About:
Valerie O’Kane is the Associate Director of Finance and Administration/Chief Financial Officer of the Harvard College Observatory (HCO) with responsibility for the HCO budget, HCO contract and grant administration, managing the HCO Business Office and appointments, the SAO/HCO rebill, and general day-to-day operations of the observatory.
Valerie is a seasoned financial professional who began her career at Harvard in 1992 as a staff assistant in the Central Payroll Office. In 1994 she moved to the FAS Extension School as the Payroll Administrator/Assistant Human Resource Officer. Valerie returned to Harvard Central Administration in 2002 as an accounting assistant and in 2004 became one of two payroll accountants for the University. Valerie was recognized as a Harvard Hero in 2005 as part of the University’s W2 Team. In 2007 she moved to the Harvard Kennedy School as the Financial Manager of the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy. She joined the Harvard College Observatory in 2018 as the Assistant Director of Finance and Administration and in 2023 was promoted to the Associate Director of Finance and Administration.
Education:
ALM: Business Management – Harvard University – DCE
BSBA: Management – Suffolk University
AS: Accounting – Bay State College
Interests/Hobbies:
In addition to her position at the HCO, Valerie enjoys spending time with her family, her friends, and her dog. She loves to travel, watching live entertainment/theater, and road trips to find hidden gems!