility and other billing as needed. Provides collection for Recipient, Employee, and Provider Overpayments. |
| Service: | Travel and Cash Management |
| About: | Maintains checking accounts for Office of Chief Counsel, i.e., legal fees, Arkansas State Hospital, central office fees (DDS); general account, etc., travel advances, foster care trust accounts {Great Plains}, month-end board,contract recoupments, and distributes returned checks, and warrants held for pick-up. Processes on-line and manually submitted travel reimbursements and employee request for travel advances for all DHS employees, foster parents, volunteer transporters, and board members, as well as work to resolve travel issues, Medicaid payments, processes payments for direct hotel billing, CTS {Travel account}, WEX {Gas Card}, and WISE reimbursements. |
Managerial Accounting:
| Service: | Funds Management |
| About: | Management and monitoring the flow of DHS funding and ensuring the efficiency of fund operations; providing accurate and timely reporting of financial status and balance of funds; ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations, including the Cash Management Improvement Act agreement. |
| Service: | Reporting and Forecasting |
| About: | Grants Management including fiscal monitoring of DHS awards and funded projects from inception to final reporting and ensuring fiscal compliance with federal and state regulations and award terms and conditions. Financial reporting on and monitoring of over three and a half billion dollars annually awarded to DHS from federal funding sources. Maintenance of the DHS Grants Database, a current and complete comprehensive catalog of all funding sources that DHS is administering. |
| Service: | Research and Statistics |
| About: | Processing and reporting of Cost Allocation using the required and approved Public Assistance Cost Allocation Plan to determine the quarterly indirect costs for each DHS program, based on actual effort and benefit to each affected program, and measured using federally approved methodologies. Cost Allocation methodologies include time studies, headcounts, and other statistical methods. |
Contact Information
| Renee Ikard | Chief Financial Officer | 501-682-8985 |
| Vacant | Budget Director | |
| Thomas Leitmeyer | Assistant Director – ACFR Unit | 501-320-6055 |
| Melanie Wilson | DHS Assistant Deputy Director – General Operations | 501-682-9631 |
| Thomas Leitmeyer | DHS Assistant Deputy Director of Managerial Accounting | 501-320-6055 |
| Vacant | Business Manager – Shared Services | |
| Vacant | Acting Division CFO – DHS Aging, Adult & Behavioral Health Services | |
| Charles Thomas | Division Deputy CFO – DHS Aging, Adult & Behavioral Health Services | 501-534-4132 |
| Melissa Everhart | Division CFO – DHS Children & Family Services | 501-396-6144 |
| Vacant | Division CFO – Shared Services | |
| Lisa Woodall | Division CFO – DHS County Operations | 501-682-8376 |
| Vacant | Division CFO – DHS Developmental Disabilities Services | |
| James McCune | Division CFO – Medical Services | 501-910-7780 |
| Jason Callan | Division CFO – Medicaid | 501-320-6540 |
| Andy Morgan | Division Deputy CFO – Medicaid | 501-534-4125 |
| Jason Callan | Division CFO – DHS Provider Services & Quality Assurance | 501-320-6540 |
| Robert Young | Division CFO – DHS Youth Services | 501-320-6134 |
