Housing Alliance names Aurora Wells chief financial officer

The Housing Alliance, a new non-profit organization formed to provide information, education and advocacy for accessing and developing attainable housing solutions in Collier County, has named Aurora Wells its chief financial officer.

Wells is a 30-year veteran tax and accounting industry professional with experience in the non-profit, small business, and wealth management industries. She was a credentialed tax professional for many years, and has held positions as controller, consultant, bookkeeper and trainer. Aurora is also an experienced professional musician visible onstage over the years with The Naples Philharmonic Orchestra and The Palm Beach Pops.

Wells has owned and operated her namesake bookkeeping company, Aurora Notes, since 1997 working with nonprofit and for-profit organizations. She quickly established herself as a top resource as a third-party accounting and bookkeeping service leading local organizations through challenging and, at times, problematic details of accounting functions and systems.

She is especially drawn to helping in the small, local nonprofit environment. Throughout her career, she has provided financial oversight to organizations such as Bayshore Cultural and Performing Arts Center, Fun Time Early Childhood Academy, Naples Therapeutic Riding Center and the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida. She provided financial reporting, budgeting and guidance as the controller for non-profits such as St. Vincent DePaul, Naples Zoo and others.

Wells earned her bachelor of music degree with a minor in accounting from the University of Miami with coursework at FGCU and her master of music from the University of Miami. In 2012 year, she earned the highest credential, enrolled agent, of the Internal Revenue Services.

Wells is passionate about lending her financial expertise to give back to the community and has served as treasurer on numerous boards. This led her to be featured in local magazines and news articles as a leading young philanthropist. Through her non-profit work, she has become especially passionate about senior citizens and the burgeoning use of technology to help solve problems such as social isolation, loneliness, and more consistent access to tools and resources that can better serve, protect, and help seniors as they age.

“From considering large-scale initiatives to looking at all the sundry details, it’s an honor to be given the opportunity to work with CEO and Executive Director Michael Puchalla and The Housing Alliance partners to find innovative ways to meet Collier County’s housing needs that benefit everyone affected,” said Aurora. “I’m looking forward partnering and coordinating with all of our stakeholders in new and innovative ways to find housing solutions, and ultimately, financial success, for all involved.”

This position was funded in part through a community leadership grant from Collier Community Foundation (CCF) which supported The Housing Alliance’s start-up costs and operations for the first year.