California Society of Municipal Finance Officers

The CSMFO Staff and Leadership have been working hard these past few months to bring you a very special CSMFO Conference next week. Which aspect of next week's CSMFO Virtual Annual Conference are you looking forward to the most?

The CSMFO Virtual Conference Photo Album Can you believe we are just days away from the 2021 Virtual CSMFO Conference? It’s sure to be a week full of knowledge, connection and fun. Every year in our Annual Conference magazine we show off a ton of photography from the event and we know everyone looks forward to this collection of attendees smiling and waving, the bustling exhibit hall and seeing our CSMFO leaders and speakers up on the vibrant stage. Read The Article Here: https://news.csmfo.org//the-csmfo-virtual-conference-phot/

Virtual Conference Tips from the Experts COVID-19 has created the need to hold virtual conferences, which provide their own set of challenges (and opportunities). How do you prevent distractions and interruptions? How can you focus on a presentation without multitasking? We asked the CSMFO Host Committee members for tips on how to prepare for the upcoming CSMFO virtual conference. Read The Article Here: https://news.csmfo.org//virtual-conference-tips-from-the-/

Conference Registration Extended for 24 More Hours! https://conference.csmfo.org/ On Tuesday, February 9th, at the stroke of midnight (or rather at 11:59 pm) registration for the 2021 virtual conference officially closes. ... We’re excited about all we have to offer you! Forty-eight (48) educational concurrent sessions, an amazing kick-off general session each day, a virtual exhibit hall where you can live-chat with our loyal sponsors, a chapter networking event, jeopardy, a mixology class, a magician, dueling pianos, yogathe only thing this conference doesn’t have is all of us in one room together. Fingers crossed on that for next year! We’ve put together an exceptional event for you and we encourage you to partake of all we have to offer. Who Are Your Hosts? Melissa Manchester, CAE, has served as CSMFO’s Executive Director since January 2009. Melissa is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in administrative and management services to trade associations. Melissa graduated from California State University, Sacramento, where she received a bachelor’s degree in English, and earned her MBA from Walden University with a concentration in nonprofit administration. Melissa enjoys singing, cats and anything connected to Disneyland and Walt Disney himself. Melissa received the prestigious Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) in 2010, and does everything within her power to bring not just exceptional and professional service but also fun and laughter to her clients. David Garrison has been CSMFO's Creative Director since February 2015 and is thrilled to be hosting this conference from the comfort of his pajama bottoms. David is responsible for the design and layout of marketing and communication materials for CSMFO conferences and educational events as well as CSMFO branding. With a background in editorial design, David has ten years of working in the freelance world creating more than 100 publications and marketing materials for art organizations in Sacramento. David also offers a variety of theatre, writing, teamwork/leadership and film workshops focusing on character development, improvisation, teambuilding, confidence, playwriting and more. Looking forward to seeing all of you at Together Toward Tomorrow!

Conference Registration Closes February 8th On Monday, February 8th, at the stroke of midnight (or rather at 11:59 pm) registration for the 2021 virtual conference officially closes. You do not want to miss out on the education, keynote speakers, and fun that is in store for you February 16 - 18, 2021. If you have already registered - Thank You! You should have received an email to get you started on your conference journey. You will be able to set up your profile on Wednes...day of next week! Either register right now or on Monday- but believe us when we tell you this is a conference you won't want to miss! And keep an eye on CSMFO News throughout the conference week. We will again be highlighting portions of the conference in real time and a conference print edition will follow in March, but there’s nothing like having a firsthand experience. While most sessions will be available to view later; the bloopers, stories told, children peeking in to see what’s going on- the extra surprises will not be revealed. Together let’s make some meaningful memories toward a better tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing all of you at Together Toward Tomorrow! https://conference.csmfo.org/

January Steps Challenge | Winners! Congratulations to our January Steppers! The competition this month was intense, with over a third of our participants doing more than 10k steps a day on average. What a great way to start the new year!... Read The Full Article: https://news.csmfo.org//05/january-steps-challenge-winners/

Head over to our Instagram account to vote on your favorite pumpkin! The post with the most likes from accounts that follow CSMFO on Midnight the night before Halloween will win! https://www.instagram.com/csmfo/?hl=en Thank you to everyone who submitted to our October Pumpkin Challenge!

https://news.csmfo.org//president-elects-message-october-/ Happy Unbirthday Just a few days after reading Neal Kupchin’s Ten Key Ways to Show Meaningful Appreciation, I was reminded how meaningful a simple Happy Birthday message can be (Neal’s #4). This year my colleague and friend Dori called to wish me a Happy Birthday. The best part is it happened twice this year for the second year in a row. Turns out her phone had both my real July 16th date and my October 15th unbirthday date.

https://news.csmfo.org//october-pumpkin-challenge-3-days-/ All submissions will be posted to CSMFO’s Instagram (@csmfo) on October 27th. The post with the most likes from accounts that follow CSMFO on MIDNIGHT the night before Halloween wins! There will be prizes for the top three vote getters$100, $50 and $25 gift cards to the business of your choice.

https://news.csmfo.org//getting-to-know-the-csmfo-leaders/ Let’s pump some energy into our lives today by getting to know Yolanda Rodriguez. Yolanda is CSMFO’s Recognition Committee Chair, where she has volunteered as a Budget Award reviewer since 2004 and is also the Director of Finance and Administrative Services for Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District. Yolanda’s energy jumps out in her answers, her passion for life, mentoring, learning, and growing along the way is augmented by her desire to dance through life. She will motivate you to Reach Out, learn from others, stay positive and be humble in everything that you do.

https://news.csmfo.org//getting-to-know-the-csmfo-staff-m/ Melissa Manchester, CSMFO Executive Director

https://news.csmfo.org//is-it-time-to-update-your-fees-pa/ Part one provided an overview of fees applicable to fee studies, a variety of regulatory requirements, a few best practices to consider, and ended with examples of implementation constraints and external pressures. This second part of the series will continue exploring key aspects of fee studies including what a formal Cost Recovery Policy is, why regular fee study updates are beneficial, and how and when it’s beneficial to obtain stakeholder by in.

https://news.csmfo.org//is-it-time-to-update-your-fees-pa/ Is It Time To Update Your Fees? | PART ONE With ongoing economic constraints and changing work environments, it may be time to evaluate your fee structures or determine if new fees are necessary. This two-part series focused on fee studies will provide examples of fees, an overview of best practices, and agency considerations as you navigate through implementing new fees or updating current fees.

Getting To Know The CSMFO Staff | Marisa Anticevich https://news.csmfo.org//getting-to-know-the-csmfo-staff-m/ "I have been working with CSMFO since I graduated college in 2012. I started by doing small tasks assisting with the CSMFO conference and the meeting planning team. As I’ve grown more accustomed to the group, I now work on many aspects of the conference, including the social events and audio visual requirements."

https://news.csmfo.org//21/presidents-message-october-2020/ President’s Message | October 2020 Last month I reported on our then in-process virtual September Steps Challenge. Since we haven’t been able to gather in-person for some time now, we had hoped our members would respond positively to the idea of a little healthy, fun and friendly competition by virtue of a mobile app-based steps contest. Using Fitbits, Apple Watches or mobile phones to track steps, some 101 members willingly accepted the challenge.

Guess who's on Linkedin? That's right! Connect with us there; https://www.linkedin.com/company/csmfo

Short-Term Fixed Income In A Zero Rate Environment https://news.csmfo.org//short-term-fixed-income-in-a-zero/ To combat extreme economic uncertainty and market volatility sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Reserve (Fed) slashed interest rates to near-zero with a series of emergency rate cuts. In addition to cutting its overnight target rate (in March) to a range of 0% to 0.25%, the monetary policymaking body also implemented a range of facilities meant to improve liquidity, stabilize markets and restore investor confidence.

https://news.csmfo.org//getting-to-know-the-csmfo-leaders/ Getting To Know The CSMFO Leadership | Craig Boyer Craig Boyer works for the County of Alameda as the Assistant Controller for the Auditor-Controller Agency. He has been a CSMFO member since 2011 and currently serves on three CSMFO Committees, as Chair of the Student Engagement Committee and as Senior Advisor to both the Professional Standards and Recognition Committees. Yes, he is supernatural yet leads a balanced life. Craig’s passion for sharing, improving, and appreciating others is manifested in his sincere answers.

https://news.csmfo.org//getting-to-know-the-csmfo-leaders/ Getting To Know The CSMFO Leadership | Jason Al-Imam Jason Al-Imam, Finance Director/City Treasurer at the City of Tustin also serves CSMFO as the Chair of the Professional Standards Committee, which keeps members informed of emerging issues and best practices. He has been a CSMFO members for 11 years, grew up surrounded by professional municipal organizations, and often enjoys the happiest place on earth or a night under the stars with family.

https://news.csmfo.org//ten-key-ways-to-show-meaningful-a/ By Neil Kupchin, Management & Training Consultant You made my day. That is the email message I recently received for providing a newly selected Finance Director with positive feedback on his First 100 Day Plan.... His simple note made me feel great and motivated me for at least a week. I’m just kidding, as it has been two months and I still feel good and am telling you about it.