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Highlights

Upcoming Audio Conferences

Oct. 7—Internal Controls for Auditors, Management and Staff—Making Government Organizations More Effective

Entire 2009–2010 Audio Conference Schedule

This Week on the AGA Blog

Monday: Tony Rainey, Treasurer and CFO of Hyattsville, MD, on The Role of Performance Indicators During Fiscal Stress

Wednesday: Update from AGA's Internal Control & Fraud Conference

Thursday: Update from AGA's Internal Control & Fraud Conference

Friday: Sunil Datt, MBA, MS, MA, CGFM, PMP, Senior Managing Consultant, Project Manager, Service Area Manager,
IBM Global Business Services on "Ending Short-Termism: Is that Enough?"

AGA Needs You on the Blog! Come share your opinions with the AGA community! Contact Marie Force to book your day on the AGA Blog.

Member News
Congratulations to the following members of AGA’s Baltimore Chapter, who recently received promotions at the Social Security Administration: Dawn Boettiger was promoted to lead systems accountant in the Division of Financial Policy and Reporting in the Office of Financial Policy and Operations; Christopher Long was promoted to senior accountant in the Office of Finance; and Gary Hatcher, CGFM, CPA, was promoted to the temporary position of acting deputy director of finance.

Help AGA Improve its Education Program
AGA needs your help to improve its education program. We are conducting a survey to get your input and ideas about the AGA education program. The information you provide will be used to help AGA monitor the quality of its continuing education programs. Think about the education challenges facing you and your organization over the next few years and give us your ideas. Share your thoughts with us. Any and all input will be greatly appreciated.

Training Opportunities

Looking for a Job

Certificate of Excellence in Accountability Reporting (CEAR) Program Guidelines Available
AGA has posted its guidelines for Fiscal Year 09 Performance and Accountability Reports (including the Pilot Program). Not sure if your federal agency is eligible to submit to the CEAR program? Contact Evie Barry for more information.

Chapter Accountability Outreach Chair—A New Leadership Opportunity
Does your chapter want to learn more about AGA’s accountability and performance reporting programs? Why not designate someone to act as the Accountability Outreach Chair? This individual can promote AGA’s programs to both the members and wider government financial management community. With accountability as one of the strategic themes adopted by the AGA National Executive Committee, your chapter can remain on the cutting edge by appointing a chapter accountability outreach chair. Chapters can choose to establish this position; it is voluntary. Do YOU know what AGA’s accountability programs are? For more information, contact Evie Barry.

Active AGA Member Warren Walch Passes Away
Orange County Chapter member Warren Walch, CGFM, died recently from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. An active AGA member since 1990, he was an Orange County Chapter officer, a Regional Vice President and served on AGA's National Executive Committee as a Senior Vice President from Section 3. He received AGA National President's Awards in 1998, 1999 and 2003. A resident of Rosamond, CA, he was employed by the Defense Contract Audit Agency. He leaves his wife, Dr. Veronica Walsh, of Rosamond, and his parents, Oscar and Bernice Walch of Provo, UT. Funeral services will be held on Sept. 18. Condolences may be sent to Warren's wife and parents at the addresses below:

Dr. Veronica Walch
840 Tucker Rd,
Suite 1
Tehachapi, CA 93561

Oscar and Bernice Walch
1240 Briar Street
Provo, Utah 84604

Oracle to Host Free Forum on Oct. 21
Oracle and its partners invite you to the Oracle Federal Forum on Oct. 21 from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. We will discuss the critical challenges facing the federal government. As a long-standing partner with the federal government, Oracle has helped more than 1,500 government organizations around the world deliver on their core missions. Register at Oracle Federal Forum 2009.

AGA Advertising Opportunities!
Advertise in AGA's electronic newsletters—TOPICS and AGA Today! Get maximum exposure and build your brand. Find out what's available in an upcoming issue. Click here for all the information you need to run your ad. Or, you can contact April Pardoe.

Volume 49: Issue 17, September 14, 2009

TOPICS is Brought to You by AGA Corporate Partner Grant Thornton

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.

From the National President

AGA @ 30,000 Feet
What a privilege it is to be serving as your National President, especially on AGA’s 59th birthday! Congratulations to everyone who has had a hand in guiding our Association since its inception on Sept. 14, 1950. So far this year, it has been a real treat getting around to many chapters and visiting with you and participating in your educational and chapter events. Earlier this month, the Capitol Region RVP team, Section IV Senior VP, several others and I attended and spoke at the joint PDC held by the three West Virginia chapters. The highlight of the event was presenting the Beckley, WV Chapter with its official charter. What a GREAT day!

On the flight home, I turned my thoughts to writing this article. Looking out across the clouds, it hit me—AGA @ 30,000 Feet. The NEC and I serve you and lead AGA by setting policy, providing fiduciary oversight and ensuring that the executive director is managing the operational activities of the National Office. The NEC should function at the strategic and policy level and allow the executive director and National Office staff to carry out the association’s day-to-day operations. We each have important roles and responsibilities, and we each reap rewarding benefits. Read more.

Don’t Miss AGA’s Internal Control & Fraud Conference—Register Today!
If you have already registered for the Fourth Annual Internal Control & Fraud Conference, we look forward to seeing you Wednesday and Thursday at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. You’ve made a smart investment in yourself and your organization. Click on the links to view the program for each day.

If you have not yet registered, don’t worry… there’s still time! And advance registration means we’ll have a name badge ready upon your arrival to ensure a smooth check-in onsite.

This event is packed with dynamic speakers, hot topics and informative sessions. Join us to earn up to 14 CPE hours, enhance your existing skills and gain a deeper understanding of fraud and internal controls, share best practices and get technical training from the best in the business.

Program Now Available Online
View the agenda to see the complete list of speakers, education sessions and networking events offered at this year’s conference. You can also use the program to learn more about our sponsors or to find specific exhibitors.

Share the Magic of Career Advancement
We know the best form of recruitment comes from personal referrals. AGA looks forward to advancing the Association by engaging the best and the brightest individuals in the government accountability field. No one else is better suited than YOU to help recruit those new members.

The Share the Magic member-get-a-member campaign is excellent for the Association and nearly effortless for you—all you have to do is recruit one member to benefit. By recruiting one member you will earn an AGA sponsor pin and recognition on the AGA website, while strengthening your chapter and the Association. Members who sponsor six or more new members from May 1, 2009 – Dec. 31, 2009 will earn free membership dues. Do you want to have your 2010–2011 AGA membership dues paid for you? Recruit six or more new members by Dec. 31.

Our goal is to continue the positive net growth in membership. Be sure to reach out to those early career members—individuals just starting out in their careers, with fewer than three years of experience. Remember to steer them to AGA’s Tomorrow’s Professionals website, which is chock full of useful information.

Check out the many ways to win during the Share the Magic campaign. Start recruiting today.

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Hotel Reservations Now Being Accepted for 2010 PDC in Orlando
Make plans now to attend AGA’s 59th Annual Professional Development Conference & Exposition (PDC)—the premier education and networking event of the year!

Dream. Learn. Achieve. The PDC has it all! Join us July 11–14, 2010, in Orlando, FL, to hear dynamic speakers, participate in informative sessions, learn about the latest research, share best practices, discover innovative management techniques and see the technological tools that can aid efficiency and improve effectiveness.

In addition to an outstanding technical education program, and the ability to earn 24 CPE hours, AGA’s PDC is packed with opportunities to network with colleagues from around the country and make new friends. While you’re here, be sure to experience all the attractions, shopping, fine dining and recreational activities Orlando has to offer.

Information about the agenda, speakers, travel discounts and registration is coming soon. In the meantime you can reserve your spot at the official conference hotel.

We have reserved a block of rooms at the Orlando World Center Marriott to accommodate PDC attendees. The rate is $108 per night (plus tax) for single and double occupancy. However, rates are only guaranteed until June 18, 2010, or until the room block is sold out.

Reservations received after June 18, or after the room block has been filled, will be made on a space-available basis, and may be subject to significantly higher rates. Rooms sell quickly…we encourage you to make your hotel reservations early, for the best price and availability.

To make a reservation, please call the Orlando World Center Marriott at 800.621.0638 and mention you are attending the “AGA PDC” to receive the discounted rate.
You can also reserve a room online.
Download Registration Form

AGA’s Regional Dialogues Reveal ARRA Spawning Lasting Changes
Regional intergovernmental dialogues recently sponsored by AGA in four cities across the country reveal that the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) is sweeping, not only in its size and complexity, but also in the impact that it is likely to have on government operations both now and in the future. New processes, procedures and tools developed to implement ARRA are reshaping intra- and intergovernmental relations and the ways that governments collect, maintain and report information.

The dialogues revealed that—despite the federal government’s concerted efforts to promote intergovernmental collaboration—the complexity involved in implementing such a sweeping, highly-funded act in a short period of time has resulted in some key questions remaining unanswered at press time. These questions are captured in a report issued this week by AGA. Download the report.

Young Professionals Step Up to Lead Des Moines Chapter
AGA’s Des Moines Chapter knows how to look ahead.

Patricia Townsend, CPA, president-elect, chapter recognition chair and website chair, is 27. Natalie Storm, CPA, the chapter’s treasurer and professional certification director, will serve as president-elect next year. She is 31. These young professionals decided early to become actively involved in AGA, not only to earn CPE and make connections with colleagues from different Iowa state agencies, but also to help shape the future of the chapter.

Chapter President Cindy Weber, CGFM, CPA, said Townsend and Storm are real assets to the chapter. “Patricia and Natalie have been great additions to our Chapter Executive Committee. They’re both very energetic and hard-working. Their input and suggestions have helped move our chapter in new directions. I look forward to having them serve as chapter president and bringing fresh, new ideas to AGA’s Des Moines Chapter. We’re very lucky to have them on the CEC and I hope their involvement will encourage other young professionals to become active in AGA.” —Christina Camara, AGA. Read more.

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Looking for Exceptional Training at a Reasonable Price? Look No Further Than AGA
AGA now has 19 courses to help you and your staff’s education and training needs, and AGA brings the training to you. Taught at the location of your choice, the courses include lectures, group discussion and exercises, and class problem-solving. They can be customized to meet your needs and participants are awarded CPEs based on the length of each course.

Learn more and get detailed information.

For course pricing and additional information about course content, please contact Joe Jozefczyk, AGA’s director of Education, at 800.AGA.721, ext. 307.

Additional Governments Produce Citizen-Focused Reports
The city of Stamford (CT), Benton County (WA), the city of Columbus (IN) and the Springfield-Green County Health Department (MO) join the growing list of governmental units using AGA’s Citizen-Centric Reporting format as a means to communicate financial and performance information to its constituency.

The Citizen-Centric Report is a four-page document, produced annually, that clearly expresses the state of government finances in a way that avoids complex, off-putting technical detail and presents information in a visually appealing, clear and straightforward format. Reports follow a suggested format, with the first page laying out community information; the second, a performance report on key missions and services; the third cost and revenue information; and the fourth, a look forward to the year ahead.

AGA offers a Certificate of Excellence in Citizen-Centric Reporting for governmental entities that prepare and distribute exceptional reports. To be eligible for the Certificate of Excellence, governments must incorporate into their report the program’s high standards of content, visual appeal, readability, distribution and timeliness in reporting.

We invite your government to join this nationwide movement. By participating in this important endeavor, you can create a product that proves your commitment to transparency in government.

CGFM Frequently Asked Question
QUESTION: What topics and subjects qualify for CPE hours for the CGFM certification?

ANSWER: The CGFM is initially responsible for determining whether a topic or subject qualifies as acceptable CPE. CPE programs include a wide variety of topics and subjects that may contribute to maintaining or enhancing the professional proficiency of some CGFMs, but not others. Determining what topics and subjects are appropriate for individual CGFMs to satisfy the CPE requirement is a matter of professional judgment. Among the considerations in exercising that judgment are CGFM's experience, the government financial management area(s) in which they work and the responsibilities they assume in performing government financial management functions.

To help one determine whether the course would qualify for CPE, the CGFM should answer "yes" to all of the following questions:

Is the information covered in this course applicable to government financial management?
Does this course contribute to my professional proficiency as a CGFM?
Does this course provide information that directly benefits me in my job as a government financial manager or enhance my overall knowledge of government financial management?

Click here for more information on CGFM CPE requirements.

Registration Now Open for AGA’s Third Government Finance Case Challenge
If you are affiliated with a college or university, now is the time to form a team of undergraduates to participate in AGA’s Third Government Finance Case Challenge. Teams must be comprised of at least two undergraduate students. Each team will design a four-page Citizen-Centric Report for a U.S. city. Two finalist teams will receive a scholarship to attend AGA's National Leadership Conference, Feb. 18–19, 2010, in Washington, D.C. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winning team. This project is an excellent way to introduce students to government performance reporting and it will boost their future resumes. Learn more. Questions? Contact Jennifer Curtin.

Canadian Association Seeks Papers for Journal
The mission of the fmi Journal is to be the premier journal on “sharing best practices in managing public sector resources.” To accomplish our mission, fmi Journal continually seeks original articles with a focus on successful business strategies. Articles can focus on the practical aspect of business theories and implications for real-life business situations. Case studies and best practices are welcome, as are survey findings and analyses. Articles may be particular to a single sector, but findings should be applicable across a range of public sector organizations, as the fmi Journal readership is quite diverse. Reviews of books and other information resources are welcome following a discussion with the editor. So, too, are short opinion pieces on current or controversial topics. Submissions should be sent to Rocky Dwyer.

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