Staff Spotlight with Nancy Villalba, Payroll Accounting Associate

As the Payroll Accounting Associate on the Finance team, Nancy Villalba ensures that payroll is processed correctly, verifies timesheet information every pay period, and prepares and posts all payroll-related journal entries monthly.

Q: How did you find your way to CIS? 
I was looking for an opportunity that would expose me to accounting work as I am working towards my bachelor’s in accounting. I found out about CIS’s Payroll Accounting Associate role through a LinkedIn job post. After reading the job description, it was evident I could contribute to the success of the payroll department while also gaining valuable experience in and exposure to accounting.

Q: What is your favorite memory of working at CIS? What do you enjoy most about your work with CIS? 
My favorite memory was the in-person staff retreat in the summer. I had a chance to meet and connect with colleagues who, at that point, I had only interacted with via zoom. The retreat also exposed me to the mission and the values of the organization. I believe I was able to connect deeper with both individuals and the organization.

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
My Family is what I focus on when I’m not working. We enjoy attending city functions together, like National Pupusa Day or Miss Fiesta D.C. Personally, I enjoy making an effort to stay healthy by exercising at home and watching what I eat. What I’ve enjoyed most in life is traveling. This past year I had the opportunity to visit Dubai. It was quite the experience!

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges in your role and how do you overcome them?
One challenge is to process an accurate payroll, which requires a lot of attention to detail. I take my time to review timesheets and make sure special hours, such as PTO or holidays are coded correctly. It is important to me that this process is accurate as it affects the livelihoods of everyone in our community. Making sure that our payroll processes are submitted on time and correct provides me with an assurance that I’m contributing to the wellbeing of our organization and positively impacting individual lives by being diligent and on time.

Q: What does “All in for Kids” mean to you?
For me “All in for Kids” means people working together to create a system to support kids beyond the classroom and provide them with information on opportunities to be successful in life.