Looking Back at 2020

"We at GFOA are proud of the ways in which we've been able to help governments be their best."

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"As we approach the end of the year, a time when we traditionally look back on the past year, there's no way to avoid the fact that 2020 was a period of unprecedented challenges, uncertainty, and loss. Through it all, though, state and local government employees did what they do best - serve their communities.

As CEO of an organization that represents more than 21,000 finance officers, I am proud of the way our members confronted this challenge. By being strategic, learning from each other, and employing best-practice approaches, governments have served their constituents through everything 2020 has thrown at us.

We at GFOA are proud of the ways in which we've been able to help governments be their best."

Chris Morrill, GFOA Executive Director/CEO

GFOA's Fiscal First Aid Research Center

In March, GFOA re-launched its Fiscal First Aid Resource Center to guide governments through financial stress. This resource center, which was created more than 10 years ago to help local governments deal with the 2008 Great Recession, offers assistance to local governments currently dealing with the many short-term and long-term challenges associated with COVID-19.

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Coronavirus Response Resource Center

Also in March, GFOA launched its Coronavirus Response Resource Center. GFOA's Federal Liaison Center updates the center regularly with helpful resources to guide GFOA members. These reflect the latest guidance and materials on the recently enacted laws passed in response to the pandemic.

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Featured Materials

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GFOA's 114th Annual Conference

Like most conferences this year, GFOA's annual conference planned for New Orleans, Louisiana, became virtual. More than 2,800 conference attendees tuned in between May 18 and June 25. For 2021, GFOA continues to monitor safety guidelines in the State of Illinois for the scheduled conference June 27-30. GFOA's 2021 Virtual Conference will be held July 12-July 23.

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GFOA's Second Annual MiniMuni Conference

GFOA’s annual MiniMuni Conference in October brought practitioners, regulators, and policy makers together to discuss important topics concerning the municipal market. Multiple panels of experts were featured throughout the event covering a variety of issues important to public issuers today.

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GFOA's New Learning Management System

In August, to help meet the different needs and learning styles of individuals, GFOA launched its new Learning Management System (LMS). This technology brings you the best in adult learning principles by allowing you to receive content in short increments of time or taking a deeper dive over an extended period of time.

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Governmental Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting 2020 Edition

GFOA has published Governmental Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting (GAAFR or “Blue Book”) for the past 85 years with hundreds of thousands of copies sold. This edition has been updated to incorporate all of the guidance of the GASB through GASB Statement No. 91, as well as GFOA’s current best practices on accounting, auditing, and financial reporting.

Elected Official's Guides

GFOA's elected official's series contains popular booklets providing practical and easy-to-understand explanations - in plain language - on a variety of public finance topics. Each one provides a thorough introduction to a single topic.

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March 2020	September 2020
Debt Management Policy Understanding Your Continuing Disclosure Responsibilities Using Technology for Disclosure Enterprise Risk Management Pricing Bonds in a Negotiated Sale Primary Market Disclosure Post-Issuance Policies and Procedures	Popular Reporting of Financial Information Using Purchasing Cards to Streamline the Purchasing Process Disaster Recovery Cost Documentation Internal Audit Function Deferred Retirement Option Plans Timely Financial Reporting

March 2020

September 2020

Debt Management Policy

Understanding Your Continuing Disclosure Responsibilities

Using Technology for Disclosure

Enterprise Risk Management

Pricing Bonds in a Negotiated Sale

Primary Market Disclosure

Post-Issuance Policies and Procedures

Using Purchasing Cards to Streamline the Purchasing Process

Disaster Recovery Cost Documentation

Internal Audit Function

Deferred Retirement Option Plans

Timely Financial Reporting

Standing Committee Members Gather in Washington D.C.

On January 27-28, nearly 200 GFOA Standing Committee members gathered together for the annual Winter Meeting in Washington, DC, to work on best practices and to advocate for GFOA legislative and regulatory priorities. Members spent the two days developing and enhancing GFOA's best practices and resources and meeting on Capitol Hill, the US Treasury, FEMA, the US Secret Service, and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.

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New GFOA President, President-Elect, and Executive Board Members Announced

Marion M. Gee, Director of Finance, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, St. Louis, Missouri, became the new president of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) at the association’s annual business meeting on May 18 during its 2020 Virtual Conference. Gee currently serves as Director of Finance at the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District in St. Louis, Missouri.

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GFOA Launches Redesigned Website

In June, GFOA launched a completely redesigned GFOA.org website. The new site goes beyond links and texts to visually give visitors all of the important public finance information they've come to expect from GFOA and more.

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