Highlights
CPE Opportunities
Looking for a Job?
New National Office Phone Extensions
A new phone system has been installed at AGA’s
National Office in Alexandria, VA. Members can still reach AGA at
800.AGA.7211 or 703.684.6931, but the extensions of individual staff
members have changed.
Click here for a complete listing.
AGA Sets Theme for First Performance
Reporting Conference
"Service Efforts & Accomplishments Reporting: The
Cornerstone for Building Trust and Enhancing Management" is the theme
for AGA's First National Performance Reporting Conference at the
Portland Marriott Downtown in Portland, OR, on Nov. 14-15. Watch the
conference
website and TOPICS where information will be posted as it
becomes available. For more information about the conference, contact
Julie Bryant, CGFM.
Spotlight on
AGA Corporate Partner ACL Services
Trusted by more than 70 percent of U.S. federal OIGs and
the Big Four accounting firms, ACL is the global software leader for
continuous monitoring, data analysis and fraud detection.
ACL technology helps financial and audit professionals
meet today’s heightened demands for public sector accountability—by
improving the testing, monitoring and effectiveness of internal
controls.
ACL is pleased to invite AGA members to a FREE WEBINAR
for a discussion of how Continuous Control Monitoring can help agencies
comply with the OMB’s revised Circular A-123 by automating controls
monitoring. You will learn how major federal agencies are using ACL
technology to make compliance repeatable, sustainable, and
cost-effective – while leveraging compliance efforts to improve
financial performance.
ACL WEBINAR
OMB A-123 Compliance: Strategies for Controls Monitoring
Tuesday, May 10, 2005 – 2:30 p.m. (EDT)
Click here to
register
Click here for the latest information about the AGA Corporate
Partner Program, including an update on research projects that are under
way.
AGA
Membership: Did You Know Chapters Offer Outstanding Networking
Opportunities?
With more than 80 chapters nationwide, AGA offers many ways for you to give
back to your community. Through participating in local fundraisers, charity
events and volunteer projects, you not only help your community, but are
able to network with other chapter members.
Click here to find local events and the latest news from your chapter.
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. |
Volume
44: Issue 8, April 25, 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.
AGA Sponsors A-123 Expo
The Chief Financial Officers
Council has asked AGA to bring together federal financial managers and
private sector professionals to exchange ideas about A-123, the U.S.
Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) new guidance on attesting to the
effectiveness of agencies' internal controls. The expo, set for May 9,
will feature a panel presentation and an exhibit of consulting and
software tools to assist with implementation.
If you are a federal financial manager, the event is FREE.
Click here for more information.
Private sector firms can take advantage of sponsorship opportunities.
Click here for more information.
 Annual
Membership Renewals Were Due March 31: Renew Online Today!
Annual membership renewals were due to be
paid by March 31, 2005. If you have not submitted payment please do so
promptly to avoid a lapse in your member benefits.
To expedite your renewal, you have the option of
renewing online via the password protected members only section of the
AGA website (www.agacgfm.org).
Once on the AGA homepage click on ‘Members Only’ on the left menu. Login
using your membership ID number and password (your first initial
followed by your last name—no spaces), then click on the ‘Billing’
button at the top right hand corner of the screen. Your renewal fees
will automatically appear (this will include your CGFM renewal if
applicable). Input your credit card information and hit ‘Submit.’ The
transaction will automatically process via our secure server and the
updated renewal information will be automatically updated in AGA’s
in-house membership system!
While you are logged into the members only site, be
sure to review your contact information and make any updates as
necessary.
If you have any questions, please contact the AGA
Customer Satisfaction Center at 800.AGA.7211 or via e-mail at
agamembers@agacgfm.org.
National President-Elect Designate Hart Appoints
Eckert to NEC
AGA National President-Elect Designate Jeffrey S.
Hart, CGFM, has appointed Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Comptroller Harvey C.
Eckert to serve on the National Executive Committee.
“I feel very fortunate to have someone of Mr. Eckert’s
caliber joining our national governing body,” said Hart, who will become
National President-Elect in July and National President in 2006. “I am
truly looking forward to working with him to accomplish the important
goals of AGA and our profession.”
Eckert, a member of AGA’s Central Pennsylvania Chapter,
manages six comptroller offices and four bureaus to oversee all
comptroller-related activities for 45 commonwealth agencies. He has
worked for the commonwealth for more than 20 years.
He has served as Past President of the National
Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT);
Immediate Past Chairman of the Governmental Accounting Standards
Advisory Council (GASAC) representing the National Governor’s
Association (NGA); and Past President of the National Association of
State Comptrollers (NASC). In 2001, he received the NASC’s Louis L.
Goldstein Leadership Award in recognition of his leadership in
government financial management in both Pennsylvania and the United
States.
 FOCUS
ON AGA's CGFM PROGRAM
CGFM Profile: What’s the Definition of a
Well-Qualified Federal Financial Manager?
One thing is
certain—the definition is changing. It’s no longer good enough to simply
do your job well. Federal employers expect financial managers to have a
wide range of knowledge, to be prepared to move from strictly financial
functions to decision-making roles.
With the pressing demands of the President’s Management
Agenda—financial reports must be produced in a fraction of the usual
time and agencies’ budgets must be linked to performance—the role of the
financial manager is changing quickly.
In this environment, more and more often, employers are
looking at whether financial managers have earned a professional
certification. For some, it’s a requirement. Knowing this, Rosemarie and
Dennis Sullivan decided to take the leap and earn their CGFM credential.
Click here to read the full story.
CGFM Profile: Accountant Passes
CGFM Exams in Two Weeks
With a toddler and a new baby at home, David Hensley saw only one way to
study efficiently for the CGFM Exams—leave the house altogether.
Hensley, a staff accountant with the Internal Revenue Service, recently
earned his CGFM credential within a whirlwind two weeks that involved
attending all three preparatory courses, holing up in a nearby hotel
room on two consecutive weekends and then taking the three exams.
“I took a bit of an unorthodox approach,” Hensley said. “I have a
two-year-old and a five-month-old at home, so it doesn’t leave much time
for studying—at least during the evening hours.” He took Courses 1 and 3
in one week in March, studied over the weekend (emerging only for
dinner), and then took the exams back-to-back on Monday. “I drank a lot
of coffee,” he said. “It was intense.” Course 2 Tuesday through
Thursday, hid out in his hotel room again, took the exam on Monday and
passed. “It was a huge relief."
Click here to read the full story.
CGFM Profile: PA State Employee
Trainer Turns to CGFM
H. Susan Schulze, CGFM, a training
specialist with the Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General, has
a vested interest in bringing more professionalism to the state
government work force.
She is also on a constant quest to expand her own
knowledge, so offering the series of three CGFM training courses to
state government employees made sense. In fact, the entire series was
offered two separate times last year by two agencies.
The agencies sent about 20-30 employees to each course.
Employers gave their staff members time off to take the courses and the
exams. Those who earned their CGFM certification in the Department of
the Auditor General also receive a one-step salary increase, Schulze
said. “That definitely motivates employees to go forward.”
Click here to read the full story.
Rutgers University Offers
Scholarship to Earn the CGFM
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 15 for the fall 2005
semester.
Click here to learn more.
Congratulations to the Newest
Group of CGFMs!
Randolph C. Andrews, CGFM, DOJ/DEA/FNRF, Arlington, VA; Suzette B. Baker,
CGFM, Office of the Comptroller, Albany, NY; Stephen Borushko, CGFM,
National Reconnaissance Office, Manassas, VA; Doreen Brown, CGFM, DMB,
Financial Services, Lansing, MI; Leroy A. Chester, CGFM, Social Security
Administration, Reisterstown, MD; Jessica Cox, CGFM, State of Tennessee,
Cookeville, TN; David Allen Hensley, CGFM, Internal Revenue Service,
Severn, MD; Dror J. Karni, CGFM, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Washington,
D.C.; Charles Rodney Malin, CGFM, State of Tennessee, Cookeville, TN;
Robert C. Pate, CGFM, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Washington, D.C.;
Phillip Andrew Platt, CGFM, Maine Department of Agriculture, Auburn, ME;
John A. Ratcliffe, CGFM, Department of Education, Washington, D.C.; Erin
S. Robertson, CGFM, Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Overland
Park, KS; Karen V. Wallace, CGFM, State of Delaware, Dover, DE.
Purchase Theme Park Tickets Before You Get to the PDC
No visit to Orlando is complete without
experiencing the unparalleled fun and excitement of the Walt Disney World
Resort, Universal Orlando® Resort, and Sea World® Orlando. You can enjoy the
world's most amazing rides, nonstop nightlife, shopping and more.
Bring your family to Orlando and enjoy special discounts on admission
tickets to the major theme parks! Whether you're planning to arrive before
the conference starts or want to stay after, these tickets will save you
money on the cost of tickets purchased at the gate. Plus, save time by
avoiding the ticket lines at the parks.
Click here to purchase your exclusive Meeting/Convention tickets for
Orlando’s theme parks. These tickets are created just for you and
are not available at the front gates!
Click here to register online!
Click here to download a copy of the PDC Registration Brochure.
 PDC
Golf Tournament—Saturday, July 9
Treat yourself
to a relaxing game of golf! AGA is pleased to announce the First Annual
PDC Golf Tournament, Saturday, July 9, 2005, sponsored by American
Appraisal Associates.
Winding around 200 acres and three sides of the Orlando
World Center Marriott, Hawk’s Landing Golf Club offers a thoroughly
enjoyable, elegant and energizing golf experience. The course is just
over 6800 yards and carries a slope rating of 134. Fitting with the
emphasis Hawk’s Landing places on enhancing the golfer’s adventure, each
golf cart now contains a ProLink electronic caddy system which tracks
the yardage of the ball, pin placement and hidden hazards.
The tournament starts with a box lunch at 12:00 p.m.
Tee time is 1 p.m., shotgun start (best ball). Contests will include
Hole-in-One, Longest Drive and Closest-to-the-Pin. Prizes will be
awarded at the end of play.
Registration is limited to the first 88 people. The
entrance fee is $25 per person and includes lunch, cart fees and
gratuities.
To register for the golf tournament, click here.
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.AGA.7211. Questions regarding the program should be
directed to Raymond Harris, CGFM, at
rharris@agacgfm.org.
Next Audio Conference Slated for
May 25: Payment Card Industry Security—New Requirements, New
Responsibilities
NASACT, in conjunction with the AGA and the National Association of Local
Government Auditors, is pleased to announce an audio conference about
the new Payment Card Industry security requirements, from 2– 3:50 p.m.
Eastern Daylight Time. Speakers include representative from Visa
(invited), Nick Carter, vice president, Information
Technology, Link2Gov Corporation; Mike Irwin, director
of sales, Link2Gov Corporation; Jeff Gardner, EVP
operations, Link2Gov Corporation; Pam Callier, program
manager, Dynamics Research Corporation; and Cynthia Most,
senior security analyst, Dynamics Research Corporation. The session
offers two CPE hours for $249 per site (UNLIMITED ATTENDANCE) if you
register on or before Friday, May 20; $299 thereafter.
Click here to register. If you have any questions, please call
NASACT at 859.276.1147 or e-mail
support@nasact.org.
Participate in Business
Warehousing and Data Warehousing Survey
DecisionPath Consulting and The Data Warehousing Institute (TDWI) invite
you to participate in a study entitled “Unique Challenges Facing BI in
Government." While business intelligence (BI) and data warehousing
(DW) methods are well-suited to achieving the goals of GPRA, FFMIA, the
PMA, OMB A-123, and others, the challenges facing government versus
private sector organizations are unique and are not always considered.
This initiative is focused on identifying the organizational, political,
and technical issues that confront government business and IT managers
as they design and deploy BI and DW tools and technologies in their
agencies and departments.
Click here to access the survey. Be one of the first 100 respondents
to complete this study and you’ll receive a $10 gift certificate to
Amazon.com.
|