KIM RUSHING
Kim was born in Tucson, Arizona and is proud to be an Arizona native! She spent most of her childhood in Tucson until her family moved to Tennessee for a year to be closer to family. Realizing that Arizona was home, they moved back out West in 1980 and settled in Cottonwood. Kim graduated from Mingus Union High School and attended Yavapai College, where she focused on business and accounting courses.
In 1985 Kim moved from the Verde Valley to Northern Arizona and considers Flagstaff home. At the age of 19, she went to work for the Coconino County Finance Department, where she started out as a Data Entry Clerk but quickly advanced within the department. This was Kim’s stepping stone to her 30+ year career in the Accounting world.
In 1989 Kim was hired as a Staff Accountant for the Corporate office of Amfac Resorts (The Fred Harvey Company), where she oversaw the payroll of 2,500 employees and accounts payable functions for multiple locations. She was also designated as the Company’s “Train the Trainer”. When the Corporate office relocated to Denver, CO in 1995, Kim was offered her position to move with the Company but instead chose to stay in Flagstaff, where she went on to serve a 16-year career with the Grand Canyon Railway as their Hotel Accounting Manager and later promoted to Assistant Controller. Kim loved the feel of the “mom and pop” culture at the Railway and it was there that she discovered her second passion of working in the Hospitality industry. During Kim’s tenure with the Grand Canyon Railway, the Company was sold to Xanterra Parks and Resorts in 2007 and her responsibilities escalated to overseeing the accounting functions of three of the Xanterra properties, including the Grand Canyon South Rim and Petrified Forest locations. Kim left her position with the Grand Canyon Railway in 2011 to pursue new growth opportunities.
Most recently, Kim spent the past five years as the Controller for Continental Country Club, a non-profit homeowner’s association and public golf course. Kim’s responsibilities included performing all financial aspects of the Club’s operations, working closely with the General Manager, Finance Committee and Board of Director’s. Kim has consistently been praised for improving bottom line projections through careful administration of daily expenses and always having the best interest for the Company. She was also a vital figure in the Company’s software conversion for their 2,400 homeowner database and Accounting system.
In her spare time, Kim enjoys spending time with her daughter, Jenna, family and friends. She is also an avid Arizona Cardinals fan! She attended her first NFL game in December 1997 at Sun Devil Stadium when the Cardinals played the Atlanta Falcons in their last home game of the season. It was there that she became a fan of the game and has remained loyal through the ups and downs! (Don’t ask her about Super Bowl XLIII)! Kim even had the great honor and privilege of meeting the late Pat Tillman!
Kim is excited to be joining the Forest Highlands family and looks forward to applying her past experiences and enthusiasm to her new role as Chief Financial Officer. She has always been known for her “open door policy” and prides herself in providing an exceptional standard of service, both to the customer and to her peers.
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