Principal, Outsourcing Group
dmasters@srsnodgrass.com

Specialties

1. Outsourcing – Internal Audit and
2. Regulatory Compliance Services;
3. Trust Department Services

Offices

1. Pittsburgh/Wexford, PA (724) 934-0344

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Debra is a Principal with over 20 years of experience in both internal audit, regulatory compliance, and trust audit experience. Prior to joining Snodgrass in October 1999, Debra was an audit specialist at F.N.B. Corporation in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, which was a $4 billion bank holding company at that time. Debra has gained extensive experience in the financial services industry through holding various positions in finance, accounting, and management. Her prior experience also includes a strong background in lending, as she was a loan officer originating commercial, residential, and consumer loans.

Debra’s clients value the insight she brings to each engagement, whether it is about commercial lending, personal and employee benefit trusts, interest rate risk, or sharing industry and peer “best practices.” Debra recently recorded a webcast for The Knowledge Bank, which focuses on Bank Secrecy Act training (click here for video). Additionally, an article of hers, titled New Dimensions in Outsourcing for Banks (click here for article), was published that discussed both the necessity for outsourcing and how financial institutions should evaluate their outsourcing needs.

Debra is a Certified Trust Auditor, a Certified Bank Auditor, a Certified Financial Services Auditor, and a Certified Risk Professional. She has received the designation of Anti-Money Laundering Professional (AMLP). Debra graduated from Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, with a bachelor of arts degree in accounting.

Education

• Obtained the designations of Certified Trust Auditor (CTA), Certified Bank Auditor (CBA), Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA) and a Certified Risk Professional (CRP).
• B.A. Accounting. Westminster College.

Professional Associations

• Institute of Internal Auditors
• The Fiduciary Investment and Risk Management Association
• The Bank Administration Institution
• Certified Fraud Examiners

Meet the Management

Some might say my career was lived backwards. Largely due to the fact that I enjoy people and liked helping them, I began my career as a loan officer. At the time I figured since “the things money can buy” make many people happy in some way, this was a job where I could combine the two and get paid.

I rarely bring it up, so few people know that I am also a professional clown. I don’t do it much any more, but in the past I would don my clown costume and spend some time with hospital-bound children or nursing home residents just to brighten their day. Along the way I learned to make balloon animals, and just make them laugh in silly ways to help them feel a little better in some small way.

Following that, I became a bank internal auditor. In some ways I also see this as helping people, achieve their own and their employer’s objectives in a meaningful way. Even after all of these years, I still see an importance in maintaining the human side of auditing. By balancing human needs and corporate risk requirements, I can help the enterprise realize success, if only in a small way.

Even with my somewhat convoluted career path, my positive attitude has helped me live and enjoy more of life along the way.