Amira Rizvanovic Leads with Resilience, Accountability, and Purpose

For Amira Rizvanovic, financial leadership is about more than balancing resources or improving systems. It is also about building trust, creating accountability, and helping an organization prepare for what comes next. As Chief of Finance at the New York State Bar Association, she applies that perspective to financial operations supporting approximately 55,000 members.

Her responsibilities encompass an operating budget of approximately $24 million and an investment portfolio exceeding $70 million. The scale requires technical knowledge, but Amira’s approach also draws on qualities developed throughout her career: resilience, adaptability, strategic thinking, and a willingness to keep learning.

Building a Career Through Continuous Growth

Amira began her financial services career at BNY Mellon, working full-time in its OFAC department while pursuing her undergraduate degree. Managing work alongside her education established a pattern that would continue throughout her professional journey. Rather than treating learning as a stage to complete, she made it part of the way she approached career development.

She subsequently gained experience in private equity accounting at LeverPoint. At NRLA, she advanced from Senior Accountant to Controller, taking on greater responsibility as her experience grew. Each role added another dimension to her understanding of finance, from specialized accounting work to the broader demands of organizational oversight.

In 2017, Amira joined the New York State Bar Association as Controller. She was promoted to Associate Director of Finance in 2019 and became Chief of Finance in 2024. That progression reflects sustained growth within the organization as well as her ability to lead through increasingly complex responsibilities.

Turning Financial Oversight into Organizational Progress

Since moving into executive leadership, Amira has focused on strengthening financial stability and accountability while improving how financial work gets done. Her priorities include modernizing operations, reinforcing internal controls, and advancing systems and processes that can better support the association’s needs.

Among her recent initiatives, she helped lead the transition of NYSBA’s investment portfolio to a new investment manager. The work aligned with her broader focus on financial oversight and operational improvement. It also illustrates an important aspect of her leadership: meaningful change requires attention not only to outcomes, but also to the structures and processes behind them.

For Amira, effective financial leadership combines expertise with integrity, collaboration, and accountability. Complex challenges rarely stay within one department, making the ability to work with colleagues and build confidence in shared processes essential. Her approach recognizes that strong financial operations can provide a foundation for an organization’s wider mission.

Making Room for Education and Family

Professional advancement has remained closely connected to Amira’s investment in education. She earned her master’s degree from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in May 2021 while managing a demanding career and raising two daughters. She considers that balance one of her proudest accomplishments.

The experience reinforced her belief that ambition, family, and personal growth can coexist. It also informs the example she hopes to offer other women who are considering leadership opportunities or wondering whether there is one correct timeline for success. Her journey suggests that development can continue through changing responsibilities, provided it is supported by perseverance and a clear sense of purpose.

Defining Impact Beyond the Numbers

Although Amira’s work is grounded in finance, she does not measure its value through financial results alone. She also looks to the improvements she has helped implement, the trust built with colleagues, and the people she has supported along the way.

That broader definition of impact shapes what she hopes to do next. Amira intends to continue growing as a leader, mentoring others, and contributing beyond the immediate scope of financial operations. She is particularly committed to encouraging women to invest in themselves, pursue opportunities, and resist allowing their starting points to determine their futures.

Her career demonstrates how steady growth can compound over time. From working full-time while completing her undergraduate education to overseeing the finances of a major professional association, Amira has continued to take on new challenges without losing sight of the values that guide her. Resilience created forward momentum, while accountability and collaboration helped turn that momentum into lasting organizational progress.