Biography

Shari L. Freidenrich CPA, CCMT, CPFA, CPFIM and ACPFIM 

SHARI FREIDENRICH was first elected as Orange County’s Treasurer-Tax Collector in 2010 and subsequently re-elected without opposition in 2014, 2018 & 2022. As the banker for the County, its school districts, and community districts, she is responsible for the deposit, safekeeping, collection, and disbursement of over $10 billion in public funds. She also oversees the safekeeping & custody of $17 billion in public funds in the County Treasury and serves as a trustee for the $24 billion Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS). 

Shari is a member of the County of Orange’s Audit Oversight Committee, Public Financing Advisory Committee, and Deferred Compensation Committee. She also serves on the OCERS Audit and Governance Committees.  As a champion of common-sense leadership, Shari has saved taxpayers nearly $1 billion during her tenure. The most significant savings—over $525 million in interest—came from her leadership in transitioning OCERS from a 30-year amortization of unfunded liabilities (which created negative amortization) to a 20-year schedule, ensuring annual principal and interest payments. Under Shari’s leadership the county has achieved:

1. California’s highest SECURED PROPERTY TAX COLLECTION RATE of 99.2% (as of June 30, 2024).
2. The highest LIQUIDITY, SAFETY, and YIELD for pooled funds among seven peer counties (as of Dec. 31, 2024).

Local Government Leadership:

• President of the California Association of County Treasurer-Tax Collectors in 2022.
• Former President of both the Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada and the California Municipal Treasurer’s Association.
• Past President of the Washington State Alumni Association and as a Governor on the Board of Governors for the Washington State University Foundation, where she chaired the Audit Committee.

Before joining the County of Orange, Shari was elected City Treasurer for Huntington Beach, serving from 1996 to 2010. Her private-sector experience includes Division Controller for McDonnell Douglas Travel Company (now Boeing Travel Company), Auditing Specialist at McDonnell Douglas Corporation, and Manager at Deloitte & Touche in both Seattle & Orange County. Shari holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from Washington State University, graduating summa cum laude. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified California Municipal Treasurer (CCMT), Certified Public Finance Administrator (CPFA), Certified Public Finance Investment Manager (CPFIM), and Advanced Certified Public Finance Investment Manager (ACPFIM). Her honors include:

• Inclusion in the inaugural “OC 500” list by the Orange County Business Journal (Civic Leaders category).
• Public Sector Local Leadership Award from the Orange County Business Council.
• 2018 Trailblazer of the Year and “Experienced Women to Watch” by the California Society of CPAs.
• A National Association of Counties Achievement Award for the first government Medallion Signature Stamp program.

Taxpayer-Focused Innovation:

• First in California to mail property tax bills with mortgage impound accounts via secure postcard, saving over $100,000.
• Held a tax auction after a four-year pause, featuring these innovations: A GIS map with parcel links to online bills and history (a state first), and electronic return of bidder deposits (a first for Orange County).
• Business name search tool for unsecured property taxes at TaxBill.octreasurer.gov.
• Online access to statements & payment history.
• QR codes on tax bills linking directly to parcel data (a first in California property tax bills).
• The Mello App for viewing base levies and special assessments, searchable by address or interactive map, with icons for Mello Roos and PACE assessments at TaxMap.octreasurer.gov

In 2020, she implemented a temporary COVID-19 penalty cancellation policy, saving more than 6,000 taxpayers $3.1 million in penalties if base taxes were paid by June 30, 2020. This preceded a Governor’s Executive Order that limited cancellations to homeowners and small businesses under specific conditions. 

Partnering For Change: 

Shari also accomplished the following in partnership with the Assessor. 

• Increased unsecured property tax exemption from $3,000 to $10,000, eliminating nearly 40,000 bills and saving up to  $4,000,000 annually.
• Raised the lien exemption threshold for delinquent base taxes from $30 to $100.         

Shari is also active in the community as a member of several local Chambers of Commerce, Past President of the Rotary Club and Soroptimist International of Huntington Beach, and a current member of Angelitos de Oro, supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & the Inland Empire.