6 minute read
New Core Course
New Core Course In Local Budgeting Presented At Pre-Conference Session
David Cain, Retired Director of Finance – Adjunct Professor CSUN, CPP & CSULB
CSMFO’s Mission is to “serve all government finance professionals through innovation, collaboration, continuing education and professional development.” To that end, CSMFO’s core course program of in-person training sessions has been expanding in recent years, with the addition of classes in Investment Accounting (one course) and Revenue Fundamentals (two courses). The next addition that has been identified by the CSMFO leadership is a two-day core course on budgeting. During the 2020 CSMFO Annual Conference, held in Anaheim at Disneyland Hotel, was the inaugural budget session entitled ”Building a Better Budget: Best Practices and Insightful Perspectives for the Budget Practitioner”. CSMFO’s new core course covered budget fundamentals providing new budget analysts with a comprehensive review of the budget process and related issues. In this pre-conference session, the first two of four modules of the new core course were offered, covering “Foundations of Budget Management” in the morning and “Building the Budget” in the afternoon. Key concepts which were covered included types of budgets, the relationship between the accounting and budget functions, the importance of accurate forecasting and long-term financial planning, best practices for the budget process, personnel budgeting, and key concepts in non-personnel budget management. Attendees left this session with useful best practices, practical exercises and examples, and valuable perspectives from budget practitioners. The facilitators were Ken Brown, Principal, HdL Companies, and David Cain, Retired Finance Director, City of Fountain Valley, both seasoned public sector budgeteers’. Plans are being made to make this first budget core course available in alternating locations in both northern and southern California in late summer early fall and then regularly in the future. The second day budget training core course will include Module Three – “Budget Documents and Reporting” and Module Four –“Advanced Budget Concepts” which will be more focused and appeal to the more seasoned budget and finance professionals. These two modules are being developed with the goal of making them available in early 2021. The CSMFO Board and leadership are excited to have this opportunity to expand the core training and professional development options focusing on budgeting best practices for all our members. Look for news about the upcoming in person trainings for budgeting in the months to come.
1”H – Full Dimensions
Providing high quality audit, consulting and tax services to local governments, special districts, and nonprofit organizations. Committed to Excellence Stradling is a premier business law firm with offices throughout the western United States. Our litigation, corporate and finance practices
are well known for their
expertise and depth.
www.DavisFarr.com
A BETTER Software Experience.
CAPITAL MARKETS
Fixed Income Sales & Trading Market Strategies Balance Sheet Management Customized Reporting Municipal Underwriting
WWW.FHNFINANCIAL.COM 800.456.5460
“I would recommend this system to any City looking for not only a financial software program but a financial team member that will be there for you long after you sign the purchase order.” -Michael O’Brien, City of San Dimas, CA
Schedule a FREE demo today.
801.850.5085 pww@caselle.com
MAIN STREET ADVISORS
Portfolio Management Portfolio Consulting Customized Reporting Market Analysis Client Training & Education
WWW.FHNMAINSTREET.COM 888.278.7350
2020 CSMFO Tennis & Pickleball
Bank of the West (BOTW) started off the CSMFO Annual Conference with the 9th Annual Tennis and Inaugural Pickleball Mixer. The pre-conference event was located at the Anaheim Tennis Center and led by Head Pro Mike Nelson. This was Mike’s third time hosting the CSMFO BOTW mixer at his facility. Mike and his team did an amazing job coaching attendees and coordinating the Tennis and Pickleball round robin! The mixer was organized by Lily Ng, Managing Director and Government Banking Manager for Bank of the West. Everyone arrived on time and we started the day with introductions and networking over lunch. Our special guest CSMFO President, Steve Heide, kicked off the event with words of encouragement and a preview of the great mixer and conference to follow! The Pros started the event helping attendees warm up with tennis drills and games to get back into the “swing” of things. Once everyone was warmed up, we broke out into two flights and started the round robin tennis mixer. After the tennis mixer concluded, we switched gears to a new component of the mixer: the Pickleball clinic. The Pros walked us through the rules and nuances of Pickleball, including an explanation of what it meant to “stay out of the kitchen.” The “kitchen” is the area directly in front of the net and is considered a non-volley zone. This is a particularly difficult rule adjustment for tennis players, who try to poach and attack from that space. Ellen Clark of PFM summed up everyone’s initial thoughts on this rule change: “Pickle ball? Say what? You can’t step into the kitchen?” With help from the Pickleball Pros, we were able to practice our pickleball groundstrokes, volleys, and serves. In addition to adjusting to the volley rules, our group adjusted from hitting a heavier tennis ball with a larger racket, to hitting a whiffle ball with a smaller paddle. Pickleball was an amazing addition to the mixer. It’s fun to play and relatively easy to pick up, even if you have never played before. If you are looking for a new sport, I highly recommend looking into Pickleball! I think it’s safe to say that everyone got a good workout at the mixer. Lily promised that attendees would have at least four solid hours of playing pickleball and tennis, and she carried through on that promise! My tired legs moved a little slower as I walked through Downtown Disney later Tuesday night. Donna Ventura from the City of Oxnard attended the mixer for her second year and took home the bronze medal in Pickleball. Regarding the mixer, Donna commented: “This is such a fun event and a great way to network in a smaller group than the 2,000 attendees at the conference. Lily and the Pros do a great job of organizing the event. Everyone gets something out of it regardless of what level they play at. I really enjoyed learning to play pickle ball too!” Linda Scholink from the City of Sand City took home the silver medal in Pickleball, and said the mixer was “a great way to start a conference. We get to burn some energy and connect with people we normally don’t get to see much of during the week. I look forward to connecting with some of the same people each year and making new connections and friends.” Max Mojab from Piper Sandler was a first-time attendee finished the day with a gold medal in Pickleball. Max noted that “as a first-time attendee, it was a fun and productive day of connecting and meeting new people, playing tennis and trying Pickleball for the first time. I look forward to doing it again next year!” CSMFO thanks Bank of the West for organizing and hosting the mixer, and Oracle for sponsoring the trophies. With a special thank you to Lily for her continued dedication and drive to make the annual mixer a fantastic conference experience!
