News & Events - January 2011

Looking for an edge in your career? Give yourself a competitive advantage by showing your commitment to lifelong learning. You need a credential that shows you are qualified and have the skills to lead. The Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) does this like no other credential.

The CGFM is the first certification broad enough to cover the whole field of government financial management-federal, state and local. It measures a wide range of knowledge and skills that a professional needs to succeed in the federal government financial environment, or to meet the unique challenges faced by state and local government financial managers.

According to a recent survey, the average salary of survey respondents with a CGFM designation was 34% higher than those without CGFM and 55% higher than those without any certification.

CGFM Review Courses

Our chapter is currently looking into the possibility of providing Government Financial Management courses to help members prepare for the CGFM exams. The courses would take place in the near future or the Spring and the cost would depend on the number of participants. The courses may be eligible for VALT and M/C reimbursement. It would be a great investment in your future as well as earning as many as 48 CPEs for all three courses. If you would be interested in taking the courses, please contact Linda Zinzow by email or by phone (518) 477-9263 by January 21. You can learn more about the CGFM by visiting http://www.agacgfm.org/cgfm/cgfmdefault.aspx .

New Events!!!

Ethical Violations and Vigilance

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

When: Tuesday, January 25th

Where: Holiday Inn, Wolf Rd., Colonie

Time: 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM - Registration; 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM - ethics presentation

Cost: $15 AGA members; $45 for others

CPEs: 2 credits

In this course, you shall hear from two agencies that are heavily involved in identifying ethical violations by State employees. The New York State Commission on Public Integrity (Commission) was created to foster public trust in government by working to insure compliance with the State's ethics and lobbying laws. The Commission provides information, education and advice regarding current ethics and lobbying laws. In addition, the Commission promotes compliance through audits, investigations and enforcement proceedings. The Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) has wide ranging audit responsibilities in the area of government operations. OSC conduct extensive audits of State agencies, local governments and not- for-profits that do business with New York State.

Management integrity and ethics are key elements in the control environment component under the COSO framework for assessing internal controls. The control environment starts with management integrity and adherence to proper ethics. As an auditor, you are often the first line of defense in identifying State ethics law violations through your audit work. To properly fulfill this responsibility, the auditor must be familiar with the appropriate rules and requirements. Recent news articles and audits have highlighted unethical behaviors by State government employees.

Community Service Event: Parsons Child and Family Center

When: Thursday, January 20th

Where: Parsons Child and Family Center, 60 Academy Road, Albany

Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

The New York Capital Chapter of the AGA is pleased to assist KPMG with a new Community Service event to help Parsons Child & Family Center. Parsons is the largest multi-services agency in New York's Capital Region dedicated to helping families and their children. The agency provides counseling services, parenting education, child abuse/neglect prevention and treatment, family strengthening programs, early childhood family support, special education, youth development programs, and mental health services. The AGA & KPMG will be helping the agency with maintenance at their facility. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Chris Cunha at cpcunha@kpmg.com or at 515- 292-2849 with any questions. Thank you in advance for your consideration!