Nolan is tasked with converting the Conference's financial record-keeping to a more modern accounting system which will allow for a thorough analysis of the Conference's financial position, and make it possible for an audit to be undertaken.
Nolan will be working part-time at the role, spending full days on Mondays and Tuesdays and mornings on Wednesdays in the Pawtucket office. Business Manager George Weavill will be reporting to Nolan.
"The Rhode Island Conference Board of Directors and I are very pleased to have Bob's gifts and skills added to our staff at this time," said Interim Conference Minister The Rev. Barbara Libby.
Nolan had served as volunteer treasurer for the Conference for two years, but left that position because, he said, there was more work required than could be done by a volunteer. No one else volunteered to fill the role, and he will be taking it back on now in conjunction with the CFO role.
"I did some work when I was the treasurer to help bring the Board some understanding of our finances, but I wasn't able to do the analysis that I wanted to do," he said.
The Conference has had an accountant working to input financial transactions from the last two years into Quickbooks, and will be converting to using Quickbooks exclusively on Jan. 1.
Nolan said he will also be looking for ways to bring cost savings to the Conference's operations, including bringing more of the operations online. He will also be helping the Conference to prepare for the upcoming transition to being part of a unified Conference with Connecticut and Massachusetts, if Annual Meeting delegates approve going forward with that plan in June.
Nolan holds two other part-time positions: he is Chief Financial Officer of the Harmony Hill School in Chepachet, and he is the Associate Pastor for Music and Healing Ministries at he Woodridge Congregational Church UCC in Cranston. He previously worked at the Chaplaincy Center at Rhode Island Hospital. He was ordained last year.