Gerald B. Long, CPA, CGMA, was born in Bessemer, Alabama. He is married to Darlene Gillon Long, a faithful and loving woman of God. They have been married for 32 years. Gerald and Darlene are the proud parents of one daughter, Claudia M. Horn. Gerald attended Jess Lanier High School in Bessemer. After completing High School, he attended the University of Alabama, Birmingham, where he graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, and a member of Beta Alpha Psi, which is a national honors business organization for accounting, finance and information systems students and professionals.
Upon graduation, he joined one of the “Big Four” international accounting firms KPMG Peat Marwick, as an assistant accountant on the audit staff of the firm. He passed the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam in 1984, and was conferred the honor of being able to hold himself out as a CPA in 1985 after passing the exam and completing the required 2 year apprenticeship with a CPA firm. In 1984, he was promoted to staff accountant. The following year he moved to the rank of senior accountant, and then to audit supervisor. During his 5-year career with KPMG Peat Marwick, he was in charge of audits of companies in various industries, some with assets exceeding $500 million.
In 1988 he became a born again Christian, which radically changed his life and priorities. In October 1988 he joined the Alabama Public Service Commission in Montgomery, Alabama as an Advisor to the Commissioners concerning telecommunications issues in the State of Alabama. He was later promoted to Director of the telecommunications division. During his tenure with the Alabama Public Service Commission, he started an Accounting firm. Because of the tremendous growth of his firm, he left the Commission to operate his firm full time in 1996.
In 2005, he and his family became members of Fresh Anointing House of Worship. At that time he was appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Church, a position he currently holds. In 2008 he also became the Chief Financial Officer of the Utilities Board of the City of Tuskegee, a municipal utility provided electric, water, and sewer services to several thousand customers throughout Macon County, Alabama.
In 2012 he became a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). He is a member of the Alabama Society of CPA’s, the American Institute of CPA’s, and the Government Finance Officers Association.