After a years-long search and several changes to its administrative team, the City of Coachella has appointed Lincoln Bogard, CPA, CFE as its new finance director. Bogard brings more than two decades of financial leadership experience across municipal, private and public sectors, with a career spanning executive, management and auditing roles.
“As a Coachella Valley resident, I care deeply about the community where I live and work. The City of Coachella is well-positioned to become a regional economic leader, with upcoming projects that will create jobs, improve infrastructure and expand resources for residents,” said Bogard. “I’m honored to join a team dedicated to serving our community, and my immediate goals include implementing a new Enterprise Resource Planning system and ensuring fiscal responsibility for the years ahead.”
Most recently, Bogard served as deputy city manager for the City of Banning, where he oversaw finance, human resources, payroll, purchasing, utility billing, risk management and IT. During his tenure, he implemented critical payroll and financial systems, restructured human resources operations and helped the City earn recognition for Achievement in Excellence in Procurement and the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
“Lincoln’s deep experience in municipal finance, combined with his expertise in risk management, budgeting and fiscal transparency, makes him an invaluable addition to Coachella’s executive team,” said Councilmember Yadira Perez. “We are confident his leadership will strengthen the City’s financial foundation and support our community’s long-term growth.”
Previously, Bogard held leadership roles as finance director and city treasurer for the City of American Canyon and senior accounting manager/deputy auditor-controller for the County of Sacramento, where he directed large-scale financial reporting, budgeting and system modernization projects. His career also includes key roles with the Superior Court of San Bernardino, City of Berkeley, Bank of the West and Ernst & Young, where he specialized in fraud investigations and internal audits.
Bogard holds a Master of Science in Accountancy from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Science in Business with an emphasis in Corporate Finance from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in California and Colorado and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), with professional memberships in the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO) and Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).
About the City of Coachella
The City of Coachella was incorporated in 1946 and is a 29-square-mile municipality of approximately 41,941 residents are located in eastern Riverside County, in a region collectively known as the Coachella Valley in Southern California. Coachella is about 97 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border and about 1.5 hours from Los Angeles. For more information, please visit the City’s website at Coachella.org.