AGA TOPICS Newsletter

CGFM Profile: Yuka Cabrera

Yuka Cabrera, CGFM, CIA, CPA, of Guam’s Office of the Public Auditor, attended AGA’s Government Financial Management training courses, which were brought to the island at the end of July. After six days of training, Cabrera sat for all three CGFM Examinations and passed. Here is what she had to say about her experience:

Q: Why were you were interested in becoming certified?
A: My interest in the CGFM was spurred by our office's involvement with our local AGA chapter. All OPA employees are members and more than half of the office heads or serves on the executive committee. I am already a CPA and a CIA and it seemed logical to pursue the CGFM particularly because of its focus on government. The OPA encourages the staff to pursue national certifications and the CGFM is one of them along with the CPA, CIA and CFE.

Q: What was your experience with the courses? Did you get a lot out of them?
A: I had been planning to take the CGFM for over a year but waited until the review course was offered on Guam, and I knew with Zeny's perseverence it would happen. I owe a lot to Pete Rose, who offered a great review course. He was able to answer lots of questions and we even evaluated our own government's financial statements.

Q: How did you study?
A: After the course, I just needed a weekend to review the materials and then took all three exams. 

Q: Were the exams harder/easier than you thought?
A: The most difficult for me was the section on federal government accounting because my work is centered primarily on local government.

Q: Have you found that you can perform your day-to-day duties better now that you've had the training?
A: The training has definitely helped me become a better auditor. The training focused on internal controls, financial statements and fund accounting, among other things. 

Q: Would you encourage others to earn their CGFM?
A: Of course I would encourage others to get certified! But I would strongly recommend the review course because it provides excellent materials, self-tests, and gives you an idea of what to expect on the exam and familiarize you with the exam's structure.