President’s Message – March 2021

It has been a strange year indeed. I miss seeing everyone at lunch meetings and
webinars.

In the meantime, the chapter board is working to adapt to the current environment.
With the second year of our annual Symposium being cancelled at Union South, we
are branching out into the virtual world. This year will be all virtual! On the plus side,
the software will handle session check-in, polls to track attendance, and will even
issue the CPE certificates after the data is reviewed.

I want to wish all the Certified Government Financial Managers (CGFMs) in our
chapter a very happy CGFM month! We have 23 CGFM or CGFM-Retired
members.

We have two webinars coming up. See below for the dates and content. Also, AGA
National has a free Members Only webinar on March 17 for 1.5 CPE: Resiliency:
Your Mindset, Your Mission and Your Triumph. Take advantage of the great
membership benefit! https://www.agacgfm.org/Webinars/2020-2021-
Webinars/March-Members-Only-Webinar.aspx

And speaking of membership benefits, it is renewal season. I’m sure AGA National
has been in touch…

Sherri Voigt, CGFM, CPA
🐱🐱 =^..^=

April 2020 Webinar – Ethics-The Spy’s Among Us!

Ethics-The Spy’s Among Us!

April 8 | 1:00–2:50 PM CT | 2 CPEs | FOS: BETH

The Psychology Behind Unethical Behavior & The Role Technology Plays in Unethical Behavior

Do you know if a Spy is sitting next to you in the workplace? Are you an accomplice to an ethical violation at work unbeknownst to yourself? Will the advancement of new technology compel the public & private sectors to subdue ethics? This Webinar will help you recognize alarming ways that ethics is being compromised in the workplace. It will also help you become more cognizant of the ethical dilemma companies face in their quest for more advanced technology.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

  1. Elaborate on ethical concerns in advanced technology
  2. Discuss the psychology of why an employee would ignore ethical principles and engage in inappropriate business conduct at work
  3. Identify ways an employer can limit ethical violations in the workplace
  4. Explain what an employee can do if they discover that a co-worker is violating their company’s code of ethics
  5. Articulate how ethical framework shapes social responsibility
  6. Describe unethical practices in the workplace

Speaker: Dr. Alfred Robinson, Chief J1 , DoD

REGISTRATION: 12:30 p.m. – Webinar 1:00 p.m.

COST: Attendance is free to the first 50 people who
register. A wait list will be created if more than 50 people sign up.

PLACE: GEF3, 125 South Webster Street. Madison, Wisconsin 53703-3474

Register on-line below or by e-mail  by 1 pm on Friday, April 3, 2020.

Note: The AGA Chapter signs up for a single-site group webinar license. We can only award CPE for on-site, in person attendance.

Membership Status(required)

President’s Message – March 2020

Sherri Voigt, CGFM, CPA

Happy CGFM Month to everyone! The Certified Government Financial Manager certification is now celebrating its 26th year. March is CGFM month, and we have proclamations from the Governor of Wisconsin and the City of Madison Mayor.

The chapter is offering two “audio conference” sessions through AGA National. March 25 is a session on Cybersecurity-Mitigating Threats and Hacks. This is an ongoing issue for government and individuals alike. April 8 is a session on Ethics. This topic area is of such importance that the chapter offers it for free to all government accountability professionals.

AGA National also has a free webinar on March 18 from 12-1:50 CT, for 2 CPE. This time, it is being opened up to both members and nonmembers! Register on-line at AGA Annual Women’s Leadership Webinar.

The Annual Spring Symposium is in the final planning stages…brochures will be available soon. For the quickest notice of this, or any other training, consider subscribing at our website https://aga-wis.org/?page_id=30 . (Note: This would only send notices as something changes on the site and the e-mail information is not used for any other reason.)

The chapter is exploring some new webinar capabilities for next fall so CPE can be awarded from the comfort of your own desk. Stay tuned… And if you have any topic or speaker suggestions, we are always looking! Contact me or Education Chair Mary Laufenberg any time. The goal is to be able to increase CPE offerings in the next program year to assist CGFMs and CPAs with their continuing education requirements.

Sherri

🐱🐱 =^..^=

P.S. It is renewal season…Membership and CGFM renewals are due by March 31

March 2020 Audio Conference – Cybersecurity- Mitigating Threats and Hacks

Welcome Members & Non-Members

Wednesday, March 25
Audio Conference
1:00–2:50 P.M. | 2 CPEs

TOPIC: Cybersecurity- Mitigating Threats and Hacks

SPEAKERS: Sarah Cunningham, CGFM, CFO, Mecklenburg County; Scott
Randels, Director FFRDC PMO, Science & Technology Directorate, DHS; Drew Buttner, DHS; Alec Summers, DHS

REGISTRATION: 12:45 p.m.

Attendance is limited to 30 people. If more than 30 individuals register, we will create a wait list.

COST: Free for Members, $10 for Non-Members

PLACE: Department of Transportation
Hill Farms State Office Building
4822 Madison Yards Way

Register on-line below or e-mail by 1 pm on Friday, March 20, 2020.

Note: The AGA Chapter signs up for a single-site group webinar license. We can only award CPE for on-site, in-person attendance.

Membership Status/Payment(required)

March 2020 – About This Month’s Webinar

Mitigating Threats and Hacks

March 25 | 1:00–2:50 PM CT | 2 CPEs | FOS: CS

Program Level: Overview
Prerequisite: None
Advance Preparation: None required
Field of Study: Computer Software & Applications (CS)

Learn what financial management personnel need to know about cyberthreats and how to manage the risk in our upcoming webinar, “Cybersecurity: Mitigating Threats and Hacks.”

Cybersecurity is not as scary as it seems — as long as you have a plan. Our panelists will share their cyber experiences, plus offer information on identifying and addressing dangerous software errors and how to leverage federal resources for best practices in cybersecurity.

Participants will also hear from two government agencies on the following
topics:

  • We were Hacked (Mecklenburg County)
  • Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Errors (DHS)

Learning Objectives
Through this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Identify types of threats and hacks.
  • Understand methods of mitigation to apply to found threats and hacks within the organization.
  • Identify the top 25 most dangerous software errors and how to deal with them.

Speakers

  • Sarah Cunningham, CGFM, CFO, Mecklenburg County
  • Scott Randels, Director FFRDC PMO, Science & Technology Directorate, DHS
  • Drew Buttner, DHS
  • Alec Summers, DHS

January Audio Conference Speakers

During this webinar, we will be discussing some of the challenges and best practices of Uniform Guidance since its implementation days. What are some of the most common challenges local, state, feds and/or NGOs are facing when implementing Uniform Guidance. While the intent was to streamline administrative and improve “performance, transparency, and oversight for Federal Awards,” some areas remain for many organizations receiving federal funding to overcome, i.e. administrative burden, contractor vs. sub-recipient relationship, determining portion of federal funding, etc

Bert Nuehring, CPA
Partner, Crowe
Mr. Nuehring is a partner with the public accounting, consulting and technology firm of Crowe LLP. Mr. Nuehring has been in the public accounting profession for over 30 years and has been responsible for planning, administering and supervising audit, accounting and consulting service engagements for governmental, education and notfor-profit entities. Mr. Nuehring has extensive experience with Uniform Grant Guidance compliance, compliance auditing, performance auditing, internal auditing, Enterprise Risk Management, internal controls, federal grant administration, and standards implementation. Mr. Nuehring holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Business Administration from Wartburg College and is a certified public accountant and chartered global management accountant.

Nicole Waldeck, PMP (Invited)
Senior Policy Analyst, OMB
Nicole Waldeck is a Policy Analyst with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM). In this role, Nicole collaborates to provide government-wide policy on the award, administration, and management of Federal financial assistance. She leads government-wide initiatives to improve Federal financial assistance policies, processes, and systems while engaging with Government and non-Federal stakeholders on key issues. Nicole is the OMB lead for the Performance Management Work Group for the Results-Oriented Accountability CrossAgency Priority Goal for the President’s Management Agenda. Nicole is currently pursuing her Master of Public Policy Degree at George Mason University and has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from the University of Central Florida. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Nicole lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband and dog Wrigley.

President’s Message – January 2020

Sherri Voigt, CGFM CPA

We have two training opportunities in January. I look forward to seeing you out there…

The annual tax update is always interesting; feel free to share with friends and family.

We are in the final planning stages for the May Symposium. There are only a couple time slots left to fill. If you have any ideas of topics or speakers, please feel free to send the “tips” to Education Chair Mary Laufenberg at [email protected]. Even if it is just a partial idea, she can often locate a speaker to handle the subject area.

Sherri
🐱🐱
=^..^=

January Luncheon Meeting – Thursday, January 23, 2020

Welcome Members & Non-Members

January 24 Luncheon Meeting

TOPIC: Annual Tax Update: Tax Year 2019

SPEAKER: Tara Guler, CPA, MST

DATE: Thursday, January 23, 2020

REGISTRATION: 11:30 a.m.

LUNCH: 11:45 a.m.

COST: $6 for Members, $12 for Non-Members

PLACE: Vintage Brewing Company
674 S Whitney Way; Madison, Wisconsin 53711

MENU: Meals served with sides as noted and beverage (soda,
coffee, and tea)

  • Cheeseburger with fries
  • Turkey Panini Melt with fries (Turkey, cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and
    avocado ailoi pressed in sourdough bread)
  • Margherita Flatbread (Pesto aioli, heirloom tomato, house-made fresh
    mozzarella, and fresh basil. Finished with pine nuts and a balsamic drizzle

RESERVATIONS: Register below or contact Sherri Voigt by 11 a.m. on Monday, January 20, 2020 with your name and membership status and for carpooling information at (608) 576-6473 or [email protected].

Membership Status(required)

Meal Choice(required)

Member Benefit

Members can bring their supervisor to one lunch meeting a year for free!
This is our thank you to them for supporting member activity and training.

Salvation Army Donations
The Salvation Army greatly needs the following items:

  • Bath Towels
  • Diapers – All Sizes
  • Baby Bottles
  • Sanitary Items

Items will be collected at luncheon meetings.

This Month’s Speaker – January 2020

Tara Guler, CPA, MST

Tara Guler is a senior manager for the manufacturing and distribution team with Baker Tilly.

Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP Senior Manager
10 Terrace Ct., Madison, WI 53707, United States
T +1 (608) 240 6714 [email protected]
bakertilly.com

Education

  • Masters of Science in Taxation, DePaul University (Chicago, Illinois)
  • Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Prior to joining Baker Tilly, Tara worked for a Big Four firm specializing in federal taxation. She specializes in providing tax and consulting services to manufacturing and distribution companies, with a focus on cooperatives, corporate businesses, tax compliance, accounting for income taxes, tax planning and tax department outsourcing.

Specific experience

  • Reviews various federal and state tax income tax returns for large corporations
  • Provides consulting services to cooperatives regarding tax planning ideas to benefit both cooperatives and their members
  • Participates on the NSAC tax committee, which includes presenting at local chapter and national conferences
  • Provides consulting and tax planning services for businesses and owners
  • General federal consulting services for public and privately held companies

Industry involvement

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
  • National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives (NSAC)
  • National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC)
  • Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants (WICPA)