General Information | Agenda | Register

Conference Registration Fees

GFOAT Spring Conference Registration	By April 3	After April 3
*GFOAT Active Member	$450	$475
GFOAT Non-Members	$575	$575

Post Conference Registration	By April 3	After April 3
*GFOAT Active Member	$250	$350
GFOAT Non-Members	$400	$400

*Membership applications take 48-72 hours to process from time of submission. You will not be able to register at the member rate until your membership application is fully processed. Visit our membership page for details.

Sponsor Registration

All Sponsor staff is required to register online by April 3 to guarantee a spot at the conference. Please choose the “sponsor comp” option to use your complimentary registrations. The complimentary registration does not include the post conference.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Martie Simpson at martie@gfoat.org.

Cancellation and Substitute Policy

If you are registered and cannot attend, we encourage you to send a substitute. If you cannot send a substitute, a $100 cancellation fee will be assessed if written cancellation is received by March 30. No refunds will be honored after March 30.

Click here to register!

Hotel Accommodations

The Kalahari Resorts & Conventions is located at 3001 Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. The hotel has extended a $220 per night group rate based on single/double occupancy for dates of April 16-April 18. Shoulder nights and number of guests in your room can affect your rate. Please book your room by March 25, 2023. Do not delay as the block can sell out prior to the deadline.

To make a reservation, click here!

Please be aware of housing poachers if contacted about booking hotel rooms for the 2023 GFOAT Spring Conference. The only GFOAT-endorsed hotel for this event is Kalahari Resort and Convention. Please note we are NOT working with any other companies to provide housing. If you receive any pirating emails or calls, please refer them to Lavern Gaines at lavern@tml.org or 512-231-7447.

Sponsorship Information

Sponsor staff is required to register online by April 3 to guarantee a spot at the conference. Please choose the “sponsor comp” option to use your complimentary registrations. The sponsor set up is Sunday, April 16 at noon. All preassigned shared sponsor tables will be in the Kalahari Ballroom foyer. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Martie Simpson at martie@gfoat.org.

Continuing Education Credit

All sessions do not require prerequisites.

CPE Credit: You will earn 12.5 hours of CPE credit by attending the entire Spring conference. You will earn 8 hours of CPE credit by attending the entire Spring post conference. GFOAT is a sponsor of continuing professional education with the Texas State Boards of Public Accountancy (TSBPA). State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit.

CGFO Credit: You will earn 12.5 hours of CPE credit by attending the entire Spring conference. You will earn 8 hours of CPE credit by attending the entire Spring post conference. GFOAT has final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CGFO credit.

Seminar Materials

All available handouts will be posted on the GFOAT website at www.GFOAT.org (under “Training”) for attendees to download.

Confirmation/Name Badge

Your name badge will be available at the registration desk onsite.

GFOAT’s Kalahari Social Event

Join us for food and drinks and entertainment provided by Shinyribs and we will see you there! Adult guest tickets are available for $50. Weather permitting, we will enjoy the Amatuli Market which is an outside venue so dress comfortable.

Meeting Accommodations

Meeting accommodations requests such as dietary restrictions must be submitted to Lavern Gaines by March 30 to be considered.

Attire

The conference attire is CASUAL so please plan for comfort. Be sure to bring a sweater or jacket to the sessions, in the event the meeting rooms are cold. Also feel free to dress in German attire.

Health and Safety

Please view the most up-to-date COVID public health recommendations here:

Sunday, April 16

Tentative Agenda. Topics, room assignments, and speakers are subject to change. All sessions are at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center

10:00 a.m. – Noon

Certified Government Finance Officer’s (CGFO) Exam Study Group

_{Zambezi River Room | Lobby Level}

Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Program Committee Meeting

_{Kalahari Salon H-I | Lobby Level}

Noon – 6:00 p.m.

Registration

_{Registration F | Lobby Level}

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

GFOAT Committee Meetings

Show your commitment to GFOAT and your career; attend a committee meeting and get involved. The informal nature of these meetings allows you to experience more than one committee. You can pick the committee that best suits you.

Ethics and Internal Control Committee– Nile River Room | Lobby Level

CGFO Committee– Kalahari Salon C | Lobby Level

Governmental Affairs Committee– Kalahari Salon A | Lobby Level

Communications Committee– Kalahari Salon D | Lobby Level

Membership Committee– Kalahari Salon B | Lobby Level

Scholarship, Fellowship, and Foundation Committee– Kalahari Salon F| Lobby Level

_{See description for meeting location.}

2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

GFOAT Executive Board Meeting

_{Kalahari Salon H-I | Lobby Level}

2:00 – 4:30 p.m.

CGFO Testing

_{Zambezi River Room}

3:45 – 5:00 p.m.

Preconference (1.5 CGFO/CPE)

Learning About GFOAT and Other Resources – How to Get More Involved

_{Kalahari Salon E | Lobby Level}

5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Opening Reception

_{Kalahari Foyer III | Lobby Level}

8:30 p.m. – Midnight

Texas Hold’em

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

_{Kalahari Location TBD}

Monday, April 17

Tentative Agenda. Topics, room assignments, and speakers are subject to change. All sessions are at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center

7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

Registration and Networking Breakfast

This breakfast is for all conference attendees.

_{Kalahari Salon E-I | Lobby Level}

8:00 – 9:15 a.m.

Opening General Session | 1.5 CGFO/CPE

President’s Address – GFOAT President Katina Hampton, Director of Administrative Services, City of Friendswood

Executive Director Address – Martie Simpson, Executive Director, GFOAT

Legislative Keynote Address – Bennett Sandlin, Executive Director, Texas Municipal League

_{Kalahari Salon E-I | Lobby Level}

9:15 – 9:40 a.m.

Refreshment Break / Sponsor Networking

_{Kalahari Foyer | Lobby Level}

9:50 – 10:45 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions | 1.0 CGFO/CPE

GASB 2023 Update – New Statements, Implementation Guides, & Projects

Amanda E. Eaves, CPA,Partner, Regional Industry Leader, Nonprofit, Education & Public Sector and Mary Ellen Leonard, CPA, Director of Fiscal Services, City of College Station

_{Kalahari Salon A-B | Lobby Level}

Teaching a Non-Accountant How to Read the Annual Financial Report

Steven Glickman, CPA, CGFO, Chief Financial Officer, Town of Addison and Jonathan Locke, CPA, CGFO, Director of Finance, City of San Marcos

_{Kalahari Salon C-D | Lobby Level}

Capital Planning – What’s It all About?

This session will explore the why, who, how and what of capital planning for projects ranging from convention centers and new fire stations to infrastructure upgrades. Including discussion regarding best practices and who are the stakeholders, influencers, how the project will be funded, implemented, and tracked.

Deval Allum, Senior Account Executive, Ameresco, Inc and Collin Boothe, Assistant City Administrator/Director of Finance, City of Conroe

_{Zambezi River Room | Lobby Level}

Personal Financial Planning

As finance officers we are so busy over seeing our municipalities, we have a hard time making time for our own financial planning.

Nick Daugherty, Ramsey Solutions Master Financial Coach*, Retired Sergeant and Current Reserve Police Officer, President/Owner, Financial Cop

_{Nile River Room | Lobby Level}

10:55 – 11:45 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions | 1.0 CGFO/CPE

Financial Data Transparency Act- Everything you Need to Know

This session will discuss proposed legislation from the U.S. Treasury Department and U.S. Security Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding the implementation of the Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA) which will affect the way governmental entities will prepare their own financial statements and submit information to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.

Emily Brock, Director – Federal Liaison, Government Finance Officers Association

_{Kalahari A-B | Lobby Level}

Behind the Scenes of Sales Tax Collections

In this session, you will get an overview of the complicated nature of sales tax sourcing and how it affects your city. You will get practical tips on how to get your city’s confidential sales tax data, what to do with it and some tips and tricks. You will gain important information on pending legislation and lawsuits. This session will compliment and refresh the Fall 2022 sales tax session, as well as expand on some important points.

Susan Morgan, CPA, Chief Financial Officer, City of Round Rock and Michael Rodgers, Director of Finance, City of Belton

_{Kalahari Salon C-D | Lobby Level}

Behind the Work Papers – Internal vs External Audits?

Audit is a necessary function of government finance. But should your audit function be handled by an Internal Auditor or an External Audit Firm? Learn about the benefits and challenges of both approaches in this session.

David Medrano, Internal Auditor, Fort Worth

_{Zambezi River Room | Lobby Level}

Investing in a Rising Interest Rate Environment Strategies and Considerations

Amidst rising interest rates, we’ll examine the current economic landscape alongside investment considerations in this unique environment.

Brent Wertz, Managing Partner at Deep Blue Investment Advisors

_{Nile River Room | Lobby Level}

11:55 a.m. – 12:55 p.m.

Business Meeting and Awards Luncheon

Presiding: GFOAT President – Katina Hampton, Director of Administrative Services, City of Friendswood

_{Kalahari Salon E-I | Lobby Level}

1:00 – 1:50 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions | 1.0 CGFO/CPE

ARPA Update

_{Kalahari Salon A-B | Lobby Level}

Ethics Topic – What to Do When You Know Things Have Gone Wrong?

Dorrance Roderick, Finance Director, City of Bellview and Karen Evans, CPA, ACM/Chief Financial Officer, City of Bellmead

_{Kalahari Salon C-D | Lobby Level}

Performance Contracts for Water and Wastewater

Shane Sangalli, Business Development Associate, Water Company of America and Todd Simoneaux, Chief Financial Officer, City of Beaumont

_{Zambezi River Room | Lobby Level}

Hot Topics

Amy Dozier, CPA, MBA, Director of Finance, Kerrville Public Utility Board and Terrance Beaman, MPA, Chief Financial Officer, City of Bellaire

_{Nile River Room | Lobby Level}

2:00 – 3:15 p.m.

General Session | 1.5 CPE/CGFO

How to Enhance Customer Service – Internal and External Customers

Speakers: Katina Hampton, Director of Administrative Services, City of Friendswood; Adrienne Lothery, Assistant City Manager, City of Colleyville; and John Zagurski, Finance Director, Town of Northlake

_{Kalahari Salon E-I | Lobby Level}

3:15 – 3:45 p.m.

Refreshment Break / Sponsor Networking

_{Kalahari Foyer | Lobby Level}

3:45 – 5:00 p.m.

General Session | 1.0 CPE/CGFO

The Magic of Communication

Joshua Lozoff, Magician and Motivational Speaker. Be prepared to engage, be intrigued, and have some fun!

_{Kalahari Salon E-I | Lobby Level}

6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

GFOAT’s Kalahari Social

Join us for food, fun and fantastic entertainment provided Joshua Lozoff, Magician and Kevin Russell of Shinyribs!

_{Amatuli Market (weather permitting)}

Tuesday, April 18

Tentative Agenda. Topics, room assignments, and speakers are subject to change. All sessions are at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center

7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

Networking Breakfast

This breakfast is for all conference attendees.

_{Kalahari Salon E-I | Lobby Level}

8:00 – 8:50 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions | 1.0 CPE/CGFO

How to Get your Elected Officials to Understand the Foreign Language of Finance

Josh Selleck, CFP(R), CGFO, City Manager, City of Kilgore and Micah Grau, City Manager, City of Buda

_{Kalahari Salon A-B | Lobby Level}

Fraud detection and Prevention, Leveraging Data Monitoring and Analytics

Our presentation will look a recent fraud trends and statistics from the last 3 ACFE Reports to the Nations, with a focus on trends related to the emergence of data analytics. We will also dive into several case studies of recent fraud cases in the public sector and discuss how data analysis and monitoring could have been utilized to detect the fraud much sooner. Finally, we will provide an overview of the key questions to ask as you begin to incorporate data analysis into your organization’s risk program.

Travis Casner, CFE, Managing Director, Forensics and Litigation Services, Weaver and Cal Webb III, Risk Advisory Director, Gradient Solutions Corporation

_{Kalahari Salon C-D | Lobby Level}

Impact of the Secure Act 2.0 Description; Provisions at a Glance

David Rodriguez, Director of Government Services, TCG Advisors, a HUB International Company

_{Zambezi River Room | Lobby Level}

Forecasting Techniques

Kevin Klosterboer, MPA, CGFO, Director of Finance, City of Cedar Park

_{Nile River Room | Lobby Level}

9:00 – 9:50 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions | 1.0 CGFO/CPE

FEMA Public Assistance Program, Cost Documentation Basics

The importance of maintaining a complete and accurate set of records for each project cannot be overemphasized. This will facilitate the validation, approval, and funding processes for your FEMA projects. This course will provide a basic understanding of FEMA’s cost documentation requirements and help you:

•Recover all your eligible costs

•Have the information necessary to develop your disaster projects

•Be ready for any State or Federal audits, or other Federal program reviews

_{Kalahari Salon A-B | Lobby Level}

Cyber Security/Ransomware Attacks – How to Protect your City

Ryan Burns, Cyber Risk Services Manager, TML Intergovernmental Risk Pool and AJ Siebert, Senior Account Executive, VC3

_{Kalahari Salon C-D | Lobby Level}

Read the Headline Don’t Be the Headline, Small Cities and Ethics and Internal Controls

Meg Jakubik, Strategic Services Manager, City of Bedford and Aaron Rector, Director of Administrative Services, City of Keller

_{Zambezi River Room | Lobby Level}

The Great Safari: Are You and Your Organization Ready for Your Retirement Adventure?

We would discuss succession planning, staff preparation, timely conversations with upper management, procedural documentation, checking TMRS and other retirement accounts, health insurance considerations, what will you do next, etc.

Deborah Reid, CPA, DR Local Government Solutions LLC

_{Nile River Room | Lobby Level}

9:50 – 10:10 a.m.

Refreshment Break / Sponsor Networking

_{Kalahari Foyer | Lobby Level}

10:10 – 11:00 a.m.

General Session | 1.0 CPE/CGFO

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Project Opportunities Given the New Federal Inflation Reduction Act 2022

Scott Crist, JD, MBA, Executive Vice President and Manager, Capital Markets Division, UMB Bank

_{Kalahari Salon E-I | Lobby Level}

11:00 a.m. – Noon

Closing Session | 1.0 CPE/CGFO

Positive Interaction with Difficult People

You interact with difficult people all the time. It can often be your colleagues or supervisors. You need proven tools and techniques for handling difficult people: understanding where they’re coming from and giving the right response at the right time and in the right way. This session provides powerful insight and easy-to-use strategies for dealing with difficult people without losing your self-control.

Joe Serio, Ph.D., Owner, Speaker, Government Leadership Training

_{Kalahari Salon E | Lobby Level}

Noon

Adjourn

1:00 p.m.

Bruce Testa Semiannual Golf Outing

The Forest Creek Golf Club provides hill country golf at its finest. The 7,147-yard par-72 golf course has been nationally recognized as one of the finest public golf courses in Central Texas. Named “Best Public Golf Course in Central Texas” by Golf Digest, Forest Creek offers some of the most fabulous golf in the Texas Hill Country. Our Golf Course is replete with rolling fairways, pristine greens, and an abundance of native foliage.

Tee time is 1:00 p.m. with a Modify Shotgun Start. The cost is $70.00 plus tax per person, which includes the green fee, cart, and range. This will be a Texas Scramble (bogey is your friend) and is limited to 48 golfers so sign up right away by emailing Tony Sekaly at tony.sekaly@texasclass.com or call 713-502-8575.

_{Forrest Creek Golf Club, 99 Twin Ridge Pkwy, Round Rock, TX 78664}

April 18-19
(Post Conference)

Tentative Agenda. Topics, room assignments, and speakers are subject to change. All sessions are at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center

Tuesday, April 18, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

The Good, The Bad, and How to Calculate to Keep Your Property Tax Rates from Getting Ugly

An In-depth Discussion on Calculating and Adopting your Property Taxes.

_{Kalahari Salon E | Lobby Level}

Wednesday, April 19, 8:00 a.m. – Noon

Post Conference Continued

_{Kalahari Salon E | Lobby Level}

General Information | Agenda | Register

Conference Registration Fees

Cancellation and Substitute Policy

Hotel Accommodations

Sponsorship Information

Continuing Education Credit

Seminar Materials

Confirmation/Name Badge

GFOAT’s Kalahari Social Event

Meeting Accommodations

Attire

Health and Safety

Other Questions

Sunday, April 16

10:00 a.m. – Noon

Certified Government Finance Officer’s (CGFO) Exam Study Group

Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Program Committee Meeting

Noon – 6:00 p.m.

Registration

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

GFOAT Committee Meetings

2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

GFOAT Executive Board Meeting

2:00 – 4:30 p.m.

CGFO Testing

3:45 – 5:00 p.m.

Preconference (1.5 CGFO/CPE)

5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Opening Reception

8:30 p.m. – Midnight

Texas Hold’em

Monday, April 17

7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

Registration and Networking Breakfast

8:00 – 9:15 a.m.

Opening General Session | 1.5 CGFO/CPE

9:15 – 9:40 a.m.

Refreshment Break / Sponsor Networking

9:50 – 10:45 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions | 1.0 CGFO/CPE

10:55 – 11:45 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions | 1.0 CGFO/CPE

11:55 a.m. – 12:55 p.m.

Business Meeting and Awards Luncheon

1:00 – 1:50 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions | 1.0 CGFO/CPE

2:00 – 3:15 p.m.

General Session | 1.5 CPE/CGFO

3:15 – 3:45 p.m.

Refreshment Break / Sponsor Networking

3:45 – 5:00 p.m.

General Session | 1.0 CPE/CGFO

6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

GFOAT’s Kalahari Social

Tuesday, April 18

7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

Networking Breakfast

8:00 – 8:50 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions | 1.0 CPE/CGFO

9:00 – 9:50 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions | 1.0 CGFO/CPE

9:50 – 10:10 a.m.

Refreshment Break / Sponsor Networking

10:10 – 11:00 a.m.

General Session | 1.0 CPE/CGFO

11:00 a.m. – Noon

Closing Session | 1.0 CPE/CGFO

Noon

Adjourn

1:00 p.m.

Bruce Testa Semiannual Golf Outing

April 18-19(Post Conference)

Tuesday, April 18, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 19, 8:00 a.m. – Noon

Noon

Adjourn

April 18-19
(Post Conference)