Highlights
Training
Opportunities
Looking
for a Job?
Early Registration Ends Friday for
SAS No. 112: Impact on Auditors and Preparers
NASACT, in conjunction with AGA and ALGA, is pleased to
announce an audio conference on AICPA Statement on Auditing Standards
No. 112, which establishes standards and provides guidance on
communicating matters related to an entity’s internal control
over financial reporting identified in an audit of financial
statements. The audio conference, worth 2 CPE hours, is set for 2
– 3:50 p.m. EDT on Oct. 19. Speakers are Randy
Roberts, Director of Professional Practices, Office of the
Auditor General, state of Arizona, and Arizona State Comptroller
Clark Partridge. Cost is $249 if you
register before Oct. 13.
New Speaker Added to Nov. 8 Yellow Book Audio
Conference
AGA, in conjunction with NASACT and ALGA, is pleased to
announce that Stephen L. Morgan, CGFM, City Auditor,
City of Austin, Texas, will add his expertise to this new and
significant audio conference addressing the upcoming revisions to the
Government Auditing Standards, commonly known as the Yellow Book, set
for November 8 from 2 – 3:50 p.m. EST. To discuss the major
changes and interpretation of the Government Auditing Standards is AGA
Past National President Jeffrey Steinhoff, CGFM,
Managing Director, Financial Management and Assurance, U.S. Government
Accountability Office (GAO); Jeanette M. Franzel,
CGFM, Director, Financial Management and Assurance, GAO; and
Marcia B. Buchanan, CGFM, Assistant Director,
Financial Management and Assurance, GAO. Cost is $249 per site if you
register by November 3; $299 thereafter. Attendance is unlimited.
Plan Now to Submit for the Spring Issue of AGA's
Journal
The Spring 2007 issue will focus on State & Local Government. In
recent years, the Journal has reported frequently on the
fiscal crisis plaguing many states and municipal governments. How
are they faring? How are the states and localities absorbing the
increased strain of providing frontline homeland security and preparing
for other impending crises like avian flu and bioterrorism? What effect
is extreme weather having? The Journal Editorial Board looks forward to
receiving your work in this important area by December 1. View the Author Guidelines and submit your articles to
Journal Editor Marie Force.
Member
Happenings
Arthur D. Peterson, 44, a member of AGA's
Northern Utah Chapter, died from injuries sustained in an auto accident
on Sept. 23. Peterson had been with the state Division of Housing and
Community Development for more than 15 years, serving as program
accountant for several division programs. He is survived by his
wife, Angela, and three children, Nathan and Matthew and baby daughter
Amie.
Chapter
News
Want to add some visual interest in your
recruiting presentations? Request your free copy of the
“We Are AGA” DVD today!
AGA Advertising
Opportunities!
Advertise in AGA's electronic
newsletters—TOPICS and AGA Today! Get maximum
exposure and build your brand. Find all the information you need to run your
ad! Or,
you can contact AGA's Director of Communications, Marie
Force. |
Volume 46: Issue
19, October 10, 2006
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.
From the National President, Jeffrey S.
Hart, CGFM, CFE
I just returned from our First National
Internal Control and Fraud Conference in Atlanta, GA, which is one of
the new and exciting ways AGA is creating value for you. If you missed
it, you missed one of the best national conferences AGA has ever
produced. You would have been proud.
Right after that conference, I chaired our
first National Executive Committee meeting of the year. One of the
important things we did at that meeting was to agree on some
high-level, long-term outcomes to help us describe how we plan to
create value through AGA including:
- Increased Value for Individual AGA
Members
- Increased Value for Members'
Employers
- Increased Value for the Government
Accountability Profession
- Increased Transparency & Government
Accountability
- Increased Public Trust in Government
- Healthy & More Vibrant Democracy
Now, let's get a little bit more specific. In
Creating Exceptional Value for Government Accountability
Professionals, my theme for the year, I've said we are
going to be guided by our core AGA values of Service, Accountability,
Integrity and Leadership. Under our second AGA strategic value
—Accountability—we are aggressively seeking out new and
exciting ways to advance government accountability. Read more from President Hart.
Make Plans Now to Attend AGA's Second Annual National
Performance Management Conference
 Accountability and transparency are critical
concepts for today's government leaders. Government performance
matters! Is performance reporting part of your responsibilities or are
you interested in learning more about it? The PMC, with the theme
“Integrating Measurement with Management: Making the
Connection,” is set for Oct. 30-31, in Schaumburg,
IL.
Be a part of AGA’s Second Annual
National Performance Management Conference, which will bring together
state and local government professionals to share in education,
networking and recognition of government entities that have been
honored with AGA’s Certificate of Achievement in Service Efforts
and Accomplishments (SEA) Reporting.
Join the members of the Governmental
Accounting Standards Board (GASB), SEA award recipients and speakers
with vast experience in performance management who will offer different
perspectives on how these reports can be prepared and improved and why
they are important to managing the government.
Who Should Attend?
- Accountants
- Analysts
- Auditors
- Budget Officers
- Chief Administrative/Executive
Officers
- Controllers
- Performance Management Specialists
- City/County Managers
- Finance Directors
- Grant Managers
- Legislators
Keynote speakers and presentations
include:
- Robert H. Attmore, CGFM, CPA,
Chairman, Governmental Accounting Standards Board
- Shelly Metzenbaum,
Visiting Professor, School of Public Policy, University of
Maryland
- Jonathan Walters, Staff
Correspondent, Governing Magazine, and author of Measuring
Up
- Corporate Panel on the
various tools used to capture and analyze data
- SEA Award recipients
explain the changes within their governments as performance reporting
is adopted
Register for this excellent networking and
learning opportunity today. See you there!
Calling on Members to Serve in AGA
Leadership Positions
By: Sam M. McCall, CGFM,
Immediate Past AGA National President, and Chair,
Nominating Committee
Now is the time for AGA members to give serious thought to
seeking a leadership position at the National and Regional level. As an
Association, we have made significant progress in supporting education,
professional development, certification, and standards and research to
advance government accountability. I encourage members to consider the
rewards and satisfaction to be received in helping to chart the course
for the accountability profession. Serving in a leadership
position at the National or Regional level will provide you the
opportunity to meet and learn from members from different levels and
branches of government. I hope that each of you will give thought and
take action to be a leader. We need your participation and contribution
so please submit your nomination for one of the following
positions:
- National President-Elect
- National Treasurer-Elect
- Senior Vice President for Regional
Services
- Section II
- Senior Vice President At-Large
- Regional Vice Presidents-Elect
An e-submission of your completed nomination form is due to Rosanna Ortiz by Friday, October
27, 2006.
AGA’s
2006-2007 Member-Get-A-Member Campaign (MGAM) Reach for the
Stars
Reach for the Rising Stars and You Could Be
a
Star in Nashville!
 That’s right, recruit new members into AGA this
program year and you could win a free trip (roundtrip airfare and
registration) to AGA’s 2007 Professional Development Conference
& Exposition in Nashville, Tennessee on June 24 – 27!
This year we are focusing on recruiting the rising
stars—we
call them Early Career and Tomorrow’s
Professionals—individuals just starting out in their careers,
with less than three years of experience. Finding and developing AGA
leaders of tomorrow is so very important to AGA’s future as well
as to the future of our profession! Now is the time to reach out to
these ‘up and comers’—maybe even think about becoming
a mentor!
We invite each AGA member to
recruit at least one new member in this year’s MGAM. Our goal is
to continue the positive net growth in membership that we experienced
this past year. And, EVERY member who sponsors new members is eligible
for prizes and recognition in the Reach for the Stars
campaign.
Why you? We have found that the
majority of new members join AGA because a colleague recommended AGA
membership to them. You probably do this frequently, maybe without even
realizing you are officially "recruiting." Just be sure to
have handy an AGA membership application or know the AGA website
address (www.agacgfm.org). And
don’t forget to include your name in the ‘sponsor’
line on the membership application to receive credit!
Every time a new member joins
AGA,
we are made stronger. More members mean more visibility in the
corridors of power and more opportunities for advancement through
networking and exchanging best practices. Show off your enthusiasm with
firsthand accounts of how your AGA membership has been a great
investment in your professional development and career! And please
remember to make an extra effort to reach out to the rising stars!
Start recruiting today! Click here
for all the details and prize information.
AGA Dollars Update
Top Sponsors
Membership FAQ
Q: My contact
information has changed, how do I update it with AGA?
A: If you have recently changed employers,
received a promotion or have a new home address, we ask that you update
your information with AGA. This can be done quickly and easily by going
to the Members Only section of our website
and updating your profile. To access Members Only, use your member ID
number as your login ID and your first initial followed by your last
name as your password. If you have any questions please contact Rica Muhammad.
CGFM Profile
Barry and Sharon Sims learned
about the CGFM by doing their homework on how to become better federal
financial managers.
Barry Sims turned to the Bureau
of
Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook to look up the
training, qualifications and advancement opportunities that were
available for budget analysts. He found a description of the CGFM credential and a
link to AGA’s website (www.agacgfm.org).
That got him thinking about
joining AGA and taking the three examinations. He and his wife Sharon
agreed to set a goal to earn the CGFM. They joined AGA’s Boston
Chapter last year, attended meetings, and got busy studying. Read
more.
Now
Accepting Nominations for the Private Sector Financial Excellence Award
and Other Leadership Awards Presented at the 2007 NLC
Which private sector professional do you know that
has contributed to state or local government services and operations?
Is there a member in your chapter or someone that works in your firm
that has demonstrated leadership in state and local government programs
and the financial management profession? If so nominate them for
AGA’s Private Sector Financial Excellence Award
today. All leadership award nominations must be submitted
electronically to Rosanna Ortiz
by Friday, October 27, 2006.
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