 Government Finance Officers Association of Alabama |
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| Volume I | Winter | Edition #4 |
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Governmental
Accounting & Auditing Forum
by The Thirteenth Annual Governmental Accounting & Auditing Forum was held December 12 and 13, 2000 at the Birmingham Marriott Hotel. The Forum set an all time high in attendance –227 registered participants and 18 speakers. GFOAA cosponsors the Forum with the Alabama Society of CPAs and the Association of Government Accountants, Montgomery Chapter. GFOAA President Sarah Williams opened the Forum and introduced the first speaker for the general session, Tom L. Allen, Chair of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board. Mr. Allen presented a GASB Update covering not only Statement 34 Implementation but also discussed the ongoing work and status of note disclosures, other postemployment benefits and the conceptual framework. He set the tone for this year’s program - timely issues and practical solutions. Jim Sumner explained the Alabama Ethics Law and gave several recent Advisory Opinions related to the Law. The afternoon concurrent session topics included GASB 34 disclosures in public offerings of municipal securities, use of E-commerce by governments, maintaining qualified employees, and auditing GASB 34 financials. Midwestern snow storms prevented one of the speakers for the general session from attending. Consequently there was no Performance Reporting session. Instead the Early Implementation of GASB 34 Panel filled the entire morning session. Bill Endris (Vernon Parish School Board), Tim Green (Allen, Green & Co., LLP), Rob Garner (City of Orlando), and Bill Pyres (City of Wooster) gave an account of their personal experience with implementing the new financial reporting model. Needless to say, there were many questions for this outstanding panel. The afternoon concurrent session topics included impacts of technology, internet sales tax issues, common sense approach to management, and profiling corrupt government employees. Luncheon speakers on both days were excellent. Dr. Donald Ratajczak gave his economic forecast and provided some humorous comments to soften the economic facts of recent market activities. Bobbie Vaughn, CEO of SunBelt Golf Corporation, told the story of the development of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and its impact on the State of Alabama. SunBelt manages the Trail for the Retirement Systems. Preliminary tabulations of attendees’ evaluation included "Best yet; very timely, the early implementation topics were great and gave much insight into a smoother transition to GASB 34; practical, real discussion of GASB 34." If you have any topics that you would like included in next year’s forum, please let me know (jkamnikar@monk.aum.edu). The Committee will be meeting in February to begin planning for the Fourteenth Annual Forum. Judith A. Kamnikar
Board of Directors Meeting The GFOAA Board of Directors meeting was held December 12th at the VALIC/American General Financial Group Office in Birmingham. There were 14 members in attendance. Business conducted included approval of the Minutes of August 13, 2000. The Treasurer’s report was approved with budget revisions. Revisions were to increase the anticipated disbursements for the quarterly newsletter and postage. A copy can be obtained by contacting Tracy Croom, Treasurer.
Reports Submitted Membership Committee (Ronnie Burlison – Chair) The current membership is 283. There was no report on the regional meetings. Governmental Relations (Gene Stabler – Chair) Gene Stabler was asked to submit articles for the newsletter when the web site was changing relative to legislative issues. Sarah Williams said it would be possible to use a list serve for member communication regarding these issues. Mr. Stabler also suggested using the GFOAA’s web page as a resource. Education (Judith Kamnikar – Chair) Judith Kamnikar reported the Governmental Accounting and Auditing Forum which was in progress at the Marriott. Judith distributed the results of the membership survey regarding continuing professional education. The Education Committee had not had time to meet and make recommendations regarding the survey. Judith distributed a report from Stseve Boone which summarized 2 of 3 CPE programs offered by GFOAA during the last year. Information on the 3rd program is being prepared. If you would like a copy of these reports please contact Dr. Kamnikar. Certification Board (Rob Terry – Chair) Rob Terry reported that 77 letters for the CGFO renewal had been mailed. Further, the board has discussed promoting the CGFO to members and others through a brochure and the newsletter encouraging the use of the designation by holders. The granting of reciprocity was discussed. Scholarship Committee (Rob Terry – Chair) Rob reported for Ron Lazenby regarding the establishment of research grants. Draft guidelines were distributed for post-baccalaureate study. After several motions, the report was accepted as a concept and sent back to Ron for further work. Travis Hulsey introduced an Awards for Innovations in Government Finance program. The award program was approved. (see page 3). The program would be announced at the forum and applications made available on the web site. Public Information (Sherry Gurganus – Chair) Sherry reported that she is sending the newsletter in a PDF format. The deadline for articles for the next newsletter is December 23rd. Sherry reported she has linked the GFOAA web site to the National GFOA site as well as ALAWEB. Plans to contact Alabama colleges and universities via web sites to communicate information regarding the GFOAA scholarships is underway. Strategic Planning (Ed Kamnikar – Chair) Ed Kamnikar distributed the minutes of the Committees In Action Meeting of November 3, 2000. He updated the board on that meeting and the results. Travis Hulsey stated that this was a very productive meeting which generated lots of ideas and thanked Dr. Kamnikar for leading that session. The final version of the GFOAA Code of Ethics was distributed. After minor editorial changes, motions were made to approve the Code of Ethics. The Board approved the Code and will present it to the membership at the annual business meeting (see page 5).
Awards Program
Awards for Innovations in Government Finance GFOA of Alabama is pleased to announce implementation of the "Awards for Innovations in Government Finance" program recognizing innovations designed to recognize documented work which provides leadership to the profession and promotes improved public finance. It is our hope that bringing recognition to implemented innovative ideas will provide additional knowledge and create opportunities for all governmental entities to improve their financial practices while inspiring others to seek innovative solutions to fundamental problems in public finance. An Award for Innovations in Government Finance will be presented annually to a government entity in each of the following categories. Small Government Award for organizations with fewer than 200 full-time employees Large Government Award for organizations with 200 or more full-time employees We invite you to participate in GFOAA’s annual Awards for Innovations in Government Finance competition. If your organization has not yet received an application form for the awards program, please visit our web site for additional information and down-loadable application forms (www.gfoaa.org). All entries must be postmarked by January 31, 2001.
CGFO Certification Certification promotes professional excellence. It can keep an individual competent, competitive, and committed to public service. In this new century, it is even more important that the individual take responsibility for developing their talents to the highest level possible. GFOAA provides a mechanism for individuals to enhance their public finance careers through the Certified Government Finance Officers (CGFO) certification program. Certification exams are offered semi-annually at the Annual Conference (see page 6 for conference info) and Summer Workshop. If you are not certified and would like to have additional information, please contact GFOAA at (www.gfoaa.org). Employment Opportunities Employment opportunities are now available for posting on the GFOAA web site and in the newsletter where applicable. The cost will be $25 for each ad which will continue until the deadline for application submission. For more information contact Janet Mularz at 334-409-9136 or jmlar767@aol.com
PROPOSED REVISIONS FOR BYLAWS SECTION II Section II – Boards and Committees
The Executive Board shall meet at least quarterly by assembly or other electronic means. The Executive Board shall appoint other standing committee members at the first quarterly meeting of the fiscal year. A quorum shall consist of seven members. Other committees and members shall be appointed as needed.
The Executive Committee shall prepare annual nominations of officers and directors. The proposed slate of officers shall be presented to the Executive Board at its Winter Quarterly meeting. The Committee shall review contracts and perform annual evaluations of contracted services. The annual evaluations shall be presented to the Executive Board at its Winter Quarterly meeting. Each January, the committee shall review and, if necessary, update (or cause to be updated) the Administrative Procedures Manual. A copy of the Manual shall be distributed to each member of the Executive Board and to each committee chairperson. The committee shall meet as needed by assembly or other electronic means.
The membership Committee shall promote and encourage membership in the Corporation.
The Government Relations Committee shall monitor and report on legislative action affecting governmental finance and promote intergovernmental cooperation.
The Education Committee shall establish, organize and promote educational programs with the membership for the Corporation.
The Certified Government Finance Officer Certification Board is responsible for the administration of the Alabama Certified Government Finance Officer Program. The Board is also responsible for the articulation with other participating states and national GFOA.
All committees established above and hereinafter established by the Executive Board shall report and be responsible to the Executive Board. GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS OF ALABAMA CODE OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS The cornerstone of a professional accounting association is its code of professional ethics. The code describes those actions that may not be prohibited by law but are outside the moral boundaries considered necessary to civilized behavior. An organization’s code of professional ethics encourages and promotes ethical conduct among its members. By definition, ethics is a system of interpersonal standards of conduct and moral judgment. The following is the Code of Ethics of the Government Finance Officers Association of Alabama (GFOAA).
December 14, 2000 The Proposed Code of Professional Ethics shall be reviewed, and revised if necessary, and voted upon by the full GFOAA Membership on February 27, 2001.
Upcoming Events
GFOAA Quarterly Board Meeting
GFOA of Alabama 17th Annual Conference
21st Century – Age of Technology Huntsville Marriott
Hotel
1-888-299-5174 Registration fee: $175 Topics will include GFOA and GASB updates, municipal bond issues, debit cards and e-commerce, internal auditing, economic development, personal financial management and more! For more information, please contact: GFOAA Administrative Services Please notify Office Automation Specialist to change your address, or other pertinent information, at the following address:
Office Automation Specialist: The winter issue of The Balance Sheet is being sent via e-mail to 164 members. If you would like to receive the newsletter electronically, please notify Sherry Gurganus at gurganuss@jcc.co.jefferson.al.us or Janet Mularz at jmlar767@aol.com Deadline for the Spring Issue of The Balance Sheet is March 31, 2001 Please contact Sherry Gurganus at (205) 325-5763/Fax: (205) 325-5841 or e-mail: gurganuss@jcc.co.jefferson.al.us
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