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

Nov. 26–28—AGA National Office closed for the holiday

Dec. 10—21st Century Financial Managers audio conference

Dec. 25–Jan. 1—AGA National Office closed for the holidays

Dec. 31—Second quarter chapter recognition credits due

Dec. 31—Second quarter RVP reports due

Jan. 21—XBRL audio conference

Jan. 25—NLC early registration deadline

New Audio Conference!
AGA is pleased to announce a new audio conference, Cost Recovery Auditing, scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 25 from 2:00 - 3:50pm EST. Normally $249 a line, the cost has been discounted to $200 for AGA Chapters, Advantage Group Membership Agencies, government agencies and CPAG partners with five or more offices who register for the program that offers participants two CPE hours. That is a 20 percent discount off the early bird registration rate! Watch for further details in Topics, AGA Today and on AGA’s audio conference website.

2008–2009 Audio Conference Schedule

Discover how EASY it can be to win BIG!
Most members know the benefits AGA membership brings to their professional lives and what it has meant to their networking and career development. No one knows the value of AGA membership better than you, our members. Have you considered sharing your experience? Through AGA’s “Big Easy” Member-Get-A-Member drive, AGA rewards your efforts in bringing new members to the association. In return for your recruiting efforts, the program offers incentives for each member recruited. For more information visit the member recruitment page of the AGA website.

CGFM Chapter Promotion
Need an extra incentive to encourage people in your chapter to apply for the CGFM Program? Here it is: From Sept. 1 until Nov. 30, we'll give a rebate of $20 for CGFM applications received with the assistance of AGA chapters. Click here for additional information

November 2008, Volume 3, Issue 11

Registration and Housing Now Open for AGA’s National Leadership Conference
Make plans now to attend AGA’s Seventh Annual National Leadership Conference (NLC) to be held February 19–20, 2009 in Washington, D.C.

The NLC brings together the top minds in the industry to share best practices, leadership secrets, the newest management techniques, and the most recent information on always-changing standards and regulations. Sessions will cover important topics and issues facing government financial managers, such as leadership, transparency, accountability, political transitions and what the future holds.

The NLC also features an exposition filled with the latest resources, products and services available from your partners in the private sector. Visit the Exhibit Hall to find pace-setting tools and technology that will help you do your job faster, more efficiently and more effectively.

Information about the conference agenda, speakers and sessions are coming soon. Stay tuned to the website for more information. But don’t wait. Show your commitment to excellence—register today.

Why wait? Reserve your room today. We have reserved a block of rooms at the JW Marriott Hotel for NLC attendees. The JW is adjacent to the National Theater and just one short block away from the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

The AGA room rate is $209 (plus tax) for single and double occupancy. Rates are guaranteed until Jan. 31, 2009, or until the block is sold out. We encourage you to make your hotel reservations early, for the best price and availability.

• To make a reservation, call the hotel at 800.393.2503 and mention you are attending the “AGA NLC” to receive the discounted rate.

• Or, for your convenience, you may also reserve a room online.  

Seventeen Universities Participate in AGA's Second Government Finance Case Challenge
AGA received a great deal of interest in the 2008–2009 case challenge. New schools are registered to participate in this year's challenge while other schools will be using the case as a teaching example in accounting classes. View the list of participating teams. We believe that this case challenge serves as a tangible way to introduce undergraduate students to the challenges and possibilities connected to a career in the government financial management profession. This year’s case requires the student teams to construct a citizen-centric report for Cloverdale, NC. The two finalist teams will be announced on Monday, Nov. 24. Many thanks to all chapters that helped AGA get the word out about the challenge to your local universities. If you have any questions about the challenge, contact Jennifer Curtin. Stay tuned.

Take the CGFM Examinations Before the NLC
Don't miss the opportunity to take the CGFM Examinations and earn your CGFM before the Seventh Annual National Leadership Conference (NLC) in Washington, D.C. AGA is offering a two-day Intensive Review Course Feb. 16–17, with the opportunity to take CGFM Examinations Feb. 18–19, 2009. The cost of the course is only $249 for qualified participants, and it offers 18 CPE hours. Special Bonus: The CGFM Examinations are offered at no cost to course attendees.More information and registration for this event are available on AGA website.

AGA Announces Four New Courses
Four new AGA-sponsored courses are designed to help financial managers and auditors add value to government performance. The courses are presented in cooperation with The Auditor Roles in Performance Measurement Project Team of The Institute of Internal Auditors, which developed the courses under a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. These courses can be customized to an organization's needs, to immerse participants in high-value audit skills and to provide additional ways to apply them. The four courses include:
 
• A New Service Model: Auditor Roles in Government Performance Measurement
 
• Assessing the Reliability and Relevance of Performance Information
 
• Assessing the Quality of Performance Information and Performance Reports
 
• Auditing Performance Management Systems

Read more details about these and other AGA-sponsored training courses, or contact AGA Director of Education Joe Jozefczyk at 800.AGA.7211, ext. 307

Two More Governmental Units Produce Citizen-Centric Reports
The city of Bellevue, WA, and the Denali Commission in Alaska join the growing list of governmental units using AGA’s Citizen-Centric Report format as a means to communicate financial and performance information to its constituency in a citizen-friendly format. 

The four-page ‘annual state of the government’ reporting format is designed to be visually appealing, provide understandable information to citizens about the performance and financial condition of the government as well as demographics and future challenges. AGA believes that using this report format will make governments more accountable to their citizens and help the American public develop closer relationships with their government.

We invite your government to join the growing list of adopters in this nationwide movement. By participating in this important endeavor, you can create a product that proves your commitment to transparency in government. And remember, we are only talking FOUR pages! And most, if not all, of the information is readily available on government websites and in published reports.

If your government is not producing a Citizen-Centric Report, please help persuade them to do so. All the tools you need to start the process can be found on the AGA website. You may contact John Bunnell for any of these materials.

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 will be housed in the Sheraton New Orleans. The hotel block is not open at the moment. Details regarding the hotel scholarship and when attendees can make reservations will be released within the next few weeks.

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CGFM Certification—Take the AGA CGFM Exams today!

Register for AGA's Seventh Annual National Leadership Conference, Feb. 19 - 20, 2009, Washington, D.C.