Written on
March 28, 2012 – 2:58 pm | by Marianne Shank
Rocks at entrance to IGFOA headquarters
This month’s update of the IGFOA 2011-12 IGFOA Strategic Plan Rocks includes the following progress:
Raise awareness of IGFOA and energize its members
Work on reviewing past marketing tactics and develop marketing protocol resulted in a comprehensive IGFOA Communications Plan. Some of the key items we are implementing include return to a quarterly hardcopy newsletter, increased emphasis on disseminating news items through a combination of LinkedIn/Twitter/Facebook (check out our new Twitter feed at www.igfoa.org), adding weekly news to the Friday Jobline. Tangible results show a 7.5% increase in public sector membership from January to December 2011. So far this renewal cycle 90% of public sector members have retained membership. Seminar attendance compared to this same time frame last fiscal year is up 11%.
The Illinois Municipal League welcomed our request to submit articles on local government finance. The May 2012 IML Review will include an overview of GASB 54 changes to fund balance categories. We would like to follow-up with an article about “finding the appropriate fund balance targets for your government” for submission in mid-May. Call for volunteer article authors will be in this week’s Jobline.
Our plan to publish testimonials from leaders to encourage volunteerism was jump started by a profile of IGFOA President Sue Stanish in the January 2012 CM Services Association Leaders newsletter. Who volunteers for next profile?
Enhance real-time data sharing
Work on evaluating the current online forum technology and determining if changes should be made is wrapping up with the ad-hoc team testing the Members Exchange e-list completing recommendations to launch the e-list and specific interest/regional e-lists for all members. See the ad-hoc team on-line evaluation of the e-list. The Executive Board will be asked to approve a revised Members Exchange policy at the April meeting. Moving peer-to-peer exchanges from the bulletin board to an e-list will also assure items are delivered directly to members without the need to log-in.
The survey of locally controlled revenue sources was rolled out in February. Response has been slow and we need your participation to get some traction. Please complete the survey at http://revenuesurvey.igfoa.org.
Develop and publish an Annual Training Plan and deliver training to members
Conference committee received a great batch of proposals for the 2012 program and suggested sessions not incorporated in conference will be shared with Chapters and Career Development Committee.
Hot topic webinars and seminars are heating up with the following planned for April – July:
- Post bond-issuance compliance
- Reporting of Employer Provided Health Care Coverage on Form W-2
- Understanding and Implementing Purchasing Cards
- Workers Compensation Cost Control Measures
- Managing and Leading in Lean Times
In addition the Career Development Committee plans to offer training in Implementing new GASB standards, Changes to Pension Financial Reporting, and Implementing New State Laws as specific standards and laws are adopted.
Building on last autumn’s training survey for all members, the Downstate IGFOA Chapter Board asked downstate chapter members for their feedback in March. Read what downstate members advised . . .
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At the February Strategic Planning meeting we discussed the added stress and workload of being available 24/7 through email and mobile devices. As one that tends to squeeze in some extra minutes and hours outside of 8 to 5 I am sometimes too quick to send a non-urgent message. I have found using the delivery delay function in email allows me to read and respond or initiate email yet not have it delivered until the next working day. This works too when staff are on vacation and you really should let them enjoy rather than loading up their inbox. In MS Outlook the delay delivery is found under ‘Options’. You can’t control what is sent to you, but you can set the tone with what you send.
