MSAE Connections Fall 2010 by Creative Marketing Concepts

Fall 2010

The Art of it All! An Overview of PCI-DSS Compliance

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Mike Pepper Vice-President Layne Bruce Past President Bob Wilson Secretary-Treasurer Shari Veazey

EXECUTIVE MEMBERS Linda Ross Aldy Carol Hardwick Marty Milstead Donna Yowell

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Kristen Brock Christine McInnis Penny Quave Kim Thomas

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Amy Wilson

Published by: Creative Marketing Concepts 1085 Chesson Hill Drive Fitzpatrick, AL 36029 Phone: 334.725.0093

For Advertising Information Call 334.271.0930

Fall 2010

Features 06

An Overview of PCI-DSS Compliance

Mississippi’s New CAEs Celebrate

Helping Leaders Lead Better

The Art of it All!

It’s Written All Over Your Face

MSAE/LSAE Identity Theft Laws: A New ERA of Liability

There’s Something about Association Executives

Why Does My Auditor Ask to See My Board Minutes?

8 Tips to Managing Your Time Effectively

A Taste of MSAE

Departments 04

President’s Perspective

Welcome New MSAE Members

Calendar of Events

Advertiser Index

CONTENTS

Connections is published for the Mississippi Society of Association Executives (MSAE) P.O. Box 12467 Jackson, MS 39236 Phone: 601.366.7400 Fax: 601.853.4283 Web: msae-net.org

Featured on the cover is our 2010 Joint Conference host hotel the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel.

President’s Perspective As my tenure winds down as your president, I want everyone to know how much I have enjoyed serving in this role. I have treasured the relationships among my peers. It is good to know that other professionals, who have faced challenges and obstacles, are only a phone call away. I have thoroughly enjoyed interaction with the hospitality industry with their goal of selling the Deep South across the nation. We have made many changes and strengthened other aspects of the Association. Bylaws have been thoroughly discussed and updated along with clearer board policies. The Mid-Year Conference started last year has proven to be a hit. Our relationship with the Louisiana Society of Association Executives in conjunction with our annual meeting continues to get bigger and better. We have secured a popular location for our bi-monthly Lunch and Learn Meetings but more importantly have scheduled timely and interesting topics. Membership continues to need improvement and there are already plans being discussed for a concentrated effort regarding that this fall.

Mike Pepper

These things did not happen by chance. I am very appreciative of the board and other members giving large amounts of time through various committees, etc. Everyone was always willing to serve in any way possible and we as an Association would be nowhere without this team effort. I also include Amy Wilson and staff for their efforts for MSAE. I know the year is not over! Please join me in supporting your Association in the following events for the rest of this year. October 20 and November 17 will be the dates of our Lunch and Learns. Please note that December 15 will be MSAE’s Holiday Reception. As always, if I may ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Again, it has been an honor to serve as your President. Sincerely,

Mike Pepper

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An Overview of PCI-DSS Compliance By Jason R. Rivera, Vice President, Information Technology US Egg & Poultry Association

What is PCI-DSS • PCI-DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. What it actually is, however, is a set of guidelines, measures, and controls that were developed to help merchants implement strong security precautions to ensure safe credit card usage and secure information storage. • The PCI-DSS was created in response to the need for an environment in which consumers can engage in secure e-commerce. There have been a number of recent security breaches that have become well-known to the public. This is not a good thing from the perspective of the Payment Card Industry. To whom does PCI-DSS apply • PCI-DSS applies to “ALL” organizations or merchants, regardless of size or number of transactions, that accepts, transmits or stores any cardholder data. Said another way, if any customer of that organization ever pays the merchant directly using a credit card or debit card, then the PCI DSS requirements apply. Compliance Levels • All merchants will fall into one of four merchant levels based on Credit Card transaction volume over a 12-month period. Transaction volume is based on the aggregate number of transactions (inclusive of credit, debit and prepaid) from a merchant. In cases where a merchant corporation has more than one entity, processors will consider the aggregate volume of transactions stored, processed or transmitted by the corporate entity to determine the validation level. If data is not aggregated, such that the corporate entity does not store, process or transmit cardholder data on behalf of multiple entities, processors will continue to consider the entity’s individual transaction volume to determine the validation level. Merchant Defined • For the purposes of the PCI-DSS, a merchant is defined as any entity that accepts payment cards bearing the logos of any of the five members of PCI-DSC (American Express, Discover, JCB,

MasterCard or Visa) as payment for goods and/ or services.

* Note that a merchant that accepts payment cards as payment for goods and/or services can also be a service provider, if the services sold result in storing, processing, or transmitting cardholder data on behalf of other merchants or service providers. For example, an internet service provider is a merchant that accepts payment cards for monthly billing but also is a service provider if it hosts merchants as customers.

Compliance Levels Merchant Level Description • Level 1: Merchants with more than 6 million card transactions & merchants whose cardholder data has been compromised. • Level 2: Merchants with card transactions between 1 and 6 million • Level 3: Merchants with card transaction between 20,000 and 1 million • Level 4: All other merchants * Any merchant that has suffered a hack that resulted in an account data compromise may be escalated to a higher validation level. How to get compliant The PCI DSS mandates that any merchant who processes, stores, or transmits credit card numbers be compliant with 12 specific requirements. These requirements can be further broken down into more than 200 individual security controls, but for the purposes of this presentation, it is enough to list the 12. • Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data. • Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters. • Protect stored cardholder data. • Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks. • Use and regularly update anti-virus software. • Develop and maintain secure systems and applications. Continued on page 21.

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Mississippi’s New CAEs Celebrate A goal finally realized! For years, MSAE has wanted to start a program to help our members become Certified Association Executives (CAEs). Finally, in November 2009 with the support of the MSAE Board and staff, Carol Hardwick spearheaded what became a small committed family. Some intended on taking the exam in May, and others wanted to experience the information in hopes of taking the exam at a later date. This committed group met weekly for three months learning from each other and listening intently to that week’s designated leaders who spent hours reading and preparing to lead discussion and insight into a particular testing area. In June, Carol Hardwick, Executive Director, Mississippi Economic Development Council and Mark McCrary, Executive Director, Mississippi Center for Nonprofits received the great news that they had passed the exam. Only 57 of the candidates in the United States who took the exam passed. They join the other 3,900 industry leaders worldwide.

Carol Hardwick, CAE reflects on her experience: “How sweet to receive the letter from ASAE advising me I passed the CAE exam!

MSAE members celebrate with their new CAEs at the Jackson Marriott, July 8th.

I am grateful to those in our study group for helping me absorb the information necessary to pass. They all came to each session fully prepared, so I had to be sure I was fully prepared as well, which meant reading many chapters in several books each week, answering questions in the study guide and being prepared to discuss each answer. I recall in one of the first meetings reading about a concept that was new to me, however, one of our members knew all about it, so by the time that I left that study session, I had a very good understanding of it. We all don’t deal with all the topics, but as a group we come close. I appreciate the encouragement and counsel of Dierdre McGowan, Ph.D., CAE whose advice I carried out to the letter. ‘Get a study group together, order the proper materials and schedule a two-hour period once a week to meet. Then take the test and pass it.’ I also appreciate Mike Cashion, CAE who shared his unique expertise with us, and Bob Harris, CAE who was very encouraging when he spoke at MSAE in Natchez. I am very excited to be one of six Mississippians who have this national professional designation. I encourage all MSAE members to join the study group, sit for the exam and grow this number.”

Mark McCrary, CAE reflects: “Looking back on the ‘journey,’ it was the study group and Carol Hardwick’s persistence and organizational skills that made the difference for me. Sure, there were days I would groan about it being study-group-day but every time I enjoyed the learning and camaraderie. I am much more the JIT study..(just in time to not be a weak link). So now I confess, often I wouldn’t get to our assigned tasks until early morning on the day of study group. Often I missed thoroughly reading the material for the day. That’s also why the study group was so important! Everyone pulled their own weight when they could and the concepts presented were reinforced. Continued on next page.

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Mississippi’s New CAEs Celebrate Continued from page 7. Once study group sessions were over and the time quickly passed, I carved out two weekends, some evenings, and a full-day prior to the test to re-read as much as I could including the study group assignments and notes. The study guide was helpful in that it provided a study structure, but I wouldn’t recommend necessarily relying on the study guide. My focus on applying the concepts in the study guide to real-life situations was critical. I have 25 years in the nonprofit industry, and I was surprised at several of the concepts presented. The guidelines of assuming one manages a large national association and other aspects were not only surprising but counter to my own experience. Anyone interested in sitting for the CAE exam should really consider joining a study group and creating a structure of time and interaction with others similarly interested. It’s nice to be able to see some of the other study group people and have a type of bond that going through a shared experience offers.”

Helping Leaders Lead Better Deborah Tierce Few qualities are more in demand today than effective leadership. There seems to be a mystery related to effective leadership. How to lead others seems to be this indefinable, illusive, yet desirable concept. For years people have been asking me to speak to the topic of motivating employees. There is a real struggle to get employees, and association members, involved and inspired to cooperate and stay committed to the organization. There is an “us against them” mentality raging, and leaders are left scratching their heads as to how to motivate employees. Margaret Wheatley, in her book Finding Our WayLeadership for Uncertain Times, says this, “The accumulating failures at organizational change can be traced to a fundamental but mistaken assumption that organizations are machines. Organizations-as-machines is a seventeenth-century notion, from a time when philosophers began to describe the universe as a great clock...Organizations and people could be “engineered” into efficient solutions.” The problem is that people do not follow a perfect line. They are not totally and completely predictable. People are not machines. They are not an exact science. All the science in the world will not give us the answers on how to “deal” with people and get the exact result we want every time.

Why would we want people to be like machines? Machines have no intelligence, have no ability to adapt or change, and they only work in specific conditions. So no wonder we can’t motivate people. We treat them as something unintelligent, inadaptable and unfeeling. Now, more than ever, organizations need to be adaptive, intelligent, and resilient - qualities found only in living systems, not machines. We must re-think our leadership styles. In truth, we need a total leadership makeover. The 300 year old paradigm of command and control will not suffice for the emerging age of work. Join me at the Opening Session of the LSAE/MSAE Joint Conference and let’s explore the solutions to effective leadership. Tierce has written TOTAL LEADERSHIP MAKEOVER, a book that shows you, succinctly and powerfully, how to recognize your leadership faults and turn them into strengths. The principles in this book have helped scores of people accomplish more in their jobs and personal lives than they ever thought possible. Tierce states, “With this slim, power-packed volume, you can begin your journey to becoming the type of leader who makes a difference in the lives of everyone around you.”

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The Art of it All! Registration and Opening Night Party Registration begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, September 19th. Then join the staff of the Renaissance Riverview Plaza hotel as they sponsor the Opening Party and Dinner. Join us at 5:00 p.m. at the welcome reception at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center. Then join friends and colleagues for the Opening Night Party at Fathoms Lounge in the Renaissance Riverview lobby and terrace. Enjoy great food, music and good times with the MSAE family.

The Art of Giving! The silent auction is sure to be a fun and exciting event with an opportunity to network in the exhibit hall. All proceeds from the auction support the CAE & CMP scholarship funds.

The Art of Relaxation and Fun! Join us for golf Monday at 1:00 p.m. at the Magnolia Grove Course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. If you prefer to sail the waters of the Mobile Bay, hop aboard the Native Princess and spend an afternoon with friends aboard this 45-foot vessel. Experience the art of relaxation at the Spa at the Battle House where you may enjoy a trip to the salon or a soothing massage.

Monday Night Activities Enjoy cocktails and hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres at Space 301 Gallery sponsored by Mobile Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Conference Speakers Mac Fulfer is a popular speaker who gives presentations on face reading for national and international conferences. He has spoken to more than 1,500 companies and organizations including American Airlines, the FBI, the Kansas State Judicial Conference, Business Week Magazine, the International Meeting Planners, the National Association of Legal Administrators and the US Postal Service. Mr. Fulfer practiced law in Fort Worth for over 22 years after earning his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas in 1975. Initially, Mr. Fulfer became interested in the practice of face reading for the purpose of jury selection. Since then, he has researched and developed these skills and presented ideas in workshops across the country, His workshops are in great demand from lawyers, educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies and other venues that have an interest in understanding people. As a presenter, Mr. Fulfer relies on expertise in face reading to give participants information that will enhance their communication skills.

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Deborah Tierce Since graduating with a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Mississippi State University in the early nineties, Deborah Tierce has been a leadership skills training specialist and motivational speaker for over a decade. Ms. Tierce is highly informed, immediately helpful and professional. She has an uncanny ability to connect with her audience. Deborah has worked with many organizations teaching leadership, effective communication and customer service skills, improving relationships in the workforce, and she gives motivational workshops to make workers more productive. Dennis Gano, CAE is Executive Director for the Exit Planning Institute in Algonquin, IL. Mr. Gano was the volunteer leader on a resource for small staff associations on business management and continuity conducted by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). Greg Melia, Vice President of Member Relations and Credentialing for ASAE, recommended Mr. Gano as a expert speaker on this topic. Frank Mitchell, Chief Operations Officer, Identity Theft Loss Prevention, LLC Designations: Certified Identity Theft Risk & Management Specialist Mr. Mitchell’s background is in financial planning, business consulting, and developing successful businesses for twelve years. Now he plays a critical role in the research and development of Identity Theft Loss Prevention’s products and services and has written articles for Impact Magazine, the Better Business Bureau, and other publications.

The Art of Mobile All LSAE/MSAE Joint Conference registrants will receive a FREE VIP Pass to visit many of the unique attractions while in Mobile. Come early or extend your stay and enjoy all that Mobile has to offer. Walk the decks of a mighty battleship, USS Alabama. Go below in a World War II submarine. View cockpits of combat aircraft. Tour the grounds to discover a piece of history right in our own backyard. Throughout the year, Bellingrath Gardens and Home boasts an abundance of year-round blooms. From camellias in winter, azaleas in spring, roses in summer and chrysathemums in autumn, Bellingrath Gardens and Home always has a beautiful array of blooms. Tour the Mobile Carnival Museum and re-live over 300 years of Carnival and Mardi Gras events in Mobile. Enjoy displays that tell the story of how the local celebration evolved from its early days to the modern tradition it has become. Enjoy fun for the whole family at Gulfcoast Exploreum & IMAX Theater, Mobile’s hands-on, minds-on science and fun museum. The Exploreum is always full of fun and fascinating exhibits and films. Relish in the culture, heritage and diversity of Mobile at the Museum of Mobile and discover 300 years of Mobile area history.

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It’s Written All Over Your Face Mac Fulfer I was yelling. She was crying. “It always has to be your way,” I shouted. “For you, it’s either your way or the highway. When I talk with you about it, you think I’m criticizing you, and you get your feelings hurt and start crying. You never tell me what’s really going on with you. You suppress your feelings and keep it all bottled up inside.” I’ve been reading faces for years. Even so, I still discover new insights. One such situation occurred recently during a heated argument with my business partner. I had an epiphany. I looked at her more closely and realized that everything I was saying about her was true. I could see it plainly written on her face. “You have to be in control....” She has angled eyebrows. “You can’t take criticism...” a small chin. “You suppress your feelings...” thin lips. When I saw her with greater understanding and compassion, the heat of the argument disappeared. I couldn’t take all those things personally because she wasn’t singling me out to hurt my feelings. This is just who she is. Of course I’d seen my business partner’s angled eyebrows, small chin and thin lips before. But I’d interpreted them differently. When I first began reading faces, I became aware of how our culture often reduces people to stereotypes leaving them feeling almost invisible. Sure, other people could see them, but almost no one really knew them. I quickly discovered how important it was for people to be clearly seen and validated for the qualities they recognized in themselves, but I almost never read the negative side of the person’s personality. In our descriptions of human nature we often polarize the same trait into “good” or “bad” depending on our personal perspective. For example, in a relationship the desire for constant togetherness could be seen as total loyalty if we view it as a positive or, if viewed with a negative spin, as clingy or possessive. Realizing that every trait has both a positive and a negative, I chose to read the positive. Therefore, when I first read my partner’s face, what I saw in her angled eyebrows was a take-charge person who could tackle an assignment and get it done. With her small chin, she would have sympathy and understanding for my small chin and not be critical of me. And her thin lips meant she wouldn’t be blurting out ideas like I do, without careful consideration first.

All these things are true: control and taking charge, inability to take criticism and sympathy, suppressing feelings and wise restraint. In attempting to avoid labeling a person as having “bad” traits, I’d failed to see that reading both sides has tremendous value. Amazing Face Reading allows you to see everybody you meet more clearly. Before you finish shaking hands, you can know more about a total stranger than their best friends do. Such an understanding can help prevent the kind of angry exchange I just described. On one level we’re all face readers — it’s how we recognize each other. However, more than recognition is occurring. It’s innate. Even a baby will react to a happy face or a scary face. Unfortunately for most of us, face reading occurs on a subconscious level. We either have a good feeling about someone or a bad feeling. Amazing Face Reading raises your awareness to a conscious level. Instead of just having vague feelings about somebody, you can read the person’s life history written on their face. Of course, part of the way our faces look is genetic: you may have your mother’s eyes or your father’s nose. But you may also have your mother’s optimistic outlook or your dad’s nose for business. Each thought or feeling generates an almost imperceptible facial response that over time shapes our face, resulting in physical features that reflect personality characteristics. People respond to these characteristics on a subconscious level. The list of good reasons for getting upset with another person is almost endless, but what are we really upset about? We get upset with someone because they are not like us. If they were, if they saw the world through our eyes, then we would have never had a problem with them in the first place. Our emotional downfall comes from taking someone else’s behavior personally, as if it were their hidden agenda to upset us. Our objectivity goes out the window. We view the other person’s behavior with suspicion, as a personal attack or as reckless disregard for our feelings. The power of face reading comes from allowing us to see the other person more objectively. When we can instantly see on the other person’s face the very thing that was upsetting us, all the emotional heat from our conflict disappears. If the complaint is that they don’t listen, a quick glance to discover that they have small ears gives the answer: they’re visually oriented and best take in information when they can see it. We were right: they weren’t listening. We just need to show them what we’re talking about.

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If we notice angled eyebrows and a jutting chin, we can no longer condemn them for being controlling. When we understand that being in control is part of their personality, we no longer take what they say or do personally. It’s absurd to expect anyone to be someone they’re not. If they can’t be themselves, who can they be? If our neighbor owns a yappy little dog, we don’t think the dog is being yappy to hurt our feelings. It’s just a yappy dog. If we could extend to other human beings the same level of understanding that we give the little dog, we would seldom reach our boiling point. We still may not be overly fond of yappy dogs or controlling people, but we no longer think they’re trying to hurt our feelings. In fact, our perceptions and feelings have been validated: the dog is yappy, and the person is controlling. Our real issue with them is that they are not us. When we can truly understand and accept someone for who they are, it is almost impossible to hate them. Given a choice of interacting with someone who is very different from us but up-front about it or someone who shows one personality to our face and something different behind our back, few people would prefer the phony. Of course, there are some objectionable and even dangerous people in the world, just as there are some vicious dogs that we would choose to avoid, but these are exceptions. Face reading allows us to identify those dangerous few, rather than being afraid of all dogs or all strangers. Face reading allows us to choose the people we admit into our lives from a place of awareness rather than proceeding on our fear-based reactions or erroneous assumptions. We may even discover that people we might otherwise find objectionable have important value. For example, a tough guy who is immune to pain, likes to fight, will never back down and has an unwavering allegiance to his group might sound like an hardened East L.A. gang member, but he also holds the qualifications for an excellent soldier, and we need good soldiers. Face reading may not eliminate conflict in our lives, but it will change the tone. Instead of wasting our time,

energy and efforts being upset and insisting that someone change, we can look at them objectively. When we can accept and honor others’ differences, life has a lot less friction. I initially became interested in face reading when I was an attorney, hoping to improve my juryselection skills. Soon it changed my life and my perception of people. I have given lectures and seminars all over the world, and one of the wonderful things about face reading is that is works on everyone, of every culture, background, race and gender. Of all the things I’ve done in my life, nothing has had a greater effect than learning to read faces. There are no longer strangers in my world; everyone is readable. And there’s a lot less conflict. Here are some examples of things we say in anger that show up on the other person’s face: “You never listen.”..............................................small ears “He is so intimidating.”....................low, angled eyebrows “She thinks she’s so smart.”...............full, even eyebrows “She’s clingy.”.........................................abundant eyelids “He thinks he’s always right.”..........crooked bottom teeth “He wouldn’t trust his own mother.”.....down-turned nose “She cries at the drop of a hat.”.......................small irises “He’ll never tell you what he’s thinking.”......................thin lips flat bottom eyelids “He’s so rude, he interrupts me constantly.”................high ears / low eyebrows “He is a total loner.”...................no upper eyelids showing “He is emotionally unavailable.”...........flat bottom eyelids extra-thin lips no visible upper eyelids “She can’t take criticism.”..................................small chin “He is as stubborn as a mule.”....................big front teeth

MSAE / LSAE Identity Theft Laws: A New ERA of Liability By Frank R. Mitchell, CITRMS As of July 2010, The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has documented more than 350 million records have been compromised from government agencies, schools, businesses and other organizations. Is your organization’s data protected? Do you have safeguards in place that protect your customers’ and employees’ personal information? Most people think of theft of financial data, yet businesses house a lot of non-financial data that also needs to be protected.

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This presentation addresses information compliance and prevention, including the FACT Act Red Flags Rules as they pertain to Associations and their members. The topics will include the scope of identity theft, current legislation, common methodology used by thieves, and an overview of the eight steps an organization can take to comply with the law and mitigate losses due to identity theft.

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There’s Something about Association Executives By Bob Harris, CAE When you meet an association executive--- you meet someone special. Around the globe I find executives have similar qualities: a determination to improve communities; leadership and communication skills; and a passion for their organization and its mission. This summer I visited the Republic of Belarus in Eastern Europe. Geographically the country is rich with history, natural resources and awesome citizens who formerly lived under the Soviet government. Having declared independence from Russia in 1991, the country is politically young. It has a democratic government, though sometimes characterized as dictatorial or repressive. This story is about the similarities of non-profit, nongovernment executives. The Belarusian execs I met work hard to advance their organizations and improve their communities. Though they do it in a culture and under a government that is different. The purpose of my visit was to teach “Strengthening Organizational Capacity of Business Associations in Belarus.” The Minsk Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers and the Belarusian Confederation of Entrepreneurship (MUEE/BCE) hosted the visit to compare and contrast Russian, US and Belarusian best practices.

US Government Facilitates Associations Associations have existed since before declaring independence from Britain in 1776. The rights of individuals to collectively express their interests and express themselves through freedom of assembly and freedom of speech are protected by the Constitution. In 1835 Alexis de Tocqueville reported on the role of associations. In Democracy in America he wrote that people overcame selfish desires and governmental dependence by forming associations. Congress recognized their public benefit and included them in the 1913 national tax code, providing an exemption from paying federal income tax. The IRS has streamlined the monitoring of non-profit organizations through on-line, E-Z and annual information reports.

Belarus Experience The Belarusian government regulation of non-profit organizations is more demanding. For example, when referencing the board chief elected officer I learned not to use the term “president.” The title is limited to the exclusive use of the country’s elected president and is banned for use by the heads of organizations. In a discussion with an executive I learned that the government had seized all of his papers and computers for no known reason. References to an “opposition party” are common. Conventions had been shut down at the last minute by governmental concerns. Requirements to report activities to government ministries are more cumbersome. The executives explained that the government could audit association activities on demand --- and that membership lists were monitored. Further, associations are banned from conducting “commercial activities.” While US associations build their resources with programs, services and education, Belarusian organizations must rely primarily on membership dues. The Republic has a growing economy in which associations play a role. Regional and state associations are forming to support business growth. Through the work of the MUEE/BCE to unite the business community into a single voice for reform, a National Business Platform has been developed that recognizes the importance of non-profit, non-governmental organizations.

Courageous Association Executives It takes executives who are trailblazers in the creation of associations and courageous in advancing the concepts of advocacy and enterprise. Their efforts insure organizations gain a foothold in society. In the US, associations have been integrated into the landscape for 100s of years. In Belarus, the executives I met are working hard to involve business associations in the growth and quality of life in their country.

Note: Bob Harris, CAE, can be contacted at bob@rchcae.com and his website provides free tips and templates; www.nonprofitcenter.com.

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Why Does My Auditor Ask to See My Board Minutes? By Charles R Lindsay, CPA

Minutes are more than a moment in time. They are the history and legal record of your Association. Auditors rely on the minutes to discover items of a financial nature that may impact the financial statements. The minutes should: • Provide the auditor with insight to the board’s wishes, • Reflect the board’s duty to comply with legal and financial obligations, • Document review and approval of interim and audited financial statements, • Contain the approved annual operating budget as an attachment, • Show evidence that the board adopted policies for financial management to ensure the financial integrity of the Association, • Contain a brief description of each agenda item and the action taken by the board, • Provide details on any items that obligate the Association in any manner, and • Reflect authority granted to the Executive Director and any limitations specified. Since the Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors, auditors review minutes for documentation of changes in an Executive Director’s compensation package. Minutes should reflect hiring, raises, and changes in employee benefits. This area has seen additional scrutiny with new IRS requirements. The compensation package offered to the chief executive and chief financial officer are now required to be documented in the minutes. Compensation decisions must be made by board members, independent of the employee. To ensure that executives are reasonably compensated, the IRS requires use of comparative data paid to others in a similar position, at other organizations. This data must be reviewed by the board, or board committee, and is required to be included in the minutes. The minutes should contain documentation that the board of directors reviewed the annual IRS Form 990 and approved the form before filing. The IRS believes this is an important step in demonstrating a Board’s duty to oversee funds of the organization. The new IRS Form 990 requires the Association to disclose that this is being done. Nonprofit board minutes must be transparent. This has resulted in added focus on documenting conflicts of interest, abstentions or recusals in the board minutes. Any conflicts that arise in board meetings need to be clearly documented in your minutes. Recognition of the conflict of interest and steps taken to mitigate it (such as having the involved board member leave the room during discussion, obtaining alternative bids and/or asking the individual to refrain from voting on the issue) should be included in the meeting minutes. This action is also required to be reported in IRS Form 990. On advice of legal counsel, we seldom see minutes include the names of those who make or second a motion. We also find that those voting for or against a motion are not named in the minutes. In prior years, this was the norm, but current day best practices have resulted in omitting individual names. However, in an effort to be transparent, a board member who disagrees with the outcome of a vote may request to have his/her name noted in the minutes as a dissenting voter. Minutes are the institutional memory of an organization. They should be maintained indefinitely. Best practices recommend that the minutes should be reviewed and approved at the next meeting of the board. Once approved, it is good practice to have the official copy signed by the board chair.

Charles R. Lindsay is a Certified Public Accountant who works with individuals, corporations and tax exempt entities. He is President of Matthews, Cutrer & Lindsay, PA, an accounting firm located in Ridgeland, MS. Contact him at clindsay@mclcpa.net.

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8 Tips to Managing Your Time Effectively By Dana & Ellen Borowka, MA

Time management is usually a challenge for most people. We’ve put together a step by step approach so you and your team can begin to put together a time management plan of action! Time Assessment To improve your time management skills, first do a time assessment: 1. For three days, keep a log of everything you do and how much time it takes, including both work and nonwork activities. You can break your day into sections or track activities on an hour-by-hour basis. 2. After three days, add up the time spent on each activity. When complete, the results should give you a good indication of which tasks you spend the most time on. Setting Goals Goals help us to stay focused and make successful changes. After your time assessment is completed, think about what goals would be of personal and professional value to you. On a regular basis, set concrete, realistic short and long term goals, perhaps once a month. 1. Break each goal down into incremental steps. 2. Set deadlines for each step. Time Management Techniques Once you have assessed your use of time and set some goals, you can implement some techniques to improve your time management skills. 1. Prioritize: Each day, organize your tasks on a “To Do” list in order of importance. Concentrate first on essential and high priority tasks, and then later on low priority tasks. Incorporate your goals and deadlines into your “To Do” lists. At the end of the day, evaluate any incomplete items and see if any can be eliminated from your list. It’s important to be realistic when creating a “To Do” list. Don’t try to do more then you actually can. 2. Delegate: Assign routine duties or special projects to others when you can. This will free you up to do more important tasks. 3. Learn to Say No: I would venture to say that saying no is the most important part of effective time management. Many people constantly overcommit themselves to projects and tasks, rather than having quality time for themselves and their family. If you have problems saying no then you might want to get some assistance to further develop this skill. 4. Break it Down: A very effective method to starting difficult projects is to break them into smaller, more manageable tasks. This can help to avoid

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procrastination and transform overwhelming projects into easier tasks. If procrastination has become a chronic habit for you, dig beneath the surface to find out what is stopping you from getting things done. Some people procrastinate because of some fear, like failing to do the project right or perfectly. Discovering the source helps to heal the problem. Again, get help when needed. 5. Organize Thyself: Strive to eliminate clutter from your workspace by creating an easy-to-access filing system and keeping your work areas cleared off. Don’t let reports and papers pile up - either file or dispose of them as soon as you can. File trays, horizontal or vertical, are very helpful to store paperwork that is currently being worked on, or there are many electronic filing systems available. 6. Throw it Out!: Every two to three months, set a day aside and purge your files - both computer and regular files. Put this day on your appointment book and keep your appointment with the trash can. You’d be amazed how much stuff can be tossed or deleted and how good you will feel! 7. Quiet Time: Designate a quiet hour or so to work on major projects. If possible, close your door and post a “Do Not Disturb” sign or make sure everyone in your area knows not to disturb you to avoid interruptions. 8. Treat Yourself Right: Be sure during the workday to take walks, get something to eat or close your eyes for a few minutes. Also important is a healthy diet and an active exercise routine. This will help improve your concentration and productivity. Time management is an opportunity that we all can work on. Start with some small steps and you can begin to measure your progress. Soon you will find you are controlling events and tasks that are within your power, rather than them controlling you. Time Management Questionnaire Bruce Breier who is an expert on time and organizational management has developed a wonderful organizational assessment with specific tips for improvement based on your scores. To get a copy, please click here: http://lighthouseconsulting.org/Articles/KOTTimeMgmtQ/

See How We Can Help Grow Your Association Communications Programs for Your Members We provide: Newsletters Magazines Annual Meeting Programs Mailers Brochures Membership Directories e-newsletters and Much More!

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A Taste of MSAE Inspired by the delicious food and beverages our supplier members offer, MSAE Connections has launched a new regular feature article: A Taste of MSAE will highlight a signature, traditional, or favorite recipe from a chef from one of our associate members’ property or caterer. If you would like to submit an entry for a future issue of MSAE Connections, please email a brief description of your property or caterer and a little background information about your chef, the recipe and a photo of the delicious creation! When submitting the recipe, please indicate why your chef chose that particular selection. We hope you enjoy this first Taste of MSAE!

Certified Executive Chef Merrill Bruce Cain • Food & Beverage Coordinator & Chef at the Old Capitol Inn in Jackson, MS • Received his Executive Chef Certification from the American Culinary Federation Educational Institute.

Chef Bruce Cain with Old Capitol Inn General Manager Mende Malouf Alford

• Joined the Malouf family with the Old Capitol Inn in 1999. Cain has taken the Old Capitol Inn to the number one spot in Mississippi and made it the best wedding reception venue! • Honors and Awards: Won over 60 medals in national culinary competitions with his creative cuisine skills. He was the owner and chef of a 4-star renowned award winning French and Northern Italian restaurant in Louisiana.

Artichoke and Shrimp Cheese Dip 1/2 cup butter 1 cup shrimp 1 cup artichoke hearts, diced 1 cup green bell pepper, minced 1 cup white onion, minced 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, minced 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup parsley, chopped 1/2 cup green onions, minced

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Instructions: Melt the butter in a large saute pan. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink. Don’t cook them too much or they will be tough by the time the dip is complete. Add the artichoke hearts, bell pepper, onion and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes. Mix in the cream and cheese. Simmer on low until everything is well blended, smooth and bubbly. Toss in the parsley and green onions to give the dip extra color and flavor. Season to taste with black pepper and serve hot with crostini or flat bread.

MSAE Welcomes New Associate Members Stefanie Beaugez

Director of Sales & Marketing Four Points by Sheraton 940 Beach Blvd Biloxi, MS 39530 228-546-3111 228-546-3101 www.fourpoints.com/biloxi stefanie.beaugez@fourpointsbiloxi.com

Farah Jessop

Courtyard by Marriott Jackson 6280 Ridgewood Court Dr Jackson, MS 39211 601-956-9991 601-956-9994 FJessop@thesummitgroupinc.com

Crystal Johnson

Joshua Paul

Events Manager Avectra 7901 Jones Branch Dr., 5th Floor McLean, VA 22102 703-506-7073 703-506-7001 jpaul@avectra.com

Aaron Smith

Licensed Professional Counselor 220 Trace Colony Park Dr Ste B Ridgeland, MS 38157 601-594-1961 601-605-1950 kmbonnerlpc@gmail.com

Regional Sales Manager Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau P. O. Box 6128 Gulfport, MS 39506 228-896-6699 228-896-6788 crystalj@gulfcoast.org

Kim Clinton

Beth Kellogg

Heidi Soltys

Karen Mori Bonner

Director of Sales & Events River Room Conference Center 110 Ridge Way Flowood, MS 39232 601-933-2720 601-933-1997 kim@riverroomflowood.com

Owner Creative Partners PR 120 Mont Helena Dr Madison, MS 39110 601-454-6503 www.creativepartnerspr.com bwkellogg@comcast.net

Steve Corbitt

Mina Lester

The Corbitt Company, LLC P O Box 14225 Jackson, MS 39236 601-953-4301 601-952-1415 steve@thecorbittcompany.com

Gloria Frey

Director of Sales Ridgeland Tourism Commission 1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 6006 Ridgeland, MS 39157 601-605-5252 601-605-5248 Mina@visitridgeland.com

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi 777 Beach Blvd Biloxi, MS 39530 228-276-7316 228-276-7349 gloria.frey@hardrockbiloxi.com

Convention/Group Sales Paragon Casino Resort 711 Paragon Place Marksville, LA 71351 800-946-1946 ext.1059 318-253-2033 avoaLs1@paragoncasinoresort.com

Greater Birmingham CVB 2200 Ninth Ave N Birmingham, MS 35203 205-214-9211 heidisoltys@yahoo.com

Diana Theriot

Sales Manager Marriott Bay Point Golf Resort & Spa 4200 Marriott Dr Panama City Beach, FL 32408 850-236-6081 850-236-6150 dtheriot@marriottbaypoint.com

LaRonda C. McBeth

Jackson Convention Complex Center 105 E. Pascagoula St Jackson, MS 39207 601-960-2321 601-960-2584 Lmcbeth@jacksonconventioncomplex.com

Associate Member Change Meghan Elder

Assn. Sales Manager Hilton Jackson 1001 E County Line Rd Jackson, MS 39211 601-957-2800 601-978-2242 Melder@hilton-jackson.com

Lindsay Hamm

Area Director of Sales MMI Hotel Group 1000 Red Fern Place Flowood, MS 39232 601-326-0737 601-326-0753 lhamm@mmihg.com

Jan Smith

Director of Sales Embassy Suites Ridgeland 200 Township Place Ridgeland, MS 39157 601-607-7112 601-607-7116 jan.smith@hilton.com

Mary Statkewicz

Sales Manager Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism* P. O. Box 457 Gulf Shores, AL 36547 251-974-4621 mstatkewicz@gulfshores.com *Organization Name Change

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MSAE Welcomes New Executive Members Ginger Adams

Executive Director Southaven Chamber of Commerce 8710 Northwest Dr Southaven, MS 38671 662-342-6114 662-342-6365 gadams@southavenchamber.com

Vickie Dupree

Executive Director Olive Branch Chamber of Commerce P. O. Box 608 Olive Branch, MS 38654 662-895-2600 662-895-2625 662-895-2600 vickie.dupree@olivebranchms.com

Beth Hansen

CEO Mississippi Association Of Realtors 4247 Lakeland Drive Jackson, MS 39201 601-932-5241 X11 601-932-0382 www.msrealtors.org bhansen@msrealtors.org

Angie Hick

Hernando Main Street Chamber of Commerce 2440 Hwy 51 S Hernando, MS 38632 662-429-9055 662-429-2909 angieh@hernandoms.org

Shannon Hood

Marketing/Membership Mississippi Manufacturers Association P.O. Box 22607 Jackson, MS 39225 601-948-1222 601-949-3320 shannon@mma-web.org

Executive Member Change Rebecca F. Ainsworth

Executive Director Mississippi Bail Agents Association 805 S. Wheatley, Ste 150 Ridgeland, MS 39157 601-668-6373 601-899-8598 www.msbail.org rebeccaainsworth@yahoo.com

Becky Wells

Director of Communications Mississippi State Medical Association P. O. Box 2548 Ridgeland, MS 39158 601-853-6733 601-853-6746 BWells@msmaonline.com

An Over View of PCI-DSS Compliance Continued from page 6 • • • • • •

Restrict access to cardholder data to those who need to know. Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access. Restrict physical access to cardholder data. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data. Regularly test security systems and processes. Maintain a policy that addresses information security.

Noncompliance Penalties • Noncompliance with PCI DSS has its consequences. Businesses face fines up to $500,000 and expensive litigation costs. From an operational point of view, level 2, 3 or 4 merchants and service providers that have network security

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breaches can have their level escalated to level 1. This has an adverse impact in terms of costs since compliance in the level 1 tier is more demanding. In addition, noncompliance impacts brand reputation and exposes corporations and associations to extensive negative publicity that undermines consumer confidence. Disclaimer This information is provided as an overview on the topic of PCI-DSS. It is not intended to be used as the standard on the topic discussed but solely as an introduction to the topic. For the factual information on the PCI-DSS standards please refer to the PCI Security Standards website at www.pcisecuritystandards.org/. For further guidance on topic please consult your organization’s attorney or CPA firm.

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MSAE 2010 Calendar of Events Lunch & Learn Series: 11:45 a.m. October 20

Capital Club, Jackson

November 17 Capital Club, Jackson Tuesday’s Cocktails & Conversations: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. October 19

Hilton Jackson, Jackson

November 16

Hilton Jackson, Jackson

2010 Joint Conference: September 19-21 Mobile Bay Conference Center Holiday Reception: Dec. 15 Location TBA 2011 Mid-Year Conference: May 1-3, 2011 Vicksburg, MS

Index of Advertisers Affiniscape

Beau Rivage

Creative Marketing Concepts CRI

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Emerald Coast Convention Center Gold Strike

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Hilton Garden Inn

Jackson Convention Complex

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