Haley Fish was a longtime ELGL member, one of the first people to join the organization when it started in Oregon. Her work as a Finance Director in many Oregon cities was featured on a GovLove podcast with her friend Casey Camors.
Listen to Haley’s GovLove episode
Over the years, Haley was a key advocate for ELGL’s engagement and partnership with the Oregon Government Finance Officer’s Association (OGFOA) and we’ve always been thankful for Haley’s willingness to find new ways for our organizations to work together.
Sadly, Haley passed away last month and ELGL is working with OGFOA to share information about Haley’s life, her contributions to local government, and a new scholarship for accounting students at Oregon State University.
Please consider a gift to the Haley Fish Memorial Scholarship fund to support the next generation of accountants, in Haley’s name.
And please read more below from Casey and Rob Moody about Haley’s life so you can learn about the amazing life she lived and the legacy she leaves.
From Casey:
The Haley Fish Memorial Scholarship Fund has been set up at Oregon State University to benefit accounting students at Haley’s alma mater. As you all know, Haley was a true, orange blooded, OSU Beav, and was also extremely dedicated to her profession. A memorial scholarship was the perfect fit to memorialize our love for her and to keep her legacy alive.
The scholarship is a five year, $25,000 scholarship, and your donations are greatly appreciated. Here is the link for donations: Haley Fish Memorial Scholarship Fund.
We’ve also attached the memorial scholarship information that will be posted on the Oregon Government Finance Officers Association (OGFOA) website to advertise the scholarship and honor Haley’s immense contribution to the government finance community.
Thank you all for your support of the Greene’s through your donations to the Go Fund Me page! The original goal was far surpassed which is a testament to how much love we all had for Haley and our desire to help her family in any way we can. Please feel free to forward this message to anyone who may also want to donate or be updated with this information. A huge thank you to Rob Moody for setting this up with OSU!
Haley K.G. Fish (1984-2020)
Haley graduated from Oregon State University in 2006 with a plan to pursue a career in public accounting. Sticking to her playbook, she passed her CPA exam and earned her Oregon license. Within only a year and a half, Haley was a senior on one of her firm’s largest clients. While at TKW, Haley gained a respect and love for governmental accounting and the OGFOA community. She leveraged her experience with TKW into a career as a government finance officer with the cities of Canby and Milwaukie, as well as with Clackamas County, Oregon.
Haley was bright, dedicated, and loyal. While she learned her technical skills and applications on the job, her colleagues recognized that she had qualities that couldn’t be taught. Haley was strong-willed, possessed the upmost integrity, and had a deep sense of right and wrong. She was determined to change things she felt were wrong and always had a plan in place to do so. Haley volunteered on many OGFOA committees, served as treasurer of Breast Friends, a non-profit organization helping patients survive the trauma of cancer, and served on the Oregon Board of Accountancy Qualifications Committee, giving her time and expertise freely for the governmental finance community, as well as the community as a whole. Haley’s work allowed her to become close with colleagues, clients, and coworkers. So many people were touched by her through her participation in various trainings, conference panels, as well as through her meticulous mentorship and collegiality with her coworkers.
Haley had an infectious smile and impeccable sense of humor. She attended all gatherings, tailgates, and parties that she committed to – though she might have been a little late… and with a quick wink, she let everyone know that it was time to get the party started. All Haley needed was a package of Oreos, champagne, and a good group of people to make wonderful lifelong memories.
Haley was the most genuine person and when she asked “How are you?” she meant it and wanted to know how you were really doing while listening to the end… She would share what was going on with her and Chris, with her sister Shannon and husband Kyle, and how much she loved her sister Megan. She adored her parents Kathye and Mike Greene. Her favorite pastime was spending time with family – they went on hunting and fishing trips and often, Haley just loved playing with Shannon’s son, Charlie. Haley was thrilled to meet Shannon’s next child in August. In terms of friends, Haley adopted their kids as her own nieces and nephews and loved them like her own, doting on them, and sending them special gifts and messages. She tried very hard to balance her work to time with family and friends. We are grateful for those times we had with Haley.
As a strong-willed woman, Haley fought for her friends and colleagues. She fought for the way things should be – both professionally and personally. Haley was very literal, saw the world in terms of wrong and right, black and white, and in the end, perhaps the world was just too gray. We may ask ourselves what we could have done, we may revisit our last conversations with Haley eternally, but hopefully at some point, we can all just recognize that our friend that we loved so much, is gone much too early.
The Haley Fish Memorial Scholarship Fund has been created at Oregon State University to assist accounting students in their pursuit of careers in accounting and auditing. A link is provided below where contributions to the scholarship fund can be made to help ensure Haley’s legacy. We love you Haley, and we miss you. Be in peace friend.