2010 GFOA Annual Conference Preconference SessionsFINANCIAL REPORTING AND TRANSPARENCY: LESSONS LEARNED FROM STIMULUS REPORTING REQUIREMENTSCPE Credits: 4 Friday, June 4, 2010 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. - Speakers:
- Wayne Olson, ARRA Program Manager, Office of the Coordinator, City of Minneapolis, Minnesota - Biography
- Stephen Blann, Principal - Government/Nonprofit Services, Rehmann
- Jay Stroebel, Director of Planning and Management, City of Minneapolis, MN
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) created an exciting opportunity for public-sector organizations to accelerate the development of programs and services aimed at economic recovery. The federalfunds that organizations received as part of ARRA as well as other grant programs came with strict compliance requirements for keeping track of every dollar spent and also with requirements to make sure that compliance information is easily available to the public. Hear from a panel of experts as they discuss challenges associated with managing funds that flow in from a variety of sources and identify cost-effective strategies to retool financial systems to comply with current and future transparency requirements. Register Online Register by mail, fax, or scan BUDGETING PRACTICES FOR TODAY: GUIDANCE FOR BUDGETING IN HARD TIMES Friday, June 4, 2010 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. - Speakers:
- John Fishbein, Senior Manager, Technical Services Center, Government Finance Officers Association, Chicago, Illinois
- Heather Johnston, Director, Management & Budget, City of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Best practices in budgeting are more important than ever in difficult economic times. This seminar features speakers who have used GFOA’s budgeting best practices to prioritize spending, maximize revenue, and stabilize their finances. Attend this session to hear from your peers about rational alternatives to across-theboard cuts, a structured and compelling process for prioritizing services and reducing spending, effective ways to control personnel costs, and budgetary policies that help to assure resiliency in future economic downturns. Register Online Register by mail, fax, or scan EMPLOYEE BENEFIT CHALLENGES: DESIGNING, FUNDING, AND MANAGING THROUGH UNCERTAINTY CPE Credits: 4 Saturday, June 5, 2010 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. - Speakers:
- Girard Miller, Senior Strategist, PFM Group, Malibu, California
- J. Virgil Moon, Agency Director, Cobb County Government, Marietta, Georgia
- Gary Eastes, Risks/Benefits Manager, City of Knoxville, Tennessee
The employee benefits program is one of the most intractable cost areas in all governments. Where can you look for answers on how to accurately project future costs, design benefit packages that will help attract and retain high quality staff while reigning in cost increases, and provide flexibility for today’s and tomorrow’s workforce? This session will feature experts in benefits management and government practitioners that have wrestled with these challenges and developed workable solutions. Register Online Register by mail, fax, or scan THE VALUE OF FORECASTING IN UNCERTAIN TIMES: HANDS-ON SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CPE Credits: 4 Saturday, June 5, 2010
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. - Speakers:
- James Pehrson, Assistant Comptroller, Cobb County Board of Commissioners, Marietta, Georgia
- Christopher J. Swanson, Owner, Municast, Mission Viejo, California
The finance office’s ability to develop a reliable forecast is essential, especially in times of fiscal stress. Annual budgets authorize spending over the coming year but also create long-term impacts that your decision makers need to understand prior to voting on the budget. Identifying and understanding the true magnitude of financial problems is the first step in developing strategies for achieving or maintaining fiscal stability. This skill building session will provide participants hands-on experience using Muni-Cast, an automated system that lets you and your decision makers quickly see the potential impacts of alternative financial strategies. Bring your laptop and we’ll load it with exercises that will enable you to create your own scenarios!
Register Online Register by mail, fax, or scan Basic Components of Performance Management: How to Put the Framework to Work CPE Credits: 8 Saturday, June 5, 2010 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. - Speakers:
- Mark Abrahams, President, The Abrahams Group, Framingham, Massachusetts
- Anne Spray Kinney, Director, Research and Consulting Center, Government Finance Officers Association, Chicago, Illinois
- Philip Mancini, Chief of Staff, Procurement Department, City of Philadelphia
- Michael Bryant, Budget Manager, Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, North Carolina
Performance management practices can lead to dramatically better results, frequently at lower cost. While many governments go have processes set up to collect and report performance measures, far fewer have been able to move beyond this to systematically apply performance information in decision making. The National Performance Management Advisory Commission in its framework on performance management has developed a conceptual approach to performance management that also provides practical strategies for officials looking to get the most out of their performance management efforts and see results. This session will use recommendations from the commission to provide practical “how to” strategies for implementing, sustaining, and improving your organization's approach to performance management. In addition, speakers will discuss successful performance management practices including strategic planning, budgeting, business process management, "stat" systems, benchmarking, performance based contracting, and evaluation and reporting. Register Online Register by mail, fax, or scan MANAGING THE FINANCE FUNCTION: ASSURING CONTINUITY AND QUALITY AMIDST GENERATIONAL CHANGE CPE Credits: 4 Saturday, June 5, 2010 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. - Speakers:
- Mike Bailey, Finance Director, City of Redmond, Washington
- Marc Gonzales, Finance Director, Clackamas County, Oregon
- Perry James, CFO, City of Raleigh, North Carolina
- Paul Macklem, General Manager, Corporate Sustainability, City of Kelowna, British Columbia
- Ken Rust, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Portland, Oregon
What happens when the most experienced people in your finance office walk out the door for the last time? Are your procedures well documented and understandable for new hires? Do these processes reflect best practices in financial management? What about internal controls? Are they well understood, regularly reviewed, and adhered to? This session features practitioners who have worked through these issues and can provide you with successful strategies to take back to your jurisdiction. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to try out self-assessment techniques from GFOA financial management best practice research. Register Online Register by mail, fax, or scan SMART GOVERNMENT: SAVING MONEY BY GOING DIGITAL – REALLY CPE Credits: 4 Saturday, June 5, 2010 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. - Speaker:
- Stephen Filmanowicz, Communications Director, Congress for the New Urbanism, Chicago, Illinois
- Carey Hidaka, Business Solutions Professional - Advanced Water Management, IBM Global Business Services
- Andrew Malay, Director, Smarter Cities Sales, Global Business Services, Public Sector
In most governments these days, the pressure to be more efficient is relentless. Many governments have used the Smart approach – applying technology to improve services and achieve real dollar savings with shorter cycle times – to do more with less. Speakers will discuss automation projects that have created big benefits, including big dollar savings, how to identify promising uses of technology, and the steps involved. Attend this session to learn the latest techniques for making your jurisdiction a “Smart Government!”
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