Highlights

The GAR Report is a monthly summary of membership numbers by chapter. In the Chapter Recognition Program, up to 3,000 credits are available in the Membership Section in the areas of Base Growth, New Member Acquisition and Retention.

The GAR lists chapters by size (Group A = 300 or more members; Group B = 150-299 members, etc.). We also publish a GAR by region. It may be useful to see how individual regions compare. Don’t remember what the columns and numbers mean? Read a detailed explanation of the GAR Report .

Mark Your Calendar

Feb 19–20—AGA’s National Leadership Conference

Feb 25—Cost Recovery Auditing audio conference

March 6—Deadline for receipt of national awards nominations

March 25—SEA audio conference

March 31—Deadline for receipt of AGA national scholarships

Cost Recovery Auditing with A High Payback Audio Conference
AGA’s Cost Recovery Auditing audio conference is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 25 from 2–3:50 p.m. EST. Normally $249 per phone line, the cost has been discounted to $200 for AGA Chapters, ADVANTAGE Group Membership agencies, and government agencies and CPAG partners with five or more offices who register for the program that offers participants 2 CPE hours. That is a 20 percent discount off the early bird registration rate! Further details can be found on AGA's audio conference website.

2009 Audio Conference Schedule
See the list of 2009 audio conference dates and topics.

AGA Sectional Leadership Meetings
The Sectional Leadership Meetings (SLMs) are designed to bring national, sectional, regional and chapter leaders together with AGA National Office staff. This year, we are hosting two meetings instead of four as we have in the past. By combining the four meetings into two, we hope to increase the communication between the sections and offer more opportunities for chapters to network with others of like size.

SLM attendance is by invitation only. If you are a current RVP-elect, chapter president-elect or RC who is not in the last year of your term and have not received an invitation, please contact Jessica Jones.

Applications Needed for Trailblazer Program
The Center on Government Performance of the National Center for Civic Innovation announces the opening of the application period for the third round of its Government Trailblazer Program. This program encourages local and county governments to engage the public in their performance measurement and reporting processes. Applications for 2009 are due by Feb. 28. Visit the Government Trailblazer Program website for more information.

2009 Call for National Awards Nominations
AGA's National Awards Committee is now accepting nominations for 13 national awards that recognize the leaders advancing our profession and setting the standards of excellence. These awards will be presented during AGA's 58th Annual Professional Development Conference & Exposition in New Orleans, June 21-24, 2009. In many cases, individuals do not have to be members of AGA to be eligible. All nominations are due by March 6, 2009. Click here for a complete list of available awards and to download nomination forms. For more information, contact Michiyo Wheeler.

Advertise for Free!
AGA’s online Training Opportunities Calendar allows chapters to list upcoming events free of charge. By clicking “Add an Event,” you can advertise your chapter meeting or regional event for everyone to see. With more than 1,200 visits every month, the Training Opportunities Calendar is a great way to get noticed by AGA members and nonmembers alike.

February 2009, Volume 4, Issue 2

AGA 2009 Survey
AGA is sponsoring an online survey to learn members’ thoughts about current and future government financial management issues. AGA Corporate Partner Grant Thornton LLP is administering the survey. All responses are anonymous, and the results will be presented at the 2009 PDC in New Orleans.

To encourage responses, AGA will give the chapter with the highest response rate a cash award of $300; second highest will receive $200 and third will receive $100. The award will be based on the number of responses received per chapter divided by the total registered membership of a chapter. Please be sure to enter your chapter’s name when you fill out the survey.

Thanks for your help in promoting the survey. If you have any questions about AGA’s research initiatives, please contact AGA’s Director of Research Anna Miller.

PDC 2009 Chapter Hotel Scholarships
The 58th Annual Professional Development Conference (PDC) will take place June 21–24 in New Orleans, LA. This year, conference attendees will be housed in two headquarter hotels. Chapters wishing to participate in the hotel scholarship (two scholarships per chapter) will be housed in the Sheraton New Orleans. The Sheraton is now taking reservations and can be reached at 888.627.7033; be sure to mention that you are attending the “AGA PDC” to receive the discounted rate.

The AGA room rate is $120 per night (plus tax) for single and double occupancy. Rates are only guaranteed until May 29, 2009, or until the block is sold out. We encourage you to make your hotel reservations early, for the best price and availability. Rooms booked at other hotels will not be covered under the hotel scholarship.

Get LinkedIn to the Network
AGA prides itself on its well-developed network of government financial managers. LinkedIn, a social networking tool, can help AGA members achieve the full potential of the Association’s network of professionals. Unlike other opportunities, LinkedIn extends and strengthens your network of trusted contacts. The benefit of registering on LinkedIn and connecting with AGA is to maintain contact with people you know and trust within the field. This technology can also be very useful for chapters. Government agencies, companies and organizations including the Red Cross, AT&T and the U.S. Senate are actively using LinkedIn.

Members can access individuals in the field who are not a part of AGA through LinkedIn’s network of 30 million professionals. AGA views the site as a potential way for the Association to bring new members into the fold, including students and new professionals. AGA’s Group Page has a discussion tool that we encourage each of you to participate in. Discussions held on the group site serve as a quick and easy way to communicate ideas and gain broader perspectives on topics that interest you. 

How to Get Started:
Visit www.linkedin.com and create a profile. After your profile is created, conduct a group search for “AGA.” Click on the AGA logo and you will be directed to our invitation site. Start off your group connections and supercharge your networking efforts by going to the AGA LinkedIn Group Page.

2009 Call for Scholarships
Please help us spread the word about AGA's 2009 scholarship program. Are you or a family member pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies in disciplines such as accounting, auditing, budgeting, economics, finance, information technology, public administration, etc.? Consider applying for an AGA national scholarship. Each year, AGA awards:

• Up to four $3,000 academic scholarships for full-time study to AGA members and their family members.
• One $1,000 academic scholarship for part-time study to AGA members and their family members.
• One $3,000 scholarship for community service accomplishments to AGA members and nonmembers.

The deadline for receipt of AGA National scholarship nominations is March 31, 2009. Visit the website for more details and to download an application.

Looking for Training? AGA Comes to You!
Is the difficult economy affecting your ability to effectively and economically train your staff? No travel funds to send your staff to training programs? AGA can help by bringing any of its 19 courses to YOU! The course offerings are in the following fields of study:

• Auditing
• Accounting/Finance
• Management Services
• Ethics
• Communications
• Leadership

Taught at the location of your choice, the courses include lectures, group discussion, exercise and class problem-solving. They can be customized to meet your needs and participants are awarded CPEs based on the length of each course. For course pricing and additional information about course content, please contact Joe Jozefczyk, AGA’s director of Education, at 800.AGA.7211, ext. 307, or Bekka Gehrmann, education manager, at ext. 309.

It’s Renewal Time!
Annual membership and CGFM renewal packets should be arriving in mailboxes shortly. Members don’t have to wait that long, though. You can renew online today. Please encourage your chapter members to use this quick and easy renewal method.
How to Renew Online: Access the AGA website and click on ‘Members Only’ on the left palette. Login using your membership ID number and password (your first initial followed by your last name—no spaces), click on the gray ‘billing’ button above your name. All you have to do is input your credit card information and hit ‘submit.’ The transaction will automatically process via our secure server and the renewal information will be automatically updated in AGA’s in-house membership system. While you are logged into the Members Only section, be sure to take a look at your contact information and make any updates as necessary (especially your e-mail address).

SEA Audio Conference Set for March 25
Interested in learning more about Service Efforts and Accomplishments (SEA) in general or about AGA's SEA program? Join AGA Past National President Sam McCall, CGFM, CPA, (and soon to be a Ph.D.) and Ken Smith, Ph.D., CPA, who will discuss the history of the SEA program and the impact of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board’s (GASB) 16 suggested criteria on the quality of performance reports. Hear about AGA's new website, which explains, with examples, how you can create an award-winning report using the 16 suggested criteria as your Performance Reporting 2.0 guide! Two CPE hours are offered. Learn more.

Recruitment and Retention in Your Chapter
Membership is the heart of our Association. Serving the needs of our members is the driving force behind our education programs, our certification program, our publications and our advocacy of issues affecting government financial management.

Recruiting new members and retaining current ones takes everyone working together, especially at the chapter level. Participation in the AGA “Big Easy” Member-Get-A-Member program is a key way for both individuals and chapters to benefit from recruitment and retention. One of our best marketing tools is the positive experience of other members through networking and chapter events.

Remember that chapters participating in the “Big Easy” Member-Get-A-Member program are eligible for prizes and recognition. In the “Chapter Overall Growth” portion of the Member-Get-A-Member contest chapters will strengthen the association both locally and nationally by recruiting. The six chapters achieving the highest overall growth percentage in their chapter size grouping will each win a complimentary meeting registration and be entered in a drawing to win 15 exclusive AGA shirts. Each chapter president and membership chair will be presented with an achievement plaque at the PDC in New Orleans.

Click here for more information on how you and your chapter can get involved in membership recruitment and retention or contact Rodneikka Freeman.

March is a CGFM Month
For the past four years, thanks to the initiative and dedication of AGA regional and chapter leaders, state and local governments have been declaring March a CGFM month. This project has been a great example of AGA leadership and teamwork and continues to help spread the word about the CGFM Program. Read last year’s proclamations. Let's continue this tradition for 2009. Contact your governor and ask him/her to declare March 2009 (or better yet - March of EVERY YEAR) as CGFM Month. Contact your local government as well. Join us in making this project a success.

Here is what you can do:

1. To avoid duplicate efforts, contact your Regional Coordinator to volunteer or to find out who is handling this project in your state (Not sure who your RC is? Contact Katya Silver.

2. If you are handling this project, modify a sample proclamation for your state (we've highlighted some of the fields that need to be updated). If you'd like, you can send Katya Silver a draft for review.

3. Contact your governor's office and/or local government as soon as possible. Send them the modified sample proclamation. If necessary, send them the proclamation request letter.

4. Follow up with the governor's office and/or local government. Let us know if you run into any problems/questions.

5. When you get the proclamation, publicize it. Display it at chapter meetings, publish it in your newsletter, send a press release to a local newsletter, etc. Don't forget to send us a copy so that we can post it on AGA website (if possible, please keep the file size under 5 MB).

6. Make March a CGFM celebration: plan a CGFM event for March, publish information on CGFM Program in your newsletter, recognize existing and new CGFMs in your chapter, etc. Let us know if you need ideas or supplies (CGFM brochures, ribbons, pens).

Obtaining a state CGFM month proclamation is worth 500 BONUS CREDITS in the Chapter Recognition Program (250 BONUS CREDITS for a local government proclamation). Publicizing it in your chapter, state and on the national level earns you an extra 100 BONUS CREDITS.

Thank you for your support of the CGFM Program!

Membership Application

CGFM Application

Audio Conferences

View the AGA Video

Training Opportunities

Contact AGA Staff

Order Recruitment Materials

Members Only Site Tutorial

Other AGA links

CGFM Certification—Take the AGA CGFM Exams today!

Register for AGA's 58th Annual Professional Development Conference & Exposition, June 21–24, 2009, New Orleans, LA