AGA TOPICS Newsletter

From the Professional Certification
Board Chairman

By: William L. Taylor, CGFM

William L. Taylor, CGFM

Pete Rose, CGFM

With the start of the New Year, I am pleased to announce a renewed effort for the CGFM Program—the hiring of Pete Rose, CGFM, to direct AGA’s professional certification program.

Many of you already know Pete. A strong advocate of certification throughout his career, Pete has been a member of AGA’s Professional Certification Board since its inception and served as its chairman for several years. He was one of the first AGA members to receive the credential, holding certificate No. 10.

He is also a popular instructor of what many consider to be the most difficult CGFM preparatory course, Governmental Accounting, Financial Reporting and Budgeting, which is offered through a partnership with AGA and Management Concepts. You could say he wrote the book on the subject since he was one of the main authors of the newly published CGFM Exam 2 Study Guide. His students praise Pete’s skills, saying he pulls not only from his vast knowledge of state and local government reporting standards, but his experience as a former finance director.

When it comes to knowledge about the CGFM Program, commitment to the goals and enthusiasm for its growth, Pete has earned his stripes.

I am pleased that he will work with the CGFM Program in a more active and visible role. Pete will expand AGA’s outreach efforts by meeting with senior government officials in federal, state and local governments to develop training programs and increase recognition of the program. Pete will work to expand the reach of the CGFM throughout the entire accountability community. He will be guiding the last two study guides through their final review phases, and he will also be available to help individual chapters with any CGFM issues that arise.

Pete has said again and again that he believes the CGFM can become the “premier certification in government,” and with his drive and the enthusiasm of our members, we will achieve our goal.

So many chapters have been showing real creativity recently in promoting the CGFM certification to their members and their colleagues in the accountability profession. Let me share some of their ideas:

- The Nashville Chapter's CGFM Committee announced last year that it would fully fund CGFM exam fees for four members whose names were pulled in a drawing. The only catch is that the winners must sit for all three exams by September of this year.

- The Mid-Missouri Chapter contributes $50 toward the exam application fee for the first 10 new CGFM applicants in the chapter. Milton Barr, CGFM, the chapter's CGFM coordinator, arranges a study group. The $50 offer is publicized in the chapter's newsletter and website, and is discussed at chapter meetings. "It is a great incentive for prospective CGFMs to get off the fence and get moving," said chapter president Vandee DeVore, CGFM.

- The Denver Chapter's Jeff Hart, also a member of the National Executive Committee, said he recently had a very successful meeting with the Denver City Auditor, enlisting his support for AGA membership and the CGFM Program. Hart emphasized the benefits that AGA membership and advanced certification could bring to his office - among them inexpensive training events, a more skilled staff, additional credibility, and opportunities for his staff to network and learn best practices and problem-solving ideas. Hart also brought along some of AGA's publications, and the state and local government issue of the Journal of Government Financial Management got high praise.

- The New York Capital Chapter is distributing the CGFM brochure to attendees at all AGA events. CGFM attendees receive the brochure with a letter urging them to encourage others to earn the certification. Those who are not CGFMs receive the brochure and a flyer describing the "top reasons" to earn the certification. The chapter is also launching a CGFM contest - the members who sponsor the most CGFM candidates earn a gift certificate at the end of one year.

These efforts are just what the CGFM Program needs. Nothing promotes the CGFM more than the positive experiences of other members. Fee reductions and gift certificates certainly don’t hurt either!

A note on the study guides—AGA volunteers are diligently finishing the remaining two guides for Exam 1 and 3. The publication of all three guides will greatly expand our reach and address the different study styles of all our members. While some prefer the face-to-face feedback found in a traditional classroom setting, others prefer to study on their own. We have been pleased with the success of the CGFM Exam 2 Study Guide. Members are telling us that it is a great tool to help them prepare for the exam. The guide is available on AGA’s website at www.agacgfm.org/cgfm/prepare/studyguide.aspx

In closing, I would remind all members to keep their CPE documentation, as the audit for 2002 is under way. We recommend holding on to the paperwork for at least three years. Members may receive a letter asking for documentation to back up the earned CPE hours. Questions can be directed to Katya Silver, Director of Professional Certification Administration, at ksilver@agacgfm.org or by calling 800.AGA.7211, ext. 313.

Thanks to all the members for all the hard work you do to advance the CGFM certification.