In this session, you'll hear from GFOA Executive Board members about how they got into government finance and how their involvement in GFOA impacted their journey to success.

Chris Morrill, Executive Director/CEO, GFOA

Terri Velasquez, CPFO, GFOA President, Finance Director, City of Aurora, CO

Laura Allen, CPFO, GFOA President-Elect, Town Manager, Berwyn Heights, MD

Michael Bryant, GFOA Past President, Deputy County Manager, Mecklenburg County, NC

Lunda Asmani, CPFO, Chief Financial Officer, Norwalk Public Schools

Tanya Garost, Chief Administrative Officer, District of Lake Country, BC

Rafiu Ighile, CPA, Director of Finance, Howard County Government Maryland

Timothy Martin, Senior Manager for Member Engagement, GFOA

The public sector environment is fundamentally different from that in which private-sector organizations operate, thus different accounting and financial reporting practices have developed for governments. This session will provide an introduction to the conceptual and practical ways in which generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for governments differ from that used for private companies and familiarize participants with the purpose and use of fund accounting, the three fund categories, and the different measurement focuses and bases of accounting used in government financial statements. Additionally, participants will become acquainted with the financial reporting model used by state and local governments, and the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. Click here for additional information about the session.

Michele Mark Levine, Director, Technical Services, GFOA

Todd Buikema, Assistant Director of Publications, Technical Services, GFOA

When local government folks talk about “the budget,” they often are referring to the document that their governing body has approved that outlines expected revenues and expenses for the upcoming year, but GFOA believes the budget is more than that—it’s a system that includes not only the allocation of resources but also the planning that precedes the allocation of resources as well as monitoring how resources are utilized in support of the government’s goals. In this session, learn how collaboration can help local governments improve their entire budget system--planning, budgeting, and monitoring--in support of a thriving community.

Katie Ludwig, Director of Resource Development, GFOA

Harpreet Hora, Executive Director, Budget Services,, Atlanta Public Schools

Emily M. Zwetzig, Budget Director, Clark County, WA

Victor Brownless, Director of Finance, City of Baytown, Texas

Procurement is an essential function for all governments and serves to provide service that connects public sector operations with private sector suppliers, contractors, and providers. Procurement is also a key part of finance and all finance officers need to have a basic understanding of what procurement is, how it fits within an organization, and the outcomes that it provides. In this session, instructors will cover the basics of public procurement, provide an overview of key processes and policies, highlight important features and tools of modern procurement functions, and explain how the profession can evolve to better meet the needs of governments.

Mike Mucha, Deputy Executive Director, GFOA

A government's Treasury operations contain numerous responsibilities related to the receipt, disbursement and investment of public funds. GFOA has numerous resources to help governments be aware of the importance of policies and procedures related to these tasks. This session will help governments be aware of the key components of the Treasury office, and how to begin or enhance their policies and procedures.

Tammy Queen, Director of Finance, City of Kansas City, MO

There are numerous responsibilities issuers of municipal debt must tackle, regardless of the size of their government. Knowing how to incorporate debt management policies and procedures and be aware of the federal regulatory regime over municipal securities are key attributes when issuing debt and managing outstanding debt. This session will provide an overview of available resources on debt management topics to help all types of governments.

Eric Johansen, Debt Manager (Retired), City of Portland, OR

In this session, you'll learn about many of the services GFOA offers and how those services benefit members. Topics include advocacy, awards, best practices, educational opportunities, research, and more.

Chris Morrill, Executive Director/CEO, GFOA

Michele Mark Levine, Director, Technical Services, GFOA

Mike Mucha, Deputy Executive Director, GFOA

Randall Towns, Director of Education, GFOA

Timothy Martin, Senior Manager for Member Engagement, GFOA

Jarron Brady, Policy Analyst, GFOA

Natalie Laudadio, Senior Communications Manager, GFOA

Galen McDonald, Policy Associate, GFOA

Eric Roach, Manager, CPFO Program, GFOA

Diane Griffin, Assistant Director for Awards Programs, GFOA

Michael Belarmino, Senior Policy Advisor, GFOA’s Federal Liaison Center

Todd Buikema, Assistant Director of Publications, Technical Services, GFOA

Dan Zielinski, Assistant Director, Operations and Marketing, GFOA

Sarah Marrs, Member Services Coordinator, GFOA

Knowing the landscape of public sector compensation, pension and benefits functions are beneficial to the fundamental understanding of government finance and governments generally. This event will provide an overview of resources and practices related to compensation and benefits structures, the types of pension plans often used in this sector, and how best to communicate these programs to employees.

Melanie D. Purcell, CPFO, SHRM-SCP, Controller, City of Midland, Michigan

Kathleen Buch, Town Administrator, Town of Darien, Connecticut

Elizabeth Fu, GFOA

Local government has a responsibility to clearly and concisely communicate key financial information to the community. To meet this responsibility, finance officers must play a key role on your organization’s communication team. In this session, we will help you learn how to embrace this role as a key storyteller. We will explore how effective storytelling can transform hundreds of pages of financial documents into a more readable, engaging format. You will learn strategies that will help improve your annual budget document, annual financial report, and popular annual financial report.

Kent Wyatt, ELGL Co-Founder, Communications Manager, City of Tigard, Oregon

Local governments are subject to all kinds of risks, from natural disasters, to cyberattacks, to the risk actual revenues will come in under the forecast. Management guru Peter Drucker famously said, “If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.” It stands, then, that a first step towards managing these risks is being able to measure them. Probabilistic thinking is the essential discipline for measuring risk. This session will provide an introduction to probabilistic thinking by equipping you with five essential tools for getting your mind around risks and setting you up to measure and manage risks with rigor. We’ll also provide Excel spreadsheets to help you apply and practice these skills.

Shayne C. Kavanagh, Senior Manager, Research, GFOA

Sam Savage, Executive Director, ProbabilityManagement.org

Ransomware is impacting government finances across all business sectors, but local governments are increasingly becoming victims to these attacks. Millions of dollars have been paid out to hackers to retrieve access to official government computers and networks that have been compromised. While no one is immune from bad actor hackers, better protections could help deter ransomware hacks from happening. Learn the basics of, key trends, and what to plan for if you do become a ransomware attack victim.

Luke Fretwell, CEO, ProudCity

​Daniel J. Lohrmann, Field CISO, Public Sector, Presidio

Frank Husson

Finance officers might not see themselves as "storytellers", but as public servants, they definitely should! In this session, we will explore the role of data storytelling as a critical tool for communicating complexity to the general public, building constituent trust, and ensuring that equity is at the center of your work. Using case studies and lessons learned from communities across the country, participants will leave the session excited about incorporating best practices of data storytelling into their work. Whether a complicated risk model or a simple time series chart, data storytelling for maximum engagement is an achievable goal!

Sarah Martin, Vice President of Strategic Communications, mySidewalk