The Alabama Journal of Government Finance

Transcription

1 Government Finance Officers Association of Alabama $$ MONEY TALK $$ The Alabama Journal of Government Finance Volume XVIII Issue I Spring 2018 I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : F ROM THE PRESIDENT FINALLY! GFOAA Scholarship Recipients Derek Reeves Named Bibb County Administrator GFOAA 34th Annual Conference and Training Seminar Upcoming Events Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Board of Directors and Officers Committee Chairpersons Hello All! As our new GFOAA year begins, I want to thank the membership, as well as the Board of Directors, for allowing me to serve as your President. I would also like to thank our immediate Past President, Dr. Keren Deal, for her service as President during Keren accomplished a great deal as our President including an update to our GFOAA logo design to highlight both our state and organization. Great job, Keren! And I would be remiss in not giving a shout out and huge thank you to outgoing Director, Kelly Brendle and outgoing Public Information Officer, Charles Clack. They have both served on the GFOAA Board of Directors, and in other roles within our organization, for many years and have always offered help in any capacity that they are asked. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Kelly and Charles over the past several years and I have no doubt that they will continue to be actively involved in moving our organization forward. The mission and main goal of GFOAA is to provide professional development and educational opportunities for its members. The Certified Governmental Accounting Technician (CGAT) Program provides the opportunity for accounting clerks/technicians to improve their skills in the areas of General Ledger, Budgeting, Fund Accounting, Purchasing/Accounts Payable, Payroll, and Billing/Accounts Receivable. If you have an interest in sharing your expertise in any of these areas, please contact me or any of the GFOAA Board members for more information. Also, CGAT graduates, mark your calendars for the 2018 CGAT Summer Conference to be held on July 13th in Auburn, AL. Please visit for further details. The 2018 GFOAA Summer Conference, held at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Orange Beach, is also an excellent opportunity for professional development. The conference dates this year are August and the Professional Development Committee is hard at work putting together a host of relevant, interesting topics. Turn in those travel requests, go to for the link to book your room, and join us at the beach in August! Speaking of excellent professional development, I hope you were able to attend the GFOAA 34th Annual Conference that was held in Huntsville in February. Cathy Hoekenschnieder and her committee did an awesome job in providing some great learning opportunities. If you missed the networking Continued on Page 2.

2 Page 2 F ROM THE PRESIDENT... C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1. opportunities at the reception on Wednesday and dinner/casino night on Thursday, then I must say, you missed out on some great fun and fellowship! Thank you, Cathy, for planning an excellent conference! In closing, I look forward to serving as your GFOAA President this year and to seeing everyone at our conferences. If you have any questions about the organization or its programs, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you and have a wonderful summer! Sarita Tapscott (256) stapscott@mscs.k12.al.us C O N G RAT ULAT IONS TO GFOAA S C HOLARSHIP R ECIPIENTS GFOAA has awarded college scholarships for the school year to Faheem Khan, Matt McKinney, Ja mesia Morris, William Clack, and Erica McNaughton. GFOAA promotes careers in Government Finance and is pleased to award these scholarships. Award recipients also receive a one year membership in GFOAA. Congratulations to these deserving students! D EREK REEVES NAMED B I BB COUNTY ADM I NISTRATOR Derek Reeves, GFOAA 1st Vice-President, has recently been named County Administrator for Bibb County. Derek is a graduate of the University of Alabama and began his career in public accounting by working for a local Tuscaloosa CPA firm, focusing primarily on the annual audits of various municipalities throughout the state. His interest and enjoyment of this type of work led him to transition into the government sector by taking a position with the City of Tuscaloosa in During his nine years working for Tuscaloosa he served as Accounting Manager, Associate Finance Director, and Business Analyst. A member of GFOAA since 2008, Derek has served several terms as an officer or director, including one term as President. He co-chairs GFOAA's Professional Development committee, and has served on the planning committee for the GAAF for the past 5 years. Derek is married to Heather Reeves and has one son, Jackson. He is a member of University Church of Christ in Tuscaloosa and is a leader in Jackson's Cub Scout Pack.

3 Page 3 GFOAA 34TH ANNUA L CONFERENCE A N D TRAINING SEMINAR The GFOAA 2018 Winter Conference was held February 21 23, 2018 at The Westin at Bridge Street, Huntsville, Alabama. The theme of the conference was Waves of Change. Sponsors Platinum BBVA Compass Trustmark After an afternoon of informative sessions, a welcome reception was held at the hotel. In addition to lots of good food and socializing, conference attendees had the opportunity to play Family Feud. Several teams competed and those who did not play enjoyed watching and cheering the teams on. Thursday morning and afternoon were filled with sessions on many topics of interest. The annual business meeting and luncheon were also held Thursday. GFOAA awarded the Award for Innovations in Government Finance to the Alabama Department of Revenue for the Alabama eid Program that helps detect income tax fraud. Deputy Commissioner, Brenda Coone accepted the award. Friday morning, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle welcomed everyone to Huntsville and gave an update on exciting things happening in the City. The conference ended at noon Friday. Conference chairperson, Cathy Hoekensnieder and her committee did an excellent job planning the conference. GFOAA Past Presidents attending the 34th Annual Conference are pictured (Front Row) Mike Wright, Sarah Williams, Ruby Neely, Steve Boone, and Ronnie Burlison. (Back Row) Roger Rendleman, Derek Reeves, Allison Edge, Charles Clack, Charles Hagood, and Rob Terry. Gold Regions Corporate Trust PFM Financial Advisors LLC Silver Barfield Murphy Shank & Smith LLC Econics Southern Software Inc. S & P Global SunTrust Bank Tyler Technologies, Inc. Wells Fargo Bronze American Data Group Caselle Point and Pay BS&A Software Vendor Registry Inc. Maximus Consulting Services STIFEL General Warren Averett A WA R D F OR I N N OVA T I O N S IN G O V E R N M E N T F I N A N C E A L A B A M A D E PA R T M E N T OF R E V E N U E GFOAA selected the Alabama eid project as the winner of the GFOAA Award for Innovations in Government Finance (technology category). The awards program recognizes innovations and outstanding contributions in the field of government finance. It is GFOAA s 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. Deputy Revenue Commissioner Brenda Coone accepted the award on the Department's behalf at GFOAA s annual conference in February.

4 Page 4 U P COMING EVENTS 2018 CGAT Summer Conference July 13, 2018 Courtyard Marriott Auburn 2420 West Pace Blvd. Auburn, Alabama Click Here for More Information GFOAA 2018 Summer Conference and Training Program August 15-17, 2018 Hampton Inn and Suites Perdido Beach Blvd. Orange Beach, AL Click Here For More Information GFOAA Quarterly Board Meeting August 15, 2018 Hampton Inn and Suites Perdido Beach Blvd. Orange Beach, AL Details TBA CGAT Certified Government Accounting Technician May 23, 2018 Fund Accounting (core) Join your GFOAA friends and colleagues for fun in the sun at the GFOAA 2018 Summer Conference and Training Program August 15 17, 2018 Orange Beach, Alabama All classes to be held at the University of Alabama Bryant Conference Center Tuscaloosa, Alabama from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Registration fee $ (Includes Lunch) For additional information, click here.

5 Page 5 Q U A R T E R L Y B O A R D OF D I R E C T O R S M E E T I N G B I R M I N G H A M, A L A B A M A D E C E M B E R 1 4, The Quarterly Board of Directors meeting was held December 14, 2017 in Birminham, Alabama. President Keren Deal called the meeting to order at 5:08 p.m. Minutes of the August 16, 2017 board meeting were reviewed and approved. Treasurer s Report Kathy James presented financial information for the organization, reporting total assets of $169, on November 30, Bank Statements of the Operating Account for August 1 through November 30, 2017 and a printout of the APCO Savings Account as of September 30, 2017 were provided. The Treasurer s report was approved. Administrative Assistant s Report Jamie Moyers gave the report. A discussion was held regarding the inability for Sponsors to pay online. The biggest issue is being able to identify between a Yearly Sponsor versus an Annual Conference Sponsor. It was agreed to contact STAR Chapter to set up programming for Sponsorship online acceptance using Annual Sponsorship, Winter Sponsorship and Summer Sponsorship. This would also allow GFOAA the ability to indicate when the Summer Conference Sponsorships are full. Public Information Officer Charles Clack has started working on the 2019 Annual Conference Flyer. The next Newsletter will be coming out in January. President Deal explained that she and Charles are working with a graphic designer to create a new logo for GFOAA. The options will be ed to officers and board members and will be presented at the 2018 Annual Conference. Sarah Williams made a request to provide new pictures and ideas for updating the website. Committee Reports Professional Development Co-Chair Sarita Tapscott indicated the Committee has been communicating and they are preparing for the 2018 Summer Conference. A proposed budget and a contract for Hampton Inn was provided. A discussion was held regarding the four scholarships that were awarded for The deadline for Scholarship applications is February 15, Allison also discussed standardizing the CGAT course work. Keren will reach out to University of Alabama and request the Manuals for updating. Communication and Engagement - Co-Chair Allison Edge reported that GFOAA participated in University Recruiting events Meet the Firms at Auburn University at Montgomery, University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Alabama. Eight new student members were recruited with these visits. Additional visits are planned for UAB and University of Alabama. A meeting with students from University of Alabama at Huntsville will be held after the Annual Conference on Friday, February 23, Allison stated that the committee still has work to do regarding the legislative updates for the upcoming session. A discussion was held regarding providing a full conference scholarship for students to attend the Winter and Summer Conferences. It would need to be opened to all public universities and an application would be submitted by students. It was decided to table for now and that this would best be provided beginning next year after a review of criteria by the committee and focus for the Winter Conference in Montgomery in GAAF Conference Allison Edge reported there are 141 people registered for the conference and 25% of the attendees were GFOAA members. Allison and Derek are on the GAAF Committee and met in February 2017 and they presented ideas to other committee members to improve the overall conference atmosphere. GFOAA representation for 2018 will be by Michael Rushing, Vita Smith-Parker and Keren Deal. Annual 2018 Conference Cathy Hoekenschnieder, Conference Chair, reported that the quote from the Westin for food totaled $31K. and does not include alcohol. It was recommended to limit the Open Bar for one hour and 30 minutes. On the night of dinner, it was suggested that a Cocktail Hour be held and then Cash Bar after dinner. Speakers are all confirmed. President Deal reminded everyone that students from University of Alabama at Huntsville s Beta Alpha Psi (Accounting Honor Society) will be having lunch with the Board right after Winter Conference is finished on Friday, February 23. A boxed lunch will be provided. The goal is for the students to see public service as an option. Old Business GFOAA Goals President Deal stated that the goals would be revisited during the Strategic Planning meeting in August Scholarship for GFOA Annual Conference President Deal stated an individual must already be a member of GFOA to apply and receive the First Time Attendee Scholarship. A discussion was also held regarding the Alabama Reception in St. Louis. There is not a free night available with the current agenda. It was recommended that a reception not be held in St. Louis. Local Government Awards President Deal asked for nominees for these awards. The Large government entities includes State of Alabama, Montgomery County, Mobile County, Madison County; Medium Government is 50K plus population and Small Government covers any population at 49,999 and below. Membership President Deal provided the demographics of the current membership. Most memberships come from cities and towns. There has been growth in Boards of Education and Student memberships. There is a decline in state employee memberships; however, growth is expected with the new rule for reimbursement of actual expenses now available to state employees. Total membership as of December 14, 2017 is 379 including 20 Associate Members. Total membership is up by 39 members from last year and 100 members from Continued on Page 6.

6 Page 6 Q U A R T E R L Y B O A R D OF D I R E C T O R S M E E T I N G, C O N T I N U E D B I R M I N G H A M, A L A B A M A D E C E M B E R 1 4, New Business Summer Conference 2018 Contract Sarita Tapscott, Summer Conference Chair, requested approval to enter into a contract with Hampton Inn and Suites in Orange Beach for the 2018 Summer Conference. Board approval was given. The expectation is to move the Summer Conference to the Gulf State Park Lodge and Conference Center upon completion. Review of Contracts President Deal reviewed a listing of upcoming contracts that are scheduled for renewal and will be discussed in detail at the Executive Board Meeting in January. Contracts to be reviewed are for CGAT, Public Information Officer, and Administrative Assistant. Request for Emeritus Status A request was received from Faye Eford with the Birmingham Police Department for Emeritus Status. After verifying eligibility, a vote will be taken at the February 21, 2018 meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 6:35 p.m. For a complete copy of the minutes, contact President Sarita Tapscott or any board member. GFOAA UPDAT E S LOGO! GFOAA has a new logo! The GFOAA Officers and Board of Directors have selected a new logo which will now be used on all GFOAA publications and promotional materials. In designing the logo, care was taken to retain the trademark hunter green color while depicting the entire State of Alabama since our membership is comprised from all over the state. CGFO REVO C ATIONS The following individuals have not supplied renewal information for their CGFO certificates: therefore, they no longer have CGFO status. They are not permitted to use the designation (initials) on their business cards, their stationary, nor in any document demonstrating their expertise. Karen Lusk-Smith Linda Steele

7 Page 7 B OARD OF DIRECTORS AND O F FICERS A P R I L 1, M A R C H 3 1, President: Sarita Tapscott Office: stapscott@mscs.k12.al.us First Vice President: Derek Reeves Office: dreeves@tuscaloosa.com Second Vice President: Kathy James Office: kjames@auburnalabama.org Secretary: Kathleen Baxter Office: kathleen.baxter@finance.alabama.gov Treasurer: Barbi Lee Office: barbi.lee@arec.alabama.gov Directors: Donald L. Mims Office: donaldmims@mc-ala.org Cody Patterson Office: , ext.7106 pattersonc@russellcsd.net Michael L. Rushing Office: michael.rushing@revenue.alabama.gov Cathy C. Hoekenschnieder Office: cathy.hoeken@huntsvilleal.gov Erika K. Sprouse Office: esprouse@auburnalabama.org Vita Smith-Parker Office: vita.smith@birminghamal.gov Associate Director Mike Diehl Office: mike.diehl@suntrust.com Immediate Past President Keren Deal Office: kdeal@aum.edu Administrative Assistant Jamie Moyers Office: mail.gfoaa@yahoo.com Public Information Officer Melinda Clack Phone: clack60@yahoo.com GFOAA OFFICE ADMINISTRATION Please notify Jamie Moyers to change your address, or other pertinent information, at the following address: P. O. Box Montgomery, AL Phone: or mail.gfoaa@yahoo.com

8 $$ money talk $$ Page 8 C O MMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Professional Development Committee Derek Reeves Office: dreeves@tuscaloosa.com Communication and Engagement Committee Keren Deal Office: kdeal@aum.edu C O MMITTEE FUNCTIONS Professional Development Committee The Professional Development Committee is responsible for the Certified Government Finance Officer (CGFO) program, the Certified Governmental Accounting Technician (CGAT) program, Education and Conferences, and Scholarships and Awards. Communication and Engagement Committee The Communication and Engagement Committee is responsible for: Governmental Relations Monitors legislative issues and provides a summary of bills passed that impact the membership. Service Develops and maintains outreach and community service projects for member involvement. Communications and Marketing Promotes GFOAA through effective marketing and promotes the Scholarship and Awards programs.

9 Government Finance Officers Association of Alabama P. O. Box Montgomery, AL $$ MONEY TALK $$ The Alabama Journal of Government Finance Editor: Melinda J. Clack 57 Blue Pine Lane Wetumpka, Alabama Mission Statement The mission of the Government Finance Officers Association of Alabama is to provide a professional association for government finance personnel dedicated to professional development, educational opportunities, and collaboration.