Staff
Melanie serves as the Montgomery County Treasurer after being elected in 2018. The Treasurer’s Office handles the county’s accounting and investments. Melanie is committed to reliability, efficiency and transparency.
Melanie is deeply committed to serving her community. Before she was elected as the County Treasurer on November 6, 2018, Melanie served as an elected (and unpaid) Trustee for the Conroe Independent School District, where she has served as the Secretary and President for the Board of Trustees. Melanie also served as the President and Lead Mentor for the Executive Women’s Alliance mentoring high-risk young women in high school, as well as a Power Mentor for the Montgomery County Association of Business Women. She is involved in the Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce, Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce, and Interfaith of the Woodlands, as well as many other community organizations. In 2016, Melanie was humbled to receive the Citizen of the Year award from the Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce.
Melanie believes in having a proper work-life balance. She enjoys spending time with her husband Alan and their two daughters, Rebekah and Audrey. The Bush family is actively involved in the youth and children’s ministries at Crossroads Baptist Church. Melanie also enjoys training for and competing in sprint triathlons as well as curling up with a good book, when she isn’t busy being a band mom!
Jan Avery, Financial Analyst/Bail Bond Board Administrator
Jan joined the County Treasurer’s Office in May 2004 and is currently Financial Analyst and Bail Bond Board Administrator. She has been integral part of this office as Bail Bond Administrator, Assistant Investment Officer, and jack of all trades. Her depth of knowledge of the Treasurer’s Office and the history of having worked under three Treasurers is invaluable.
Patricia Reaves, Payroll Manager
Patricia joined the County Treasurers Office in August 2007 and is currently the Payroll Manager. Patricia is the head of the payroll duo! She coordinates with Risk Management, Budget, Human Resources, Audit and all Departments to produce the most accurate payroll week after week. Having worked in many areas of this office, Patricia is bedrock of knowledge.
Brittany Vinson, Finance Assistant
Brittany joined the County Treasurer’s Office in April 2019 and is currently a Finance Assistant. Brittany is responsible for the disbursement of Accounts Payable checks, Jury payments, Unclaimed Property, Refunds for various departments, and Fee Reports to the state.
Judy joined the County Treasurer’s Office in June 2019, as the Cash Management Accounting Clerk and was promoted in October 2020 to Finance Assistant. Judy is responsible for the banking-related activities in this office. She oversees the cash receipting and reconciles all the bank accounts.
Prior to joining the Treasurer’s Office, Judy was a Court Clerk for the Justice of Peace Court in Precinct 3 for 2 and a half years. Prior to graduating in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree from University of Houston, Judy had 4 years of extensive customer service experience in the hospitality industry. With her knowledge of all areas of JP 3 and customer service background, Judy was well equipped to step into our office and hit the ground running – and that she did!
When not reconciling accounts, Judy can be found doing one of three things. Vegging out and catching up on some reality TV. But this is usually after spending time playing and reading with her precious 2 year old son! Judy is also working on checking off all the boxes to have the claim to fame that she visited all 61 US National Parks. Currently, she is a tenth of the way to her goal – she’ll do it! We have faith in her.
Tiffany joined the County Treasurer’s Office in June 2019 and is the Administrative Assistant. Tiffany is the glue that holds this office together. She is in charge of our electronic record retention, assists with Commissioner’s Court document preparation, assists the Bail Bond Board Administrator and backs up our Accounting Clerks.
Prior to joining the Treasurer’s Office, Tiffany was an Office Manager and Paralegal. Her strong skills maintaining documents benefits this office and the taxpayers with her ability to streamline our document retention. Tiffany holds a BS in Business from the University of Phoenix.
When not at work, Tiffany can be found cruising out of Galveston with her husband or cheering on the Texans! With a fun-loving spirit like that, it is no wonder she keeps the office encouraged with their personal health and models it through her running, working out and healthy food meal prepping!
Alicia Higgins, Accounting Clerk
Alicia joined the County Treasurer’s Office in October 2019 and is the Payroll Accounting Clerk. Alicia is an integral part of the 2 woman team that is responsible for bi-weekly payroll for over 2800 employees and all that goes along with that.
Prior to joining the Treasurer’s Office Alicia spent over 3 years in the County Auditor Office in the Accounts Payable Department. Her prior experience outside of the county in accounting and human resources makes her an invaluable resource through her attention to every detail of the payroll process.
Alicia is a true musician by heart and can be found discovering new music for her playlists or making music on one of her six different instruments, including the ukulele. Her kids appreciate her addiction to cookies - baking, eating, sharing the best cookies ever is a personal mission of Alicia. So if you can’t find Alicia in the kitchen or bee-bopping to some new tunes, you will find her spending quality time playing board or computer games with her husband.
Tiffany Ward, Accounting Clerk
Tiffany joined the Treasurer’s Office in October 2020 and is the Cash Management Accounting Clerk. Tiffany is responsible for all the monies that come into this office. She ensures proper receipting, coding, and depositing of all the taxpayer’s money.
Prior to joining the Treasurer’s Office, Tiffany was an Account Payable Assistant for the County Auditor’s Office for 3 years. Her knowledge in accounting, payment processing and her relationships with other departments made for an easy transition into her new role in our office.
In her spare time, you can find Tiffany cheering on her daughter’s at one of their sporting events, ranging from volleyball and softball to cross country and golf. Tiffany has a passion for sports and was also an athlete while she was in school. When she’s not at a sporting event, she’s probably in her kitchen whipping up a Pinterest recipe to try with her friends and family.
