If you are seeing this text, it is because you are using an obsolete browser which does not support current web standards. The site will still function, but some parts of it may look unusual. We recommend upgrading to a current browser version.

About AGA

Membership & Chapters

Outreach

Press Room

Publications

or phone number). Remember, renewals are due March 31, 2005. If you have any questions, please contact the AGA Customer Satisfaction Center.

PDC 2005 Registration Now Open
Join us in sunny Orlando for the government financial management education event of the year! AGA invites you to attend its 54th Annual Professional Development Conference & Exposition, to be held July 10 – 13, 2005, in Orlando, FL.

PDC 2005 promises to be an excellent learning and networking opportunity for government financial managers and accountability professionals. Education sessions will provide technical training, useful information on emerging trends, tools to help you become more effective and lessons from the best in the business. Click here for more information about the conference.

Click here to register online today!

SPOTLIGHT on AGA's CGFM Program

AGA's Reach Extends to Northern Mariana Islands
Mike Sablan, public auditor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, is so committed to bringing a higher level of professionalism to financial management that he arranged to bring AGA’s CGFM courses to this remote string of islands in the North Pacific. Instructor Pete Rose arrived on the largest island, Saipan, in January and taught the series of three courses to representatives from every agency of the government, some of whom are forming their own study groups in anticipation of taking the CGFM Examinations in the future, Sablan said. “The response was overwhelming,” said Sablan, who is AGA’s RVP-Elect for the Pacific Rim. Click here to read the entire article.

CGFM Profile
Federal Financial Manager Wants to ‘Raise the Bar’
Cheryl Hall, CGFM, believes that federal financial managers should take the lead in bringing more professionalism to their careers and that the CGFM should be the standard. “I think that it’s really going to have to begin with us,” said Hall, financial manager for the U.S. Air Force, Mission Support Directorate, Civil Engineering Division in Colorado Springs. “I don’t think the push will come from the top. I think the push will have to come from financial professionals in the field insisting upon and demonstrating higher professional standards.” Click here to read the entire article.

Louisiana Allows CGFM Exams to Count as CPE
It was GASB 34 that drove Marco Bodellini, CPA, to earn his CGFM designation, but it was his own “squeaky wheel” approach that got him CPE hours for his efforts. He decided to study for the CGFM Examinations to get a better understanding of the new financial reporting model for state and local governments. During the process, he sent an e-mail to the State Board of Certified Public Accountants of Louisiana, which approves appropriate CPE for CPAs, and found out that sitting for the CGFM Exams would not earn him CPE hours, even though CPE is granted for taking other certification exams. He talked to other CPAs. “I said, ‘I can’t believe they don’t have it covered. Let’s get the board to approve it.’ It’s not just for me, it’s for everybody else who wants this designation.” Click here to read the entire article.

PwC Aims to Take the Hassle out of Earning CPE
PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Washington Federal Practice recommends its employees earn 40 continuing professional education hours every year. With such tough CPE requirements, Carter Pate believes the firm should make earning CPE as painless as possible. He also believes that he shouldn’t ask his employees to do something he himself wouldn’t do. That’s why Pate, managing partner of PwC’s Washington Federal Practice, brought AGA’s series of three Government Financial Management courses to PwC and announced that he would be attending along with his staff. Click here to read the entire article.

Congratulations to the Newest Group of CGFMs
Click here to read the list.

Rutgers University Offers Scholarship to Earn the CGFM
The Rutgers University created a scholarship program for AGA members interested in earning the CGFM certification. These courses are available online. Candidates for the scholarship certificate program should hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and submit unofficial copies of their transcripts along with a resume and two letters of recommendation. Deadline is June 30 for the fall 2005 semester. Click here to learn more.

AGA Member To Receive Distinguished Scantlebury Award
John D. Webster, CGFM, CPA, a member of AGA’s Washington, D.C. Chapter, has been named the recipient of the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program’s (JFMIP) Donald L. Scantlebury Memorial Award for distinguished leadership in financial management. Webster, who recently retired as CFO of the Library of Congress, is an AGA Past National Treasurer and a 2005 recipient of AGA's Elmer Staats Award, which recognizes federal professionals who exemplify outstanding leadership, high ethical standards and innovative management procedures. The award is named for the late Donald Scantlebury, former GAO chief accountant and an AGA Past National President.

ADVANTAGE Program Gives Agencies a Price Break
Networking with peers in the financial management field. Professional development opportunities. And perhaps most important, big discounts. These are some of the reasons government officials cited for participating in AGA’s new ADVANTAGE organization membership program, which offers reduced registration costs for staff members attending AGA conferences or training programs. "Well basically, it boiled down to the numbers,” said Randall Griffin, director of Internal Audit, New York State Department of Health. “Looking at the cost of membership compared to what we would save on training courses, we could realize a savings of 30 percent plus pay for the membership.” Click here to read the entire article.

Member-Get-A-Member Challenge in Full Swing
Nancy Zmyslinski, CGFM, of the Greater Columbus Chapter, recruited her 19th new member this month, sending her to share the top Recruiter position with Marion Demer of the Idaho Centennial Chapter. The race is on to see who will land on top as Recruiter of the Year! Close behind is James Nellegar of the New York Capital Chapter with 14 recruits. Click here to see the list of top sponsors, leadership challenge results and prize information.

AGA Committee Certifies Slate of National Officers
AGA is pleased to report that the National Nominating Committee has filled all of the National Officer positions for the program year 2005-2006. The committee has followed the procedures outlined in the bylaws to choose nominees, announce candidates and distribute its slate of National Officers to all AGA members. All members were then given until Feb. 15 to submit independent nominations to the Executive Director. However, the Executive Director did not receive any independent nominations and therefore the slate is uncontested. National President-Elect is Jeffrey S. Hart, CGFM, and National Treasurer-Elect is Thomas J. Sadowski, CGFM. Members of the Nominating Committee are confident that our Association will be well served by these individuals in the years ahead. Click here to view the entire slate of officers.

NEC Approves Budget for 2005-2006 Program Year
AGA’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has approved a $4.7 million budget for the 2005-2006 fiscal year. At its Feb. 4 meeting in Washington, D.C., the NEC approved a budget with estimated revenues of $4,688,975 and budgeted expenses of $4,627,134, with an excess of revenue over expenses projected at $61,841. The Finance and Budget Committee reported that no significant findings or reportable conditions were found in AGA’s annual compliance review. The records were found to be in good order with reconciliations done in a timely and accurate fashion. In other business, the NEC received a report that attendance for the NLC was the highest ever, with 415 paid registrations and 552 total attendees. Sponsorship and advertising sales were over budget. The NEC also adopted an approval process for research projects conducted by the Corporate Partner Advisory Group. All research published as a product of an AGA board, academy, advisory group or committee must have been conducted in accordance with a plan recommended by the AGA Executive Director and approved by a committee of the Immediate Past National President, the National President and President-Elect. The next NEC meeting is set for July 8 in Orlando, FL.

JFMIP to Hold 34th Annual Conference
The Joint Financial Management Improvement Program (JFMIP) will hold its 34th Annual Conference on March 10, 2005. The theme is "Championing Excellence in Financial Management." The cost is $150 for 7 CPE hours. Click here to find out more.

AGA Staff List

AGA Membership Application

CGFM Application

Other AGA links
CGFM Certification—Take the CGFM Exams today!

Click here to register for AGA's 54th Annual Professional Development Conference & Exposition

Career Center—Post a resume, Post a job, Search for jobs

© Association of Government Accountants 2005

Disclaimer: AGA serves government accountability professionals by providing quality education, fostering professional development and certification, and supporting standards and research to advance government accountability. If you would like to opt off of future AGA mailings, please e-mail agawebmaster@agacgfm.org. Thank you.