Michelle Locke, CPA, CGFM
Founder & Principal

Michelle Locke founded PSF Consulting after more than 15 years working within and alongside public‑sector organizations, helping them navigate financial and operational complexity.

A Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Government Financial Manager, Michelle combines deep technical expertise with a practical, solution‑oriented mindset. She holds a Master of Accountancy from the University of Texas at El Paso and a bachelor’s degree in art from Judson University — a combination that shapes her creative, flexible approach to problem solving.

She began her career in public accounting, where auditing provided a broad view of how organizations function, including their systems, processes, and people. That experience reinforced her belief that effective solutions are never one‑size‑fits‑all, but must be tailored to each organization’s unique context.

Michelle has held senior leadership roles in local government and higher education, including Controller and Treasurer for the City of Wichita and Associate Vice President for Finance and Controller at Wichita State University. She is known for a leadership style grounded in curiosity, collaboration, and respect for the people doing the work.

Through PSF Consulting, Michelle partners with mission‑driven organizations to untangle complexity, strengthen operations, and build financial systems that are both sustainable and scalable.

Our Approach

At PSF, we leverage our expertise to help mission-driven organizations strengthen financial operations and build capacity for long-term sustainability. Our approach is collaborative and context aware. We respect that people, systems, and culture shape the strategy that’s going to work best in each situation, and a one-size-fits-all approach never truly fits.

We take the time to understand your challenges and opportunities, then tailor an approach that aligns with how your organization actually operates. But we don’t want to stop there. We’ll roll up our sleeves and help you get the solutions we design together up and running. We work alongside you to put in place the tools, processes, and systems necessary to support your goals and objectives.

Our work is collaborative by design. We engage the right stakeholders early, bringing multiple perspectives into the process and building shared understanding along the way. This helps your team see not just what is changing, but why it matters — creating the alignment needed for meaningful, lasting progress.

With experience in both public accounting and senior leadership roles within public sector organizations, we understand the complexity of your environment and the challenges you’re facing. Public sector finance is specialized and nuanced. Not all CPAs understand what it takes to be successful in this space – but at PSF it’s our sweet spot.

We are wholeheartedly committed to public service and to helping organizations build systems and processes that truly support their mission.

Mission, Vision & Values

Mission

To strengthen financial operations and build capacity for the long-term sustainability of mission-driven organizations.

Vision

To be known as a trusted partner to mission-driven organizations, consistently demonstrating a deep commitment to public service and care for the people we work alongside.

Values

These values guide how we work, how we partner with our clients, and how we show up every day.

  • People First – We believe in lifting others up – our clients, our team, our peers, and our broader community. We act with respect, encouragement, and humility in every interaction.
  • Execution Focus – We believe our clients and their people bring the context and perspective essential for success. We bring our expertise and structured approach – moving beyond recommendations to implementation and results.
  • Collaboration – We believe the best solutions come out of working together. We work alongside our clients to co-create solutions with balanced perspectives, strong alignment, and lasting results.
  • Creativity – We approach challenges with curiosity and flexibility, looking for practical ways to achieve what others may see as difficult or constrained.
  • Technical Expertise – We bring deep, specialized knowledge of public sector finance. Our work is grounded in experience, ensuring solutions are both compliant and practical.
  • Continuous Learning & Education – We believe strong organizations grow their people. We stay ahead of changes in standards, regulations, and technology, and actively build knowledge in ourselves and our clients.