CEO & Founder, Sandy Petty

One of the things I have come to really appreciate about growing up in Aruba, is its sense of community. Maybe this is contributed to by its size (19.6 miles by 6 miles). But what it lacks geographically, it tilts the scales with a flourishing, vibrant and warm culture: I always felt a deep connection to this beautiful island and its people.

This wonderful experience instilled within me a sense of family; a sense that I mattered and a sense that I belonged. Now as an adult, community is still very important to me. At the ripe old age of 16, the first in my family to go to College, I boarded a plane to the “Big Apple;” a culture very different from the one I became accustomed, to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming an accountant.

A few years later, after earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and becoming a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Hofstra University, I went on to achieve a Master of Business Administration in Finance from St. John’s University, and graduated summa cum laude. Big Four accounting experience and working on Wall Street are among some of my treasured accomplishments. However, one of the proudest and humbling moments of my career was to return home to the community in which I hold so dear, to serve as Chief Accounting Officer (CAO) for the very company my mother would secure a loan to finance my luggage to board my first flight off to college.

I fully understand the significance of community and how it fostered, supported and cultivated a little girl’s dreams to reality. I have been fortunate enough to create the company culture, I longed to be a part of during my career within Executive Financial Partners. Join us and discover the many possibilities...

Memberships:

• CFO Leadership Council - Co-Chair and Founding Board/Steering Committee Member
• Atlanta Women in Alternatives - Board Member
• Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) - Atlanta Chapter - Member
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) - Member
• OnBoard Inc. - Member, Board Development Group Class of 2018
• Financial Executives Network Group (FENG) - Member 
• Financial Executives International (FEI) - Member

Language Fluency:

• Dutch
• Spanish
• English

Selma R. Claxton

Selma is a Business and Finance management professional with years of experience in the corporate and education environments. Some of her strengths include: Leadership Skills; Communication & Collaboration; Process development, Analysis, & Improvement; Technological Skills; Teaching & Learning.

Selma graduated with an MBA from the University of South Florida. She is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor and a former bank executive who is highly organized, self-motivated, and extremely detailed. Her excellent verbal and written communication skills are a testament to her minor degree in Communication. Throughout her career, she has been involved in all aspects of the financial services industry.

In previous positions, she has consistently been lauded by her superiors for excellent leadership, organizational, and decision-making skills. She thrives on working directly with internal and external stakeholders at all levels and looks forward to using her skills and experiences to make each client experience at Executive Financial Partners unique.