GFOA of the US & Canada

The Greater Fort Lauderdale - Broward County Convention Center
1950 Eisenhower Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, FL  33316

 Concurrent Sessions and Discussion Groups

Concurrent Sessions

• The Accounting and Auditing Year in Review (Combined presentation)
• Affordable Technologies for Small Governments
• Moderator: Laura Sitrin, Finance Director, City of Newport, RI
  

  Speakers: John Backman, (presentation) Executive Director, eCityGov Alliance, Bellevue, WA

  Louis Boglioli, III, (presentation) Financial Services Assistant Director, City of Stuart, FL

• Before and After the Storm: Accounting and Financial Reporting for Disasters

• Handouts  

  Moderator/Speaker: Linda Davidson (presentation), Deputy Director, Financial Services, City of Boca Raton, FL
  Speaker: Charles Dugger (presentation), Deputy Director of Quality Assurance, Florida Recovery Office, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Lake Mary, FL

  Rob Dillenger (presentation), Federal Emergency Management Agency, Lake Mary, FL 

  Michael Genito (presentation), Comptroller, City of Rye, NY

• Beyond Department-by-Department Budgeting:  How to Budget for Outcomes (Combined presentation)

• Bond Basics  (Combined presentation)
• Borrowing Wisely: Financing Capital Projects in Canada
  

• Moderator/Speaker: Michael P. Ruta, CFO, City of Winnipeg, MB
  Speaker: Manijeh Khoee, Senior Financial Policy Coordinator, City of Edmonton, AB

• Building a Performance Management Framework: An Open Forum on the National Performance Management Advisory Commission (Combined presentation)
• The Challenges of Selecting a Broker/Dealer (Combined presentation)
• Choosing and Using Unique Debt Instruments (Combined presentation)
  
• Clean Up Patrol: Case Studies in Accounting for Pollution Remediation (Combined presentation)
  
• Communicating Effectively with Your Employees
• Moderator: Vivian McGettigan, Finance Director, Faquier County and Public Schools, Warrenton, VA
  

  Speakers: Gloriette G. Beck (presentation), Chief Financial Administrative Officer, County of Sacramento, CA

  Dr. Ronald L. Rhames (presentation), Senior Vice President, Business Affairs, Midlands Technical College, Columbia, SC

• Coping with Change
• Moderator: Shirley Hughes, Assistant City Manager/CFO, City of Beaufort, SC
  

  Speakers: Michael Geoghegan (presentation), CFO/Director of Finance and Administration, County of Broward, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Jack McGuinness (presentation), President, Infrastructure Management Group, Bethesda, MD; Nancy Zielke (presentation), Director, Alvarez & Marsal, Kansas City, MO

• Cutting-Edge Practices for Government Investors

• Moderator: Lynda Flynn, Asset and Debt Manager, Osceola County, Kissimmee, FL
  Speakers: Margaret Kerins, Managing Director, Agency Strategy, RBS Greenwich Capital, Chicago, IL; Jeff Kern, Treasury Management Officer, County of Sarasota, FL; Randy Sherman, Finance Director, City of West Palm Beach, FL

• Debits Left, Credits Right: A Practical Approach to Understanding Derivatives (Combined presentation)

• Don’t Lose Your Memory:  Technology for Knowledge Management

• Moderator: Michael Bailey, Finance Director, City of Redmond, WA
  Speakers: Sarah Jackson, Sales Consulting Director, State and Local Applications, Oracle Corporation, Washington, DC; Dave Melbye, Senior Manager, Research and Consulting Center, Government Finance Officers Association, Chicago, IL

• Easy e-Procurement

• Speakers: Michael Bevis, Chief Procurement Officer, City of Naperville, IL; David Dise, Director, Office of Procurement, Montgomery County, Rockville, MD; Thomas J. Brennan, President, Proactis Inc., Proactis, Wetherby, UK  

• Economic Development:  Creating Your Community’s Vision

• Moderator: William Stafford, CFO, Evanston Township High School District 202, Evanston, IL
  Speakers: Arthur Lynch (presentation), Deputy City Manager, City of Glendale – Administrative Services, Glendale, AZ; David N. MacGillivray (presentation), Chairman, Springsted, Inc., St. Paul, MN; Christopher P. Morrill (presentation), Assistant City Manager, City of Savannah, GA

• Efficient On-Line Bill Paying:  Best Practices for Billers

• Moderator: David Olsen, Treasurer, City of Warwick, RI
  Speakers: Debby Cherney (presentation), Director of Finance, Irvine Ranch Water District, Irvine, CA; John Sofley (presentation), Management Services Director, City of Salisbury, NC
• Foundation for the Future:  Setting Infrastructure Priorities (Combined presentation)
• Moderator: Marcia Maurer, CFO, Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, Mather, CA
  

  Speakers: Margaret Browne, President, MVBrowne & Associates, Denver, CO; Steve Wyton, Manager, Asset Management City of Calgary, AB

• The Future of Public Sector Retirement Plans

• Moderator: Mike Kier, Finance Director, City of Tulsa, OK
  Speakers: Elizabeth Kellar, Executive Director, Center for State and Local Government Excellence, Washington, DC; Girard Miller, Consultant, Malibu, CA

• The Future of TIFs:  Controversy About a Common Financing Tool
• Moderator/Speaker: Jeffrey Oris, Community Development Director, Martin County, Stuart, FL; Speaker: MaryCarol White, Director of Financial and Management Services, County of York, VA
• Getting It Right: New Implementation Guidance and Common Reporting Deficiencies (Combined presentation)
• Getting the Right Tools for the Job: The AICPA Audit Committee Toolkit (Combined presentation)
• Green Government:  What the Leaders are Doing
• Moderator: Robena Reid, Financial Economist, USDOT – Federal Transit Administration, Lorton, VA
  

  Speakers: Tammy Clayton (presentation), Director of Finance, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Palmer, AK; Jennifer Sims  (presentation), Chief Financial Officer, City of Portland, OR; Miriam Zimms (presentation), Senior Consultant, Kessler Consulting, Inc., Tampa, FL

• Health Care Cost Avoidance

• Moderator: Helene Raps-Beckerman, Finance Commissioner, town of North Hempsted, Manhasset, NY
  Speakers: Dr. Reed V. Tuckson, Executive Vice President and Chief of Medical Affairs, United Health Group, Minnetonka, MN; David S. White, Budget Officer, Howard County Public Schools, Ellicott City, MD

• The Hidden World of Retirement Plan Fees

• Moderator: R. Keith Overly, Executive Director, Ohio Deferred Compensation, Columbus, OH
  Speakers: Jayson Davidson, Consultant, Arnerich Massena & Associates, Inc., Portland, OR; Thomas Mueller, Chief Accountant, Los Angeles County Sanitation District, Whittier, CA

• Hiring Good Staff in a Seller’s Market

• Moderator: Lanre Banjo, Deputy Director, Accounting Policy, District of Columbia, Office of Financial Operations and Systems, Washington, DC
  Speakers: Ronald P. Clare (presentation), HR Director, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Bob Lavigna (presentation), Vice President of Research, Partnership for Public Service, Washington, DC; Rubina Merchant (presentation), Projects Coordinator, City of Calgary, AB; Nawshad Sunderji (presentation), Finance Manager, Finance and Supply, City of Calgary, AB

• How Much Is Enough? Budgeting for Technology
• Moderator: Dean Martin, Executive Manager, Finance and Administration, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Chino, CA
  

  Speakers: Barry Axelrod (presentation), Chief Information Officer, Collier County, Naples, FL; Liza Lowery Massey (presentation), Chief Executive Officer, The CIO Collaborative, Nokesville, VA; Laurie Van Pelt (presentation) , Director, Management and Budget, Oakland County Government, Waterford, MI 

• How Safe Are Money Market Funds?

• Moderator: Kathryn Hewitt, Cash & Investment Manager, Prince George’s County, Upper Marlboro, MD
  Speakers: Gerald P. Dwyer, Vice President, Federal Reserve of Atlanta, GA; Jimmie Irby, Vice President, JP Morgan Asset Management, Liquid Products, Columbus, OH; Peter Rizzo, Senior Director, Standard and Poor’s Fund Ratings, New York, NY

• How the Subprime Mess has Affected the Bond Market (Combined presentation)
• In Plain View: Using Popular Reports to Tell Your Government’s Financial Story
• Moderator/Speaker: E. Barrett Atwood, Sr. (presentation), Director of Finance, City of Boynton Beach, FL
  Speakers: Sharon M. Anselmo (presentation), Management Services Director, City of Maitland, FL; Linda S. Wolverton, Director of Finance, Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi, Jackson, MS
• Intergovernmental Cooperation in the Treasury Function

• Moderator: Anne Smarsh, Accounting Director, County of Sedgwick – Finance Division, Wichita, KS
  Speakers: Cindy Greco, Principal Buyer, County of Waukesha, Purchasing Department, Waukesha, WI; John Payne, Deputy Treasurer, Clark County Treasurer’s Office, Vancouver, WA

• Intergovernmental Technology Sharing

• Moderator: Mary Fitzpatrick, Director of Financial Systems and Reporting, City and County of San Francisco, CA
  Speakers: Tim Barbee, Director of Research and Information Services, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Arlington, TX; Bob Hanson, Chief Information Officer, Sarasota County Government, FL

• The Internal Control Environment for Public Funds

• Moderator: Jan S. Hawn, Finance Director, City of Bellevue, WA
  Speakers: Bob Eichem, Finance Director, City of Boulder, CO; Lisa Marie Harris, Deputy Treasurer, County of San Diego, CA; Diane C. Reichard, Finance Director, City of Temple Terrace, FL

• Knowing What to Look for: How To Use a CAFR
  

• Moderator: Phoebe S. Selden, Senior Vice President, Scott Balice Strategies, Chicago, IL
  Speakers:  Gregory S. Allison, Assistant Director, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill School of Government, Chapel Hill, NC; Karl Jacob, Senior Director, Standard and Poor’s, New York, NY

• Liquidity and Core Portfolios in Today’s Market: Tips From the Experts

• Moderator: Cynthia J. Evangelisti, Assistant Treasurer, Chicago Park District, IL
  Speakers: Jim DeMasi, Principal, First Vice President, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc., Baltimore, MD; Bernie Schoenfeld, Vice President, Bank of New York Mellon, New York, NY

• Making it Better: Options for Improving the CAFR (Combined presentation)
  
• Making Sense of it All: Explaining OPEB Accounting to Decision Makers (Combined presentation)

• Making the Case: Keys to Ratings Upgrades

• Moderator/Speaker: Linda S. Howard, Director, Fiscal Services, Orlando Utilities Commission, Orlando, FL; Speakers: Henrietta Chang, Vice President/Senior Analyst, Moody’s Investor Services, Chicago, IL; Robin Prunty, Senior Director, Standard and Poor’s, New York, NY; Richard J. Raphael, Executive Managing Director, Fitch Ratings, New York, NY

• Making the Old New Again: Getting the Most Out of Existing Technologies

• Moderator: Debra Murray, Director of Budget and Finance, Washington County, Hagerstown, MD
  Speakers: Amy Meeker Berg, Deputy Treasurer, Johnson County, Olathe, KS; Hemant Sharma, CTO for the State and Local Solutions Group, CGI, Fairfax, VA

• Munis on the Front Burner: Developments in Washington

• Moderator: Susan Gaffney, Director, Federal Liaison Center, Government Finance Officers Association, Washington, DC; Speakers: John Cross, Associate Tax Counsel, Office of Tax Policy, Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC; Diane Klinke, General Counsel, Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, Alexandria, VA; Edwin G. Oswald, Partner, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, Washington, DC

• New Emphasis on Post-Issuance Compliance: What You Need to Know  (Combined presentation)
• New Technologies for Public Investing:  Online Platforms and Other Tools

• Moderator: Larry D. Clark, Director of Finance, Richland Metropolitan Authority, Richmond, VA; Speakers: Ivy Huff, Director of Product Management, Evare, LLC, Burlington, MA; Glenda Probst, Executive Director, West Virginia Board of Treasury Investments, Charleston, WV; Jayson Schmitt, Portfolio Manager, Chandler Asset Management, San Diego, CA 

• OPEB Liability and Management’s Role 1:  What Do We Do Now? 
  

• Moderator: John Ruggini, Senior Consultant/Policy Analyst, Research and Consulting Center, Government Finance Officers Association, Chicago, IL; Speakers: Roger Pickens, Risk Management Division Director, Gwinnett County, Lawrenceville, GA; Craig Small, Vice President, Emerging Markets, ICMA-RC, Washington, DC; David Vehaun, Management Services Administrator, City of Rock Hill, SC

• OPEB Liability and Management’s Role 2:  Sharing Experiences

• Moderator: Denise Bell, CFO, City of Winston-Salem, NC; Speakers: Brian Blalock, Consulting Actuary, RSM McGladrey, Inc., Chicago, IL; Kathryn Guralski, School Finance Auditor, State of Wisconsin – Department of Public Instruction, Madison, WI; John Tuohy, CFO, City of Falls Church, VA

• Organizing for ERP: Before, During, and After Implementation

• Moderator: Bryon A. Karow, Assistant Auditor/Controller, County of Marin, San Rafael, CA; Speakers: David Indra, Information Services Manager III, County of Santa Clara, Controller’s Office, San Jose, CA; Earl Lambert, Chief Technology Officer, City of Houston, TX

• The Outlook for Alternative Investments

• Moderator: Francie Heller, Senior Managing Director and Head of Pensions, Bear Stearns, New York, NY; Speakers: Jeb Burns, Chief Investment Officer, Municipal Employees Retirement System of Michigan, Lansing, MI; Chris D. Rae, Managing Director, Chilton Investment Company, New York, NY

• Pension and Benefit Plan Consultants:  What Can They Do for You?

• Moderator: Rhonda S. Smith, Director of Administration, Houston Municipal Employees’ Pension System, Houston, TX; Speakers: Barbara Avard, Administrator, Charlotte Firefighters Retirement System, Charlotte, NC; Richard J. DeCleene, CFO, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, Oak Brook, IL; Melanie Purcell, Budget Manager, Washoe County, Reno, NV     

• Planning for Financial Sustainability  (Combined presentation)

• Pricing Bonds in Today’s Market
  
• Moderator/Speaker: Patrick McCoy, Executive Director, New York City Municipal Water Finance Authority, NY; Speaker: Andrew Kalotay, President, Andrew Kalotay & Associates, Inc., New York, NY
• Rapid Response: Implementing the Audit Risk Suite and SAS 112
• Rational Budget Cutting  (Combined presentation)
• Resiliency: A New Way to Think About Disaster Management

• Moderator: Sharon Knippenberg, Controller, City of Punta Gorda, FL; Speakers: Brian Strong, Director, Capital Planning Program, City of County of San Francisco, CA; Jeff Tyne, Budget Officer, City of Peoria, AZ; Holley Wade, Business Continuity Program Manager, County of Hillsborough, Tampa, FL

• Revenues at Risk:  Funding Services in an Adverse Environment (Combined presentation)
• A Role for Citizens in Measuring and Managing Performance?  (Combined presentation)
• Saving Dollars and Serving Citizens: E-Government Approaches for the Finance Function

• Moderator: Deborah Freischlag, Director of Finance, Village of Woodridge, IL; Speakers: Doug Johnston, Project Manager, The Active Network, Burnaby, BC; David J. Molchany, Deputy County Executive, Fairfax County Government, Fairfax, VA

• Saving by Sharing:  Tools for Intergovernmental Service Provision  (Combined presentation)

• Socially Responsible Investing and Fiduciary Responsibilities

• Moderator: Catherine Walker, Assistant CEO, Alameda County Employees Retirement Association, Oakland, CA; Speakers: Mark Mathers, Director of Investments, State of Missouri, Office of the State Treasurer, Jefferson City, MO; Dr. Maryann Motza, Social Security Administrator, State of Colorado – Department of Labor and Employment, Aurora, CO; Edward Siedle, President, Benchmark Financial Services, inc., Ocean Ridge, FL

• Something Old, Something New: Single Audit Deficiencies and the Latest Yellow Book

• Moderator: Karen L. Wilcox, Director of Finance, Sacramento Area Council of Governments, Sacramento, CA;  Speakers: George A. Scott, Regional Partner, Public Sector Services, Deloitte & Touche, LLP, Austin, TX; Gail Flister Vallieres, Assistant Director, Financial Management and Assurance Team, US Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC

• Stories from the Front: Lessons for Internal Auditors

• Moderator/Speaker: Cathy Jackson, Director, Audit and Management Services, Miami-Dade County, FL; Speakers: Richard A. Cristini, Partner, Jamieson & Cristini, PL, Dunedin, FL; Angela Morelock, Partner, BKD CPAs and Advisors, Springfield, MO

• A Strategic Approach to Organizing the Finance Function

• Moderator: Marilou Moore, Financial Analyst, City of Everett, Public Works Department, WA
  Speakers: Matt Bailey (presentation), Senior Manager, Public Sector, Deloitte & Touche, LLP, Minneapolis, MN; Christina Dorfhuber (presentation), Principal, Public Sector Consulting, Deloitte & Touche, LLP, Harrisburg, PA; Perry James (presentation), CFO, City of Raleigh, NC
• Taking Charge of Internal Control: What Every Finance Professional Needs to Know
• Speaker: Stephen J. Gauthier, Director, Technical Services Center, Chicago, IL

• Using Performance Data to Improve Results:  New Technologies That Work  (Combined presenation)

• What Finance Officers Need to Know About Geographic Information Systems

• Speakers: Dave Mockert, Director, State and Local Practice, GeoAnalytics, Inc., Madison, WI; Duncan Shaw, Co-President, Cogsdale Corporation, Charlottetown, PEI

• Whither Fund Balance? (Combined presentation)

Discussion Groups

• Becoming a Certified Public Finance Officer

• Budget Documents that Make the Grade
• Canadian GFOA Member Update
• Communicating Investment Performance to Elected Officials
• Dealing with the Fallout from SAS No. 112
• Emerging Technologies: What Are You Doing?
• Implementing the New Accounting for Intangible Assets
• Implementing a Time and Attendance System
• Issuing Debt Today for Development Tomorrow
• Ongoing Statistical Reporting Challenges
• OPEB Implementation Issues
• Performance Measurement and Management Tools
  
• Revenue Collection Tips and Traps
• Teaching Defined Contribution: Ways to Educate Your Employees
• What’s Your Game Plan? Increase Your Productivity by Managing Priorities