Count on Her

An Accountant's Remarkable Rise to the Top

Marki Millsap’s love for accounting began with a high school bookkeeping class at Cumberland High School. Today, she serves as the controller for a global company headquartered in Canada.

FINANCIAL FOUNDATIONS

After discovering her love for accounting, Marki enrolled at Lake Land to pursue a degree in business administration. During her time as a student, she engrossed herself in Laker life, serving as a student ambassador and finding campus job opportunities. She first worked as a proctor in the Tutoring and Testing Center before applying her business studies in a position with accounts payable.

“I was able to learn a lot and do a lot during my time at Lake Land,” Marki said. “The work experiences were also great for me as a student, because they validated my decision to study accounting.”

A BALANCING ACT

Marki graduated from Lake Land in 2010 and decided to immediately enter the workforce. She started working for a local bank in her hometown of Greenup before eventually returning to Lake Land, working in the Foundation Office and later in Dual Credit. In 2019, she took an opportunity to join the accounts payable department at Justrite, a global manufacturer of safety products.

Around the same time Marki joined Justrite, she decided to continue her education to complete a bachelor’s degree. She enrolled at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (SIUC) and took online courses, all while acclimating to her new, full-time position at Justrite.

TALLYING TRIUMPHS

After graduating from SIUC, Marki quickly rose in the ranks at Justrite. She earned four promotions in less than six years, most recently becoming the controller for Hughes Safety Showers, a Canadian-based subsidiary of Justrite. In this role, she oversees high-profile budgets and financial strategies, the type of work she once hoped for as a high school senior at Cumberland High School.

“This is the type of job I envisioned when I decided to study accounting way back in high school, but I didn’t think it’d ever take me this far,” Marki said. “I’ve found that the more I learn, the more I want to do and help others.”