Author: admin

Greetings All-

We are past the half-way point for the program year. I hope you have been able to attend one or more meetings this year.

If you attended some lunch meetings this fall and are a member, you will soon be contacted about whether you earned a free lunch (attend 3 lunches from September to February, get a free lunch in March or April). If you need just one more, the February lunch is your chance to do it.

It is membership renewal season and the  National Office has been sending out notices. The actual membership year ends March 31. I do hope you will renew your membership and take advantage of the member discounts offered. It is also CGFM renewal time for those who have the certification.

I would like to take a moment to mention that long-time member Laura Bowles contacted us recently. She is returning to private industry after many years working for the WI Department of Health Services and the UW-Madison. Laura was a frequent lunch meeting and Symposium attendee. She also served many years in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program as a chapter volunteer. I wanted to take the chance to congratulate her on this big move and let people know about her change.

Our chapter will be sending out a member satisfaction survey in the next 6-8 weeks. I hope you take the opportunity to give us feedback on the events held this year and provide us with suggestions for topics for the new program year.

 

Please note that we have two separate training events in January! There is an audio conference on January 15 that features 2 CPE. The topic is Fraud Detection and Prevention.

The lunch meeting is the Annual Tax Update at Imperial Garden east on January 23.

I am hopeful we can escape the ongoing snow and ice for these dates. I look forward to seeing you there.

The board is actively planning/scheduling the spring Symposium. If you have any topic or speaker recommendations, please send them in.

Chapter community service efforts continued in November. Two board members volunteered at the Salvation Army Community Meal.

We have a great new way to sign up for news from the chapter. There is a simple “subscribe” option at the website. Never miss out on Chapter news again!

There is still time to save money and join AGA under the 20/20/20 program (see this month’s newsletter Monthly Footnotes – January 2014).

See you in January!

 

I would like to express a special thank you to everyone who attended the October lunch meeting. We had an overflow crowd to match a restaurant mix-up. I appreciate the great attendance.

I also thank those who wore pink in appreciation of the Passionately Pink for the Cure event (and those who made a donation). Also, thank you to those who brought warm socks. Your generosity is much appreciated.

I would like to draw your attention to a report out on our website. On September 30, we published our third annual Report to Our Members. It is available under the Chapter History area. This is a four-page report that highlights the Chapter accomplishments for the past program year. I hope you will take a moment to look at it. Please let us know anything else you would like to see included.

And if you need some last CPE for 2013, check out the December 11 audio conference on the calendar. Please note that registration is through the DHS Training Office.

Sherri Voigt, CGFM, CPA

We have two training opportunities for you this month: our regular lunch meeting on October 17 and a two-hour audio conference on October 23. Both topics are grant-related and I hope you will take the opportunity to check them both out.

Our Chapter will host a Komen
“Passionately Pink for the Cure” event as part of the October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign. We will do this on conjunction with the October 17 lunch meeting. See page 6 for some FAQ. Anyone who would like to donate can use this link or bring a donation to the lunch meeting. Anyone who donates $5 or more will receive a pin. All lunch attendees will be entered in a drawing for a scarf (prize donated to the chapter.) So, break out your pink and wear it on the 17th!

If you would just like more information on risk factors and prevention, please visit http://ww5.komen.org/breastcancer/loweryourrisk.html

We are still collecting socks for the Salvation Army Homeless and Community Shelters. We had a lot of success at the September lunch and wanted to give people a chance to bring any they may have forgotten to bring in. We will deliver them after the lunch meeting.

I would like to draw your attention to just one more thing in the newsletter. Our
“20/20/20” Recruitment Campaign was xtremely popular last year. If you have ever considered joining AGA, please take a look at the article on page 8. It features all the benefits of joining, from the current $20 rebate offer to the discounted training fees to the free lunch after joining. Feel free to contact David Mellem, membership chair, me, or any board member with questions.

Sherri Voigt, CGFM, CPA