Upcoming GFOAz Events January 9, 2009 GFOAz January Training Fraud and Identity Theft February 18-20, 2009 GFOAz Annual Conference Prescott Resort Prescott, AZ View all upcoming events Job Postings City of Chandler Senior Tax Auditor Town of Marana Accounting Supervisor View all job postings Advertisers GFOAz Newsletter Advertising Contact Marisa Hoskins at (602) 258-5786 or mhoskins@azleague.org GFOAz News is published by the Government Finance Officers Association of Arizona. Forward your comments or suggestions to the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, Attn: Liisa Laikko, 1820 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85007, Phone: 602-258-5786, Fax: 602-253-3874, email: llaikko@azleague.org Renewal Reminder GFOAz members were sent membership renewal invoices this month. Your dues and updated membership information must be received by December 31, 2008 in order for your contact information to be included in the 2009 GFOAz Membership Directory.   Interested in Serving on the GFOAz Board of Directors? An eight-member Board of Directors provides leadership and oversight of the Government Finance Officers Association of Arizona. The board includes the President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Chairperson of the Education Committee and four at-large directors. Read more   Save the Date December 31, 2008 Membership Renewal Reminder January 15, 2009 Board of Directors Nominations Deadline 2008 Budget Forum a Success! On October 24, 2008 over 115 finance and budget professionals from across the state attended the Budget Forum hosted by GFOAz at the Tempe Center for the Arts. Participants heard from Tim Everill from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) and Jim Rounds from Elliott D. Pollack & Company. The Forum was very successful and well received by the members that attended. The information sharing that occurs at these forums has proven to be an effective way to help local government officials to make informed decisions. In the past, these forums have provided invaluable insight to their participants.   GFOAz Annual Conference Preview The 2009 GFOAz Annual Conference will be held February 18-20, 2009 at the Prescott Resort in Prescott, Arizona. The conference will feature sessions on a variety of topics in including: Leadership, Investing, the Economy and Sustainability. A total of up to 13 CPE credits will be available to attendees. More information will be available soon. Save the Date for the exciting and valuable training.   Environmental Squeeze Prompts Utilities to Change Tune Published: January 02, 2008 in Knowledge@W.P. Carey Early on in his Muppet career, the crooning Kermit the Frog had a hit single entitled, "It's Not Easy Being Green." You don't hear electric utilities singing that ditty, but they certainly could. Electric utilities are in the business of selling electrons. The more they sell, the more they earn. But today, a whirlwind of forces is sweeping electron sellers into counterintuitive activities such as promoting conservation and offering rate structures designed to cut peak consumption. In other words, utilities are asking customers not to buy quite as much of the product they produce. It's an act that seems to defy a utility's bottom-line goals and in some cases regulatory mandates. Read more   GFOA's 2008 Awards for Excellence in Government Finance Applications for the Government Finance Officers Association Annual Awards for Excellence in Government Finance are now available on the GFOA Web site (www.gfoa.org). Complete applications must be postmarked by January 15, 2008. There is no application fee. The GFOA's Awards for Excellence in Government Finance recognize contributions to the practice of government finance that exemplify outstanding financial management. The awards stress practical, documented work that offers leadership to the profession and promotes improved public finance. Entries may be submitted for consideration in any of the following nine categories: Read more   GFOAz Members on the Move Do you have a recent promotion or transition that you would like to announce? This new section of the newsletter recognizes members who have recently been promoted or have recently transitioned. If you would like your name to be featured in this section of the newsletter, please contact Liisa Laikko at 602-258-5786 or email: llaikko@azleague.org.   GFOAz Welcomes New Members Active Members Angie White, Sr. Administrative Assistant, Town of Queen Creek Lorraine Petersen, Accountant, Town of Sahuarita Abigail Hernandez, Financial Services Supervisor, City of Sedona Commercial Members Corey Arvizu, Partner, Heinfeld, Meech & Co., P.C. Carl D'Agostini, Experienced Municipal Finance Professional Scott Hoppa, Scott Hoppa Insurance Agency, Inc. Amy Horrum, Marketing Program Manager, Kronos IncorporatedField Scott Kies, Managing Partner, Heinfeld, Meech & Co., P.C. Zachary Sakas, LLP Attorney, Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll Jennifer Shields, Partner, Heinfeld, Meech & Co., P.C.   Member Profile: Sheri Morgan Management & Budget Analyst Town of Marana Where are you originally from? I'm originally from Northern California, but my father was in the Air Force, so I moved all over the place. Why did you decide to pursue a career in local government? I grew up in a governmental environment, Air Force bases and I like the structure they provide. Read more   Government Finance Officers Association of Arizona Executive Board James Menlove President Finance Director Navajo County Vicki Rios President-Elect Revenue Manager City of Peoria Stacey Lemos Immediate Past President Finance Director Town of Oro Valley Jeanine Jones Secretary/Treasurer Senior Accountant City of Peoria Steven J. Baumgardt Member At-Large Finance Director City of Tolleson Scott Holt Member At-Large Director-Financial Services Yuma County Roger Kolman Member At-Large Finance Director City of Maricopa Mindy Russell Education Committee Chair Management Assistant City of Peoria Government Finance Officers Association of Arizona 1820 W. Washington Street Phoenix, AZ 85007 Phone: (602) 258-5786 Fax: (602) 253-3874 www.gfoaz.org