Handouts will not be provided on site. Downloadable files will be available HERE.

Wednesday, October 30

9:00 A.M. – 2:30 P.M.

Bruce Testa Semi Annual Golf Outing

Kissing Tree Golf Club
201 Kissing Tree Lane • San Marcos, TX
• Cost: $90 (includes Green Fee, 1/2 Cart, Range Balls)
• Tee Times: 9:40-12:30
• Details: 4-person scramble, Par 3 Contest, Long Drive (Men & Women), Bubba & Tiger Drive ($20/team) • • Contact: Tony Sekaly (Director, Texas CLASS)


12:00–6:00 P.M.
Registration

1:00–5:00 P.M

Controlling the Beast Within: Internal Controls

Speaker: Robert Scott, Deputy Town Manager, Town of Prosper
Moderator: Martie Simpson, Executive Director, GFOAT

Location:

Track: Accounting & Financial Reporting

Nightmare on Procurement Street

Speaker: Colin Erhardt, Assistant Director and Nayana Nagapurapu, Government Innovation Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab
Moderator: Meg Jakubik, Director of Budget Services, Town of Flower Mound

Location:

Track: Public Finance


2:30–3:00 P.M.
Refreshment Break/Sponsor Networking

3:00–4:30 P.M.

Bank Depository RFA

Speaker: Texas Capital Bank and Valley View
Moderator: Martie Simpson, Executive Director, GFOAT

Location:

Track: Public Finance, Cash Management


6:30–9:30 P.M.

GFOAT Halloween Social with Costume Contest and Halloween Carnival

Thursday, October 31

7:00–9:50 A.M.
Registration

7:00–8:00 A.M.
Networking Breakfast

8:00–9:15 A.M.

OPENING SESSION • General Session 1
President’s Address
Speaker: Clara Santos, GFOAT President & Director of Administrative Services, City of San Antonio
Welcome Remarks – TBD Local Official
Executive Director Remarks – Martie Simpson, Executive Director, GFOAT
TML Update – Bennett Sandlin, Executive Director, Texas Municipal League

Moderator:

Location:

—Track


9:15–9:50 A.M.
Coffee Break/Sponsor Networking

9:50–10:40 A.M.

Ghost in the Spreadsheet: Innovation & Efficiency Use Cases with Generative AI in Finance & Administration

Speaker:
Bruce Haupt, Chief Finance & Administration Officer, Harris County Flood Control District
Moderator: Meg Jakubik, Director of Budget Services, Town of Flower Mound

Location:

Track: Technology

Debt
Issuance


Speaker: Jason Hughes, Managing Director, Hilltop Securities
Moderator: Cayce Lay Lamas, Finance Director, City of Westlake

Location:

Track: Debt Management

Department
Triage


Speaker: Keith Dagen, Retired
Moderator: Martie Simpson, Executive Director, GFOAT

Location:

Track
Professional Development

Sales Tax Tools

Speaker:
Terri Garcia, Office Coordinator, HdL
Moderator:

Location:

Track


10:50–11:40 A.M.

Deployment Reimbursement – Trick or Treat?

Speaker: Deputy Chief Brandon Barth and Meg Jakubik, Director of Budget Services, Town of Flower Mound
Moderator:

Location:

Track: Budgeting & Capital Planning

New to Governmental Finance

Speaker: Todd Buikema, Assistant Director for Publications, GFOA
Moderator: Cayce Lay Lamas, Finance Director, City of Westlake

Location:

Track: Accounting & Financial Reporting (CGFO)

Educational Session-TBD

Speaker: Amanda Jeffers, Marketing Operations Manager, MGO
Moderator: Martie Simpson, Executive Director, GFOAT

Location:

Track: Accounting & Financial Reporting

Procurement

Speaker:
Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab
Moderator:

Location:

Track
Procurement


11:50 A.M.–12:50 A.M.

Networking Lunch and Business Meeting
GFOA Ethics Presentation

Speaker: Chris Morrill, Executive Director/CEO, GFOA


1:00–1:50pm

Hauntingly Effective Year-End Practices

Presenter: Brent Mason, CPA, Senior Manager, Government Advisory Services; Sam Singery, CPA, Manager, Government Advisory Services, Eide Bailly and Raquel Navarro, Finance Director, City of Pleasanton
Moderator: Amy Dozier, Director of Finance, Kerrville Public Utility Board

Location:

Track: Accounting & Financial Reporting

Hot Topics – Scams for New Finance Directors

Speakers:
Aaron Rector, City Manager, City of Keller and Meg Jakubik , Budget Director, Town of Flower Mound
Moderator:

Location:

Track: Fraud and Internal Controls

Tricks to Make Hiring a Treat

Speaker:
Sharon Frey Recruitment & Staffing Administrator, City of San Antonio
Moderator: Clara Santos, GFOAT President & Director of Administrative Services, City of San Antonio

Location:

Track: Human Resources

Economic Update
Speaker: Colin Erhardt, Assistant Director and Nayana Nagapurapu, Government Innovation Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab
Moderator: Meg Jakubik, Director of Budget Services, Town of Flower Mound


Location:

Track: Procurement


2:00–3:15 P.M.

General Session 2
Texas is Haunted

Speaker:
Chet Garner – The Daytripper
Moderator: Clara Santos, GFOAT President & Director of Administrative Services, City of San Antonio

Location:


3:15–3:45 P.M.
Refreshment Break/Sponsor Networking

3:45–5:00 P.M.

General Session 3
The Nightmares that Keep Your Auditor Awake at Night

Speaker: Clayton Rogers, Audit Manager, Pattillo, Brown & Hill, L.L.P.
Moderator:

Location:


6:30–9:30 P.M.
Bad to the Bone Sponsor Shindig with Texas Hold ‘Em/Nertz Competition

Texas Hold ‘Em

A donation of $25 to the GFOAT Foundation will be taken at the door.

Friday, November 1

7:00–8:00 A.M.
Networking Breakfast

8:00–8:50 A.M.

CGFO

Presenter: Glenn Mizell, Purchasing Manager, City of Grand Prairie
Moderator:
Location:

Track:
Public Finance

SEC Enforcement

Presenter:
Robert Scott, Deputy Town Manager, City of Prosper
Moderator: Martie Simpson

Location:

Track:
Public Finance

Stealing the Candy: Trends in Financial Crimes

Presenter: Thomas Sweatt, Special Agent, FBI
Moderator: Amy Dozier

Location:

Track: Fraud and Internal Controls

TBD-TMRS

Presenter: Anthony Mills, Director of Education Services, TMRS
Moderator: Cayce Lay Lamas

Location:

Track:


9:00–9:50 A.M.

ARPA Update

Presenter: Gwen Estrada, ARPA Executive, City of San Antonio
Moderator: Anna de la Garza

Location:

Track: Accounting & Financial Reporting

Digital ACFR

Presenter: ClearGov
Moderator: Meg Jakubik

Location:

Track: Accounting & Financial Reporting

I&S/Excess Collections

Presenter: Tania Askins, Managing Director, Hilltop Securities,Moderator: Cayce Lay Lamas
Location:—Track:
Debt Management

Special Districts

Presenter: Rick Menchaca, Sr. Vice President & Manager, UMB
Moderator: Martie Simpson

Location:

Track:
Public Finance


9:50–10:10 A.M.
Coffee Break/Sponsor Networking

10:10–11:00 A.M.

General Session 4
Ghosts of Directors

Speakers:
Clara Santos, GFOAT President & Director of Administrative Services, City of San Antonio, John Zagurski, Chief Financial Officer, Town of Flower Mound and Blu Kostelich, Chief Financial Officer, City of Waco

11:00 A.M.–12:00 P.M.

CLOSING SESSION • General Session 5
Laughter is Medicine

Speaker: Danny Adams
Moderator: Clara Santos, GFOAT President & Director of Administrative Services, City of San Antonio

Speaker Bios

Order by General Sessions, then Sessions. Alpha by Speaker’s Last Name.

Danny Adams
Laughter is Medicine
• General Session 5 (CLOSING)

Enter speaker’s bio here…

Chet Garner, The Day Tripper
Texas is Haunted
• General Session 2 (KEYNOTE)

Chet Garner is the creator, host, and executive producer of The Daytripper, a 13-time Emmy-award-winning Texas travel show airing on PBS stations across the country. 

Born in Comanche and raised in Port Neches, Texas, Chet’s love for storytelling began at a young age around the Boy Scout campfire and toting around his grandfather’s VHS video camera.

Chet earned a degree in Radio-Television-Film from the University of Texas at Austin and went on to graduate first in his class from Baylor Law School.  However, after practicing law for 3 years, he decided to follow his passions and simultaneously inspire folks to appreciate the beauty, history, and food of the Lone Star State.

What followed was a crash course in travel, filmmaking, marketing, and doing whatever it takes to start a successful TV show.  When not traveling Chet is at home in Georgetown, Texas with his wife and 5 children (14, 12, 9, 7, and 3) – although he’s usually got them on the road too.

Learn more about The Daytripper at http://thedaytripper.com

Blu Kostelich, PresidentElect, and Chief Financial Officer, City of Waco
Ghost of Directors • General Session 4

Blu brings over 18 years of service and experience in finance and operation roles, with seven of those in public sector finance. Blu is the President-Elect for the Governmental Finance Officers Association of Texas (GFOAT) and served as both the Treasurer and Chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee for GFOAT.

Blu recently served as the Chief Financial Officer for the City of Lubbock, Texas, where he managed the Finance, Accounting, Purchasing, Business and Economic Development, Risk Management, Central Warehouse, and Print Shop departments. Prior to his tenure in Lubbock, Blu worked for the City of Bridgeport as the Director of Finance and held roles in the private sector as an Operations Manager for TAMKO Building Products and a Senior Analyst for Lennox International.

Blu received his bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his Master of Business Administration with a finance specialization from Southern Methodist University. Blu spent the first five years of his post-graduate career as an Armor and Calvary Officer in the United States Army, including a thirteen-month deployment to Baghdad from 2008-2009. Blu was awarded the Bronze Star and two Army Commendation Medals throughout his service.

City Manager Bradley Ford shared, “Blu brings a proven track record of financial stewardship and dedication to public service. I look forward to his leadership and financial acumen as we continue to serv

Clayton Rogers, Audit Manager, Pattillo, Brown & Hill, L.L.P.
The Nightmares that Keep Your Auditor Awake at Night
• General Session 3

Clayton Rogers is a Manager at Pattillo, Brown & Hill in the Government Assurance, Consulting & Advisory division. A proud graduate of Tarleton State University, Clayton focuses exclusively on providing audit and advisory services to cities, counties, school districts, and regional planning commissions. He is an active member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Clayton is an active member of the GFOA Special Review Committee and has extensive experience preparing and reviewing Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports that earn the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. He is a graduate of Leadership Waco Class XXXVI and an active participant in the greater Waco Chamber of Commerce TRC and Waco Young Professionals.

Bennett Sandlin, Executive Director, Texas Municipal League
TML Update • General Session 1 (OPENING)

Bennett Sandlin was named Executive Director of the Texas Municipal League in October 2010. Prior to that, he served as TML General Counsel where he helped cities primarily in the fields of tax, economic development, budget, and finance issues, including the municipal hotel occupancy tax and the economic development sales tax. Bennett authored the Revenue Manual for Texas Cities, and was an instructor in Public Funds Investment Training. Bennett is a 1993 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and previously worked at the Municipal Affairs Division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office.re.

Clara Santos, GFOAT President & Director of Administrative Services, City of San Antonio
President’s Address • General Session 1 (OPENING)
Ghost of Directors • General Session 4
Economic Update • Session 8

Department Fiscal Administrator

Clara has served as the department fiscal administrator for the human resources department for the City of San Antonio since 2011.  She has more than 25 years of municipal government experience in various accounting and management positions including finance director for City of Shavano Park and City of Boerne, and comptroller for the Center for Health Care Services.  She has been a CPA since 1991 and is currently a member of the CORBA committee for GFOA. She has also recently been accepted to the GFOAT Board of Directors as the South Representative.  Clara and her husband have been married for almost 40 years; they have four daughters and a son-in-law.

Martie Simpson, Executive Director, GFOAT
Executive Director Remarks
• General Session 1 (OPENING)

Martie Simpson is the Executive Director for the Government Finance Officers Association of Texas. She started her municipal finance career with the City of Killeen in 1997 and finished her career with the city in 2014 as the executive director of finance.  Martie served as the finance director for the City of New Braunfels from 2014 to 2018.  Martie is a Certified Public Accountant with a degree from Baylor University and is a past president for GFOAT.

John Zagurski, GFOAT Past President and Chief Financial Officer, Town of Flower Mound
Ghost of Directors • General Session 4

Enter speaker’s bio here.

Speaker TBD
Welcome Remarks
• General Session 1 (OPENING)

Enter speaker’s bio here.

Chris Morrill, Executive Director/CEO, GFOA
GFOA Ethics Presentation • Networking Lunch

Chris Morrill is the Executive Director/CEO of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the US & Canada, a 22,000 member professional association that advances excellence in government finance to build thriving communities. He has decades of experience in local government, serving as city manager of the City of Roanoke, VA, the only seven-time All-America City, Assistant City Manager and Budget Director for the City of Savannah, GA, a budget analyst for Catawba County, NC, and downtown project manager for Lynn, MA.

Chris also served as Senior Municipal Finance Advisor to the South African National Treasury under a United States Agency for International Development project. In this position, he assisted the South African government with developing local government finance legislation, municipal budget reforms, and capacity building programs. He was in the first group of U.S. Peace Corps volunteers in the former Soviet Union, where he advised the City of L’viv, Ukraine on finance and management issues.

Morrill co-authored The Savannah Story: The Road to Equity and Sustainable Community Development in Economic Development in American Cities: the Pursuit of an Equity Agenda. He completed a three-year fellowship in the Kellogg National Leadership Program, exploring conflict resolution and community building in Peru, China, Northern Ireland, and South Africa.

Chris is a recipient of the Southern Christian Leadership Council (Roanoke Chapter) Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major for Justice Award.  He is an ICMA Credentialed Manager, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and a leadership fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross and a Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Chicago Office

203 N. LaSalle St Suite 2700
Chicago, IL  60601
Direct:  (312) 578-2266

Tania Askins, Managing Director, Hilltop Securities
I&S
• Session 16

Enter speaker’s bio here…

Brandon Barth, Deputy Chief , Town of Flower Mound 
Deployment Reimbursement – Trick or Treat? • Session 5

Enter speaker’s bio here.

Todd Buikema, Assistant Director for Publications, GFOA
New to Governmental Finance
• Session 6

Todd Buikema is the Assistant Director for Publications in GFOA’s Technical Services Center (TSC), and is the coeditor of GFOA’s Governmental Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting publication (GAAFR) and GAAFR Plus supplements. Todd also is a trainer for GFOA’s national training courses, in the areas of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and internal controls. Todd came to the GFOA with more than 19 years of experience in governmental accounting, auditing, and financial reporting. Immediately prior to joining the GFOA staff, Todd served as Assistant Financial Controller at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, one of the largest community colleges in the country. Before that, he obtained 14 years of experience in public-sector auditing, first as a manager at PTW, and then as a senior manager in the Public Sector Services section of Crowe LLP. Todd received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Calvin University. He is a licensed certified public accountant (CPA) in the state of Illinois and a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Illinois Society of CPAs.

Chicago Office

203 N. LaSalle St Suite 2700
Chicago, IL  60601
Direct:  (312) 578-4407

Keith Dagan, Retired
Department Triage
• Session 3

Enter speaker’s bio here.

Gwen Estrada, ARPA Executive, City of San Antonio
RPA Update • Session 17

Enter speaker’s bio here…

Sharon Frey, Recruitment & Staffing Administrator, City of San Antonio
Hiring for Fit
• Session 11

Enter speaker’s bio here.

Terri Garcia, Office Coordinator, HdL
Sales Tax Tools
• Session 4

Enter speaker’s bio here.

Bruce Haupt, Chief Finance & Administration Officer, Harris County Flood Control District
Leveraging AI Tools in Operations • Session 1

Enter speaker’s bio here.

Jason Hughes, Managing Director, Hilltop Securities
Debt Issuance • Session 2

Enter speaker’s bio here.

Mag Jakubik, Budget Director, Town of Flower Mound
Deployment Reimbursement – Trick or Treat? • Session 5
Hot Topics – Scams for New Finance Directors • Session 10

Enter speaker’s bio here.

Amanda Jeffers, Marketing Operations Manager, MGO
Topic TBD • Session 7

Enter speaker’s bio here.

Brent Mason, CPA, Senior Manager, Government Advisory Services, Eide Bailly
Hauntingly Effective Year-End Practices • Session 9

Enter speaker’s bio here.

Rick Menchaca, Jr., Vice President & Manager, UMB
Special Districts • Session 20

Enter speaker’s bio here…

Glen Mizell, Purchasing Manager, City of Grand Prairie
CGFO
• Session 13

Enter speaker’s bio here…

Aaron Rector, City Manager, City of Keller 
Hot Topics – Scams for New Finance Directors
• Session 10

Enter speaker’s bio here.

Robert Scott, Deputy Town Manager, Town of Prosper
Controlling the Beast Within: Internal Controls • Pre-Conference 1
SEC Enforcement • Session 14

Sam Singery, CPA, Manager, Government Advisory Services, Eide Bailly
Hauntingly Effective Year-End Practices • Session 9

Enter speaker’s bio here.