Highlights
CPE Opportunities
Call for 2005 National Scholarship
Applications
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.? If so, consider applying for an AGA National
Academic Scholarship today!
Each year, AGA National awards:
• Up to six $1,000 full-time merit scholarships to AGA members and their
family members,
• Up to two $500 part-time merit
scholarships to AGA members and their family members, and
• Up to one $1,000 community service
scholarship
The deadline for
receipt of applications is April 1, 2005. Apply now and
take full advantage of your AGA membership.
Click here to download a copy of the application or contact
Rosanna Ortiz.
Call for 2005 National Awards Nominations
AGA’s National Awards Committee is now accepting nominations for 10 National
Awards that recognize the leaders advancing our profession and setting the
standards of excellence. In many cases, individuals do not have to be
members of AGA to be eligible. All nominations are due Friday, March 18, and
awards will be presented during AGA's Professional Development Conference &
Exposition in Orlando, FL July 10 – 13.
Click here for all nomination forms and for more information, or contact
Rosanna Ortiz.
Spotlight on
AGA Corporate Partner Pragmatics Inc.
Pragmatics Inc. was established in 1985 by Dr. Long
Nguyen, and is comprised of more than 200 staff. The company is
headquartered in McLean, VA, with staff throughout the United States.
Over the years, Pragmatics has cultivated a consistently excellent
reputation for responsive, creative, and cost-effective IT services. Our
primary service offerings include: Software Engineering, Information
Assurance, Systems Engineering, and Program Management. Pragmatics is a
CMMI Level 3 externally appraised, and ISO 9001:2000 registered
organization. Pragmatics has grown at an impressive rate without
sacrificing quality and while maintaining its focus in the Information
Technology field. When problems occur and solutions are desired,
agencies turn to Pragmatics for responsive, creative, and cost-effective
IT services.
Teresa Smith, Marketing Specialist
PH: 703.761.4033, ext. 290
smitht@pragmatics.com
www.pragmatics.com
Click here for the latest
information about the AGA Corporate Partner Program, including an update
on research projects that are under way.
AGA:
Did You Know You can Renew with a Click?
Did you know that as an AGA member, you are able to renew your
membership online? Simply log on to the AGA Members Only site using your
member information and click on the “Billing” tab. From there, you can view
your statement and pay any membership/CGFM dues you may have. Recently
relocated? You can update that information online as well.
Click here to visit us today!
AGA
Advertising Opportunities!
Advertise in AGA's electronic newsletters—TOPICS and AGA Today!
Get maximum exposure and build your brand.
Click here for all the information you need to run your ad! Or
you can contact AGA's Director of Communications,
Marie Force
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Volume
44: Issue 5, March 14, 2005
TOPICS is
brought to you by AGA Corporate Partner 
Grant Thornton Global
Public Sector delivers financial, technology and performance management
solutions to federal, state and local government clients, and
international organizations. Call us to see if we can help your agency
manage its resources more efficiently and effectively at 703.637.2750.
Audio Conference Planned
for May 11: Yellow Book
Update—What You Need to Know
AGA, NASACT and NALGA invite you to
attend this audio conference on Wednesday, May 11, 2005 from 2 – 3:50
p.m. EST. Speakers will be Jeanette M. Franzel, CGFM, director, Auditing
Standards and Corporate Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office
(GAO) and Marcia B. Buchanan, CGFM, assistant director for Auditing
Standards, GAO; and Sam McCall, CGFM, City Auditor, City of Tallahassee,
FL, and AGA National President-Elect. Two CPE hours in the area of
accounting and auditing will be offered. The cost is $249 per site
(UNLIMITED ATTENDANCE) if you register on or before Friday, May
6, 2005, and $299 thereafter.
Click here to register. If you have questions regarding
registration, please contact Julie
Cupp at 800.242.7211. Questions regarding the program should be
directed to Raymond Harris, CGFM, at
rharris@agacgfm.org.
AGA Plans First Performance Reporting Conference
Plans are under way for AGA's First National
Performance Reporting Conference in Portland, OR, on Nov. 14-15. Watch
the AGA website and TOPICS
where information will be posted as it becomes available. For more
information about the conference, contact
Julie Bryant, CGFM.
AGA Members: Don’t Let Your Member Benefits
Lapse! Renew Your Membership Today!
The March 31 renewal deadline is swiftly
approaching. Don’t miss out on great benefits like the Journal of
Government Financial Management, peer networking, and continuing
professional education opportunities. Renew your AGA membership by
sending in your renewal invoice with payment or by
clicking here to go to the Members Only section of the AGA website.
Login using your membership ID number and password and press the
‘billing’ button at the top right hand corner of the screen. While you
are logged in, please take a moment to review your membership
information and update any incorrect items. If you have any questions
regarding your AGA membership renewal or any of your benefits please
contact the AGA Customer Satisfaction Center at 800.AGA.7211.
 Register
Today for PDC 2005
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!
AGA Performance Reporting Department Seeks Program
Assistant
Reporting Directly to the Director of Performance
Reporting. Working location at AGA National Office 2208 Mt Vernon Ave.,
Alexandria, VA 22301. Duties include: Coordinating reviews of federal, state
and local performance reports. Assist in setting up annual performance
conference. Edit and proof letters, marketing, advertising, website and
program information. Support with travel requirements and other general
administrative functions. Travel estimated at one week per quarter. Full
benefits and comfortable/collegiate working environment. Required skills
include familiarity with MS Office Suite (preferably proficient with Word
and Excel), great organizational skills, self-starter, creative and team
player. College degree preferred, salary commensurate with abilities. Send
resume to jbryant@agacgfm.org or
call AGA at 703.684.6931, ext. 212, before March 28, 2005
Chapter Newsletter
Editors’ Contest
It is time once again for the annual Chapter Newsletter Editor Contest!
This competition is designed to bring recognition to chapters producing the
best newsletters in each chapter group. A first-place winner and an
honorable mention winner will be awarded in each chapter group for both
print and electronic newsletters. Chapters may enter EITHER the print or
electronic contest, not both. Awards will be presented during the 54th
Annual Professional Development Conference & Exposition, July 10 – 13 in
Orlando, FL. Once again, we are inviting last year’s award recipients to be
our judges. Because many of last year’s recipients are still serving as
their chapter’s newsletter editors, volunteers will be asked to judge other
chapter groups. (For example, Group A would judge Group B, Group C would
judge Group D, etc.) If you received a Chapter Newsletter Award last year
and would like to be a judge this year, just send an e-mail to
Chris Camara, publications manager. Print and electronic newsletters are
due April 15, 2005.
Please click here to view the contest rating sheet.
Member-Get-A-Member Challenge Ignites
Competition!
Marion Demer, of the Idaho
Centennial Chapter, continues to hold the Top Recruiter position along
with Nancy Zmyslinski, CGFM, of the Greater Columbus
Chapter, both with 19 recruits! James Nellegar, of the
New York Capital Chapter, follows close behind with 14 recruits.
These members are not alone in recruiting new members
into AGA. Since May 1, 2004, 312 other members have helped to recruit
540 new members into AGA (May 1st was the start of the 2004-2005
membership challenge)! Many of these members are well on their way to
earning AGA Dollars and getting a chance at winning some fantastic
prizes.
What are AGA Dollars and how do they work? Once you
have recruited two new members, you start earning 5 AGA Dollars for each
new member that joins. Recruit 2 members, earn 10 AGA Dollars, recruit
20 members, earn 100 AGA Dollars and so on…AGA dollars can be used for a
variety of AGA products, such as national conference registrations, AGA
merchandise—even toward your membership dues!
But wait, there’s more prizes…the three members who
recruit the most new members each receive a complimentary AGA meeting
registration! Same goes for one chapter from each chapter size group
that achieves the highest overall growth. Remember, recruitment is a
24x7 job and we are all walking spokespersons for AGA! Lets all spring
into action and recruit new members!
Click here to view the list of Top Sponsors through March 8, 2005.
Click here to view the list of AGA Sponsors and AGA Dollars Earned.
National Leadership Conference
Online Evaluation—Deadline: March 31, 2005
If you attended AGA’s 2005 National Leadership
Conference, please take a moment to provide your feedback. Your opinions
are important to us and will help us enhance future AGA Conferences.
Completed surveys will be entered into a drawing to win a free
registration to NLC 2006.
AGA Members Receive Scantlebury
Awards
On March 10, the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program (JFMIP)
presented the Donald L. Scantlebury Memorial Award to three
distinguished financial management leaders, Donald V. Hammond,
Fiscal Assistant Secretary, Department of the Treasury, a member of
AGA's Northern Virginia Chapter; James L. Taylor,
Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Department of Commerce, a member of
AGA's Northern Virginia Chapter; and John D. Webster,
CGFM, formerly Chief Financial Officer, Library of Congress, a
member of AGA's Washington, D.C. Chapter and an AGA Past National
Treasurer. Scantlebury was the chief accountant at the U.S. Government
Accountability Office at the time of his death. He was an AGA Past
National President.
Past President Sadowski Named
Director of Accounting in Missouri
Thomas J. Sadowski, MPA, CGFM, CPA, recently accepted a new position as
director of accounting for the State of Missouri. Previously, he was the
director of accounting at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Sadowski
is an AGA Past National President and Past National Treasurer. He is
also the AGA National Treasurer-Elect and will take office to once again
serve AGA on July 1. Sadowski lives in Columbia, MO, with his wife Jatha
and three children.
From the National Office
The AGA staff is very proud of two of its own this week! Join us in
congratulating Director of Meetings & Expositions Ada Phillips
and Meetings & Expositions Manager Julie Cupp, both of
whom became Certified Meeting Professionals (CMP) by passing a rigorous
qualifying examination offered by the Convention Industry Council. The
foremost certification program of today's meetings, conventions and
exhibitions industry, the CMP designation recognizes those who have
achieved the industry's highest standard of professionalism. Ada and
Julie oversee the planning of AGA's two national conferences and a host
of other meetings during the year. "Each of us knew they were
professionals, but now the entire world knows," said AGA Executive
Director Relmond Van Daniker, DBA, CPA. "I am very proud of their hard
work and study." Congratulations to Ada Phillips, CMP, and Julie Cupp,
CMP!
 AGA
Welcomes Julie V. Bryant, CGFM, as Director of Performance Reporting
Julie V. Bryant, CGFM, an AGA Past National Treasurer and a former
president of both the Virginia Peninsula and Northern Virginia Chapters,
has joined the AGA staff as our new director of performance reporting.
Not another Julie!—its OK, she answers to JB.
Julie joined AGA while working for the U.S. Defense
Contract Audit Agency in the mid-1980s and stayed heavily involved over
the years after moving to the U.S. Government Accountability Office,
then to Grant Thornton, the U.S. Department of Education and finally as
owner of her own business, JB Financial Services. She served as National
Treasurer in 2000-2001.
“I think my whole career has been preparing me for this
position,” she said. “The people I’ve met, the opportunities I’ve had—
at the chapter level and national level and at the conferences—I’ve been
a real supporter of AGA throughout. All those opportunities and my
career path both have led me to this position.”
Julie is also eager to promote AGA’s Certificate of
Excellence in Accountability Reporting (CEAR) Program and the
Certificate of Excellence Program in Service Efforts and Accomplishments
(SEA). “With the competing demands for resources, we have to ensure that
we get all the bang for the buck. The only way to know that is through
performance reporting.”
She said she enjoys working with the “dedicated and
creative” AGA staff, who help her live up to her motto for life, “If
it’s not any fun, it’s not any fun.” Julie lives in Burke, VA, with her
husband, Kenneth, three cats, three dogs and two birds. She has a grown
son and daughter who both live in Northern Virginia. Please join us in
welcoming Julie to AGA. She can be reached at
jbryant@agacgfm.org or 800.AGA.7211, ext. 212. Welcome Julie!
 AGA
Welcomes Brandy Lanham as Membership Manager
Join AGA in welcoming Brandy Lanham as our new membership manager. Brandy
comes to AGA from the American Society of Clinical Oncologists, also
based in Alexandria, VA, where for two years she served as membership
administrator of the 22,000-member association. Brandy concentrated on
recruitment and retention, renewal billings, database management and
statistical reports for the group, and brings those skills to AGA. “I
was looking for a different pace, and I wanted to be more involved with
members and member relations,” she said. “You can tell it’s a tight-knit
team here and that’s what I’m looking for.”
Brandy lives in Alexandria with her husband, Tavon, and two daughters,
Lauryn, 4 months and Kendall, 3. You can reach Brandy at
blanham@agacgfm.org or 800.AGA.7211, ext. 209. Welcome Brandy!
Walker Will Deliver Keynote
Speech at 2005 ASPA National Conference
The 66th Annual American Society for Public Administration (ASPA)
National Conference, whose theme is "Advancing Public Service
Performance: Innovations in Research and Practice," will take place
April 2-5, 2005 in Milwaukee, WI. The conference will feature a
performance management international symposium and sessions in fourteen
tracks, such as Budgeting and Financial Management, Homeland Security
and Human Capital. Plenary speakers include Comptroller General of the
United States David M. Walker, who will serve as the conference's
honorary chair.
Click here to find out more.
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