Thursday

In the aftermath of a grueling deliberation on U.S. debt and spending and on the brink of a new leadership campaign, where are we as an economy, and what’s on the horizon?

Speaker: David Litvack, Managing Director and Municipal

Strategist, U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management

9:45 – 11:30 a.m.

Concurrent Workshops (2.0 CGFO/CPE)

From Blank Canvas to Masterpiece: Achieving Excellence in Your Procurement Function

Is your procurement function achieving excellence? The Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award measures innovation, professionalism, productivity, e-procurement, and leadership attributes of the procurement organization. Many agencies apply for the annual award to ensure that their

procurement operation stays current with best practices and continuously strives for

improvement. Expand your palette by learning about best practices in public procurement and how

your organization can implement them.

Speakers: Christine Green, C.P.M., Purchasing Agent, City of

University Park; and Diane Palmer-Boeck, CPPO, CPPB, Chief Purchasing Officer, City of Plano

From the Big Picture to the Small Details: Financial Reporting Techniques

In this technical session, you will learn how to properly record those infrequent, complicated transactions that can occur at your organization. Auditors will provide step-by-step instructions on recording things like debt transactions, investments, compensated absences, and GASB 34 conversions.

Speakers: John DeBurro, C.P.A., Senior Manager, Assurance Services, and Jackie Gonzalez, Manager, Weaver & Tidwell, LLP

The Art of Transforming Operational Data into Management Information

After four decades of computer systems sold on the promise of management information, why are we still getting mostly operational information? Huge Business Intelligence (BI) systems are expensive and require a considerable amount of time and labor to implement. To the rescue are Agile BI systems, many that can be tied to your Excel spreadsheets to serve management with impressive visualizations and, more importantly, can lead to sound management decision making. This session will include the use of advanced Excel tools, such as the Pivot Table, as well as Data Discovery and Dashboard software tools that are changing the way city managers and city councils expect budget and finance staffers to conduct business. Art and science finally unite.

Speaker: Lewis F. McLain, Jr., President, CityBase.Net

11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Lunch, Business Meeting, and Awards

Presiding: GFOAT President Corrine Steeger, Treasury Manager, City of Dallas

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

General Session (1.0 CGFO/CPE)

A Portrait of the New Federal Regulatory Landscape

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act changes the scenery for the entire financial industry. This panel of experts will let you know how these new regulations affect your

organization, your financial advisors, and your banking relationships, as well as what and who is a municipal advisor—and what that means for you.

Speakers: Michael G. Bartolotta, Vice Chairman, First Southwest; and Paul S. Maco,

Partner, Vinson & Elkins

2:15 – 3:30 p.m.

Concurrent Workshops (1.5 CGFO/CPE)

Indirect Cost Allocation: Reminiscent of M.C. Escher or Fractal Geometry?

The calculations for cost allocations are often complex and overwhelming (have you ever actually

seen a full report with a double-step down method?!) However, the results serve a useful purpose in determining true costs of service. Hear tips from our experts on how to achieve a good cost allocation, some basic methodologies to consider, and how to optimize the information in your organization.

Speakers: John Glennon, Project Consultant, Maximus, Inc.; Mark S. Epstein, Senior Partner, MGT of America, Inc.; and Anna Mosqueda, CFO, Denton County Transportation Authority

Social Networking: Looking at All Angles Developing a policy on social networking is drawing a fine line

between the use of the Internet for organizational versus personal benefits. Hear how to define the roles that social networking can play while limiting the personal influence.

Speaker: Ron Holifield, CEO, Strategic Government Resources

Renaissance to Contemporary: Leveraging Technology for Investment

This session will demonstrate artful methods and resources for finding useful data and information using only your computer, Web browser and Excel. Learn how to use available information on the Web from FNMA, FHLMC, and FHLB—along with your Microsoft Excel—to create a spreadsheet that can automatically monitor your portfolio for called bonds and offerings. Discover resources on the Web to help gather economic forecasts and information useful for council/board meetings or to just stay abreast of current market conditions. The presentation will also cover useful apps to keep you informed on the go (put that iPad to work!) and how to have a computational knowledge engine solve your kids’ algebra and chemistry homework!!

Speaker: Kevin Webb, CFA, Senior Vice President, Cantor Fitzgerald

3:30 – 4:00 p.m.

Refreshment Break/Sponsor Networking

4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Concurrent Workshops (1.0 CGFO/CPE)

Impressions of Audit/Finance Committees

What is an effective structure of a finance committee? Who should serve, and how long? What roles and responsibilities should they have to provide leadership to council and staff? At what point does an organization even need to use one? How to get one started? Hear how two different cities approached this issue.

Speakers: Christopher Breaux, Audit Partner, Null-Lairson; Monte Mercer; Deputy Executive Director, North Central Texas Council of Governments; and Glenn Windsor, Finance Director/Treasurer, City of Tomball

Risk Management Through the Lens of the Finance Director

Snapshots of risk management are often blurry for a traditional finance director, especially if the risk manager reports to another director. This panel will try to focus on key issues to help ensure an effective risk management program. They will cover the concepts of passive versus active risk management, net income losses, extra expense losses, asset protection, first-party losses, and third-party liability protection. For this session, workers’ compensation will be the feature coverage analyzed for its major cost drivers, cost containment strategies, and the benefits of a successful loss prevention program.

Speakers: Robert S. Bookhammer, III, Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, Inc.; and Carol Loughlin, Deputy Director, TML Intergovernmental Risk Pool

Are You Paying Masterpiece Prices? A Look at Compensation Trends

During the recent economic downturn what has transpired with wages, and how has the recovery shaped earnings? Find out what current compensation trends are on the public sector’s canvas.

Speaker: Ruth Ann Eledge, Vice President and Senior

Consultant, The Waters Consulting Group, Inc.

6:30 – 10:30 p.m.

Networking Event – Comedysportz® (Guest tickets are available for $45)

ComedySportz® is the leader in providing professional improvisational comedy. Each unique show is filled with music, a variety of characters, pop-culture references, and rapid-fire one-liners. This interactive show, which is always clean and suitable for all audience members, is not about sports—it’s comedy played as a sport, complete with a referee, uniforms, exciting competition, and even a foul to keep the show from being in poor taste. Because every scene is created on the spot, within the

format of ComedySportz’s structure, no two shows are alike. Come and enjoy the buffet dinner

at 6:30 p.m. so you will be ready to focus on the show, which will begin at 7:30 p.m. Cash Bar.

November 16-18, 2011

La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa

Conroe

Listen to seven decades

of hits while browsing our conference site.