Editor’s note: Through 2022, FlexPack VOICE® will feature a short profile on a member of the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) team based in Annapolis, Maryland. This is a way for you to get to know more personally those you work with. Debbie Curry, FPA director of accounting and administrative operations, is the next profile in this series.
FlexPack VOICE®: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Debbie Curry: I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. I am a mother of two and grandmother of five. I attended Towson University where I started with a major in speech pathology and audiology with a minor in psychology. Later, due to my love for math, I changed my major to accounting.
FPV: What was your career path and how did you end up at FPA?
DC: I worked in the corporate accounting department for a large insurance company in the 1980s and a major investment company in the 1990s. I initially came to FPA in 2002 to temporarily take the place of the accountant who was on maternity leave. The accountant decided months after coming back to work that she would be leaving. Upon her leaving, I was called back to FPA to replace her, and the rest is history. I started at FPA as an independent contractor in 2003 and later became an employee.
FPV: Talk a little bit about your duties with FPA. What do you like best and what are some of the challenges going forward?
DC: In the director of accounting role, my duties involve all facets of accounting. I provide financial statements for FPA’s leadership, and that information is also used for board meetings. I review all vendor contracts for payment information, prepare for the annual audit of the financial statements and assist in preparation of the state and federal tax reporting. In the administrative operations role, my job is to handle human resources and manage the office needs. This includes payroll, assisting with onboarding new hires, 401(k) processing, state and federal compliance filings, and timely filing of annual insurance applications and audits. I love all aspects of my job and watching the company expand and address any challenges as they come. I enjoy working with my colleagues under the leadership of President and CEO Alison Keane. Attending the annual meeting is an exciting opportunity to meet the members and put a face to the names. I attend webinars and meetings that keep me up to date on accounting and HR issues.
FPV: What do you like to do when you are not working? Also, do you have a favorite sports team?
DC: I love to dance and listen to music. I find gratitude in helping my church by teaching Sunday school, visiting the sick and shut-in members, being part of the leadership team, and each year helping less fortunate families during Christmas by providing them with food, toys and gifts. My favorite team is none other than the Baltimore Ravens. Go, Ravens!
FPV: Anything that you would like to say about your family?
DC: Spending time with my children and grandchildren is the joy of my life. My loving parents had eight children, so I have many nieces and nephews. During the pandemic, I started a monthly birthday celebration on Zoom with the family, since we were not able to have gatherings in person. It’s always wonderful to see my family from all around the world spending quality time and fun together every month. Although it takes a lot of preparation, I know this is what my parents would have wanted us to do if they were alive.