February 2011 President's Address

Greetings to Members and Friends of the IMA-GMC

The IMA is a great place to obtain CPE and expand your personal network.  Your Greater Milwaukee Chapter has two very interesting education opportunities in the month of February.  The first is Bill King of Centurion Data Systems presenting Decision Support Systems.  This will be at the Radisson Hotel on Mayfair Road in Wauwatosa on February 10, at 10:00 am.  Bill’s presentation will focus on three aspects:  Better measurement of your marketing efforts; Creating a smarter system to help you “know what you don’t know”; and Build a system to focus your entire organization on growth & innovation.  Please see the website for registration.

The speaker for our February 20 meeting, is Paul Jadin – CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.  Paul was appointed by Governor Scott Walker as Secretary of the Department of Commerce on December 30, 2010, to accomplish the transition to the public-private Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.  He began to serve as its CEO on the establishment of the corporation on July 1, 2011.  The meeting will be held at The Venice Club, 1905 N Calhoun Rd, Brookfield.  Corporate Sponsor for the February meeting is BRIGHTSTAR PARTNERS, INC.

January meeting attendees were treated to an insightful and enlightened presentation by Wendy Hambleton, BDO USA’s National SEC Practice the head of the firm’s IFRS Task Force on IFRS. 

The Mid-America Council is hosting its Leadership Training Session (LTS) on Friday, April 20, 2012 at the Northern Illinois Outreach Center in Rockford, IL.  According to Bruce Hamilton, MAC President-Elect, this year’s LTS has “A very impressive array of speakers will help you build and refine your skills in interpersonal communications, team building & succession planning. Breakout sessions will be offered for both new and returning chapter officers & directors, and the day will conclude with a presentation by Dr. William Miller, CPA, winner of the 2011 Carl Menconi Ethics Case Competition.” Questions please contact Bruce at hamiltoncpa@sbcglobal.net.  

We were just informed that those who register early for LTS will be able to purchase a lottery ticket for free admission to the 2012 IMA Conference in Las Vegas June 23-27.  Details will be on the Mid-America Council website.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions regarding your Greater Milwaukee Chapter of the IMA. 

I am looking forward to seeing you at GMC-IMA events.

Forrest

January 2011 President's Address

Happy New Year to all Members and Friends of the IMA-GMC

Were you able to meet all of your CPE credits for 2011?  Your IMA-GMC is here to help you start the year off right as we will be getting into some heavy lifting as far as accounting topics go, at the January 16, 2012 meeting.  Wendy Hambleton of BDO will be presenting an update on IFRS.  Wendy is the Director of BDO USA’s National SEC Practice and heads the firm’s IFRS Task Force.  Previously she was a partner in the SEC practice and was the Regional Technical Director for the Midwest region.   I invite you to register, get this on your calendar, and attend the meeting at the Radisson Hotel, Mayfair Road in Wauwatosa.

December meeting attendees were treated to a very enthusiastic speaker in Danica Olson Accounting Manager of the Milwaukee Bucks.  We had promised that she would enlighten the attendees, and there is no doubt that she did.  In addition, members and guests contributed food to The Hunger Task Force and cash contributions to Goodwill Industries NCW.  The December corporate sponsor was Superior Support Resources, Inc., with Peter Rathmann presenting.  What a great night, thank you all for your contributions.  

The month of February has a couple of very interesting education opportunities as well.  The first is Bill King of Centurion Data Systems presenting Decision Support Systems.  This will be at the Radisson Hotel on Mayfair Road in Wauwatosa on February 10.

The speaker for our February meeting is Paul Jadin – CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.  Paul was appointed by Governor Scott Walker as Secretary of the Department of Commerce on December 30, 2010, to accomplish the transition to the public-private Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.  He began to serve as its CEO on the establishment of the corporation on July 1, 2011.  Corporate Sponsor for the February meeting is BRIGHTSTAR PARTNERS, INC.

The Mid-America Council is hosting its Leadership Training Session (LTS) on Friday, April 20, 2012 at the Northern Illinois Outreach Center in Rockford, IL.  According to Bruce Hamilton, MAC President-Elect, this year’s LTS has “A very impressive array of speakers will help you build and refine your skills in interpersonal communications, team building & succession planning. Breakout sessions will be offered for both new and returning chapter officers & directors, and the day will conclude with a presentation by Dr. William Miller, CPA, winner of the 2011 Carl Menconi Ethics Case Competition.” Questions please contact Bruce at hamiltoncpa@sbcglobal.net.

Begin the New Year on the right path, schedule time for your education and networking beginning in January.  I am looking forward to see you January 16, at the Radisson on Mayfair Road with an update on IFRS from Wendy Hambleton.

Forrest

December 2011 President's Address

Dear IMA-GMC Members,

The old saw goes “timing is everything” if that is the case, your IMA-GMC has everything you need.  After the tentative deal between owners and players was reached on Nov. 26, the NBA is in the process of opening up training camps, revising games schedules and winning back fans!   Join us at the Wisconsin Club, 900 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee December 19 to hear Danica Olson, Accounting Manager of the Milwaukee Bucks enlighten the IMA-GMC on the “Business of Basketball”.

The chapter will once again be requesting that you bring non-perishable food items for donation to The Hunger Task Force and the proceeds of the 50/50 raffle will be sent to Goodwill Industries NCW along with other donations we collect.

The corporate sponsor for December is Superior Support Resources, Inc.  Contact SSR today to see how they can become your single source technology partner.

I would like to thank John Couper for his presentation last month, “Sharing Financial Information with Employees in Privately Held Companies”.  Those of us in the audience heard how Charter Manufacturing changed its culture to become more competitive in difficult times.  John made the same point to the audience that Jeff Thomson CEO of the IMA, made during the September program that the real action in business is not in auditing but in management accounting, operations and costing.  We were fortunate to have a substantial number of students in the audience to hear this.

I would also like to thank Dick Deschane of Access Information Management for the sponsorship of the November meeting.

Looking into 2012, the IMA-GMC will be hosting Wendy Hambleton of BDO as she speaks on the topic of IFRS, January 16.  Wendy is the Director of BDO USA’s National SEC Practice and heads the firm’s IFRS Task Force. Previously she was a partner in the SEC practice and was the Regional Technical Director for the Midwest region.  The meeting will be held at the Radisson Hotel, Mayfair Road in Wauwatosa.  With a speaker of this caliber, we will probably have a number of guests; I encourage you to sign up early.

If you haven’t been joined us in a while, please consider the chapter or council for your CPE or educational needs.  The Mid-America Council just announced its Leadership Training Session will be Friday, April 20, 2012 at the Northern Illinois Outreach Center in Rockford, IL.  According to Bruce Hamilton, MAC President-Elect, this year’s LTS has “A very impressive array of speakers will help you build and refine your skills in interpersonal communications, team building & succession planning. Breakout sessions will be offered for both new and returning chapter officers & directors, and the day will conclude with a presentation by Dr. William Miller, CPA, winner of the 2011 Carl Menconi Ethics Case Competition.” Questions- please contact Bruce at hamiltoncpa@sbcglobal.net.

I wish you safe and happy holidays, and hope to see at The Wisconsin Club, December 19th.

Regards,

Forrest Ramsel, CMA, CPA 

(414) 313-7140     forrest@summitcfos.com

November 2011 President's Address

Dear IMA-GMC Members,

2011 is off to a great start here in the Greater Milwaukee area.  The trees are showing their colors and dropping leaves, the Packers are winning, the Brewers made a great run at the National League Championship and the IMA-GMC has had its ethics session. 

It is my pleasure to extend a special thank you Bob Pedersen of the Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin and to David Buslee of B2BCFO for a great night of ethics.  I appreciate Bill Judd of Titus our corporate sponsor for helping us as well.  We had twenty CMA/CFM’s turn out for the for the annual CMA recognition night, congratulations to all.  The Whitewater University Student Chapter brought 29 members for the evening.  All said it was a very good evening.

Barb Sheedy and Erin Ankebrant continue to work with Concordia University Wisconsin and Wisconsin Lutheran College to develop student chapters.  Well done!!

Tye Minkler presented “Not Your Father’s Regression” as a breakfast seminar at the Radisson Hotel on Friday October 7 with a breakfast buffet.  We had a good turn out and their response was excellent.  Thank you Tye.

Traci Griffin, CMA was hostess for a plant tour of Strattec Security Corporation, Friday October 14.  The tour was informative and interesting.  Thanks to Strattec managers: Scott Pollnow, Steve Tolfa, and Greg Minue for their time and presentation as well as Traci.

Looking forward, the November meeting will at Alioto’s Bar and Restaurant on Monday November 21.  Our speaker is John Couper, CPA, MBA who recently retired from Charter Manufacturing as CFO.  John will be providing his views on how to balance the amount and type of information to provide employees in a privately held corporation.  John was the 2010 MMAC CFO of the Year.  The corporate sponsor for the evening is Access Information Management with Dick DesChane as their representative.

The December dinner meeting will be held at the Wisconsin Club this year.  Danica Olson of the Milwaukee Bucks will be presenting on The Business of Basketball.  I encourage you to bring your significant other along for a nice non-accounting evening.  The December meeting is returning to the Wisconsin Club after a long hiatus. 

When you have the opportunity, please let our Corporate Sponsors and advertisers know that you appreciate their support and use them as vendors when possible. 

I was recently made aware of an organization here in Southeast Wisconsin called “Make A Difference Wisconsin”.  Their mission is to provide financial literacy programs and resources that empower students to make sound financial decisions.  I encourage you to review their website at:  http://www.makeadifferencewisconsin.org to learn of their efforts to work with targeted 11^th and 12^th graders in the Milwaukee area schools.

I look forward to seeing you at Alioto’s November 21.

Regards,

Forrest Ramsel, CMA, CPA

(414) 313-7140    

forrest@summitcfos.com

October 2011 President's Address

Dear IMA Members,

We successfully kicked off the chapter year with IMA President and CEO Jeff Thomson speaking with area business and colleges and universities.  Jeff stressed that the Global IMA is financially stable, growing on a global basis, and presents opportunity for candidates to self-certify before/after graduation to differentiate themselves from other candidates in the workplace.  Jeff then spoke at our meeting, providing an update on the IMA and took questions from members.  I would like to thank Mid-America President Michele Reagan and Mid-America VP Bruce Hamilton as well as National VP Mary Strautmann for attending and contributing to the meeting.

Beverley Morgan, Director of Corporate Relations, kept Jeff busy with visits to The Medical College of Wisconsin, (I would like to give a special thank-you to Tye Minkler for arranging a meeting with the controller’s staff.) Manpower, Johnson Controls, Caterpillar, Alverno College and Marquette University. 

Looking forward, the chapter has a number of educational opportunities in October.  The Greater Milwaukee Chapter will be holding a breakfast seminar, a webinar and a plant tour during the month in addition to a special two hour technical meeting.  The Mid-America Council is hosting their Fall Education Conference in Rockford, October 21.

Tye Minkler will be presenting “Not Your Father’s Regression” as a breakfast seminar at the Radisson Hotel on Friday October 7 from 7:00 – 8:20 with a breakfast buffet.  Please see additional information in this newsletter and registration on the webpage.

Bruce Adler of BlackLine Software is offering his services for a webinar on behalf of IMA, October 11 at noon local time.  Signup is a two part process and will benefit the Greater Milwaukee Chapter.  Once again please see the registration on the webpage.

The October Technical at Panos Bar and Restaurant, 20290 W. Bluemound Rd Brookfield, WI with Titus as Corporate Sponsor, will recognize our CMA’s and CFM’s in a split format of two hours on ethics.  In the first hour Bob Petersen of Goodwill Industries North Central Wisconsin will be our speaker.  Bob has written a short book titles “BETRAYAL” available for free at http://www.goodwillncw.org/about/betrayal.html in pdf format.   Following Bob’s presentation we will have social period and dinner, followed by Bruce Buslee, CMA, and CFM speaking on Internal Controls.  Due to the two hours session we will begin early Registration will begin at 5:00 with the first speaker at 5:30 followed by social and dinner the second speaker will begin at 7:35  we hope to have you out by 8:30.

New student chapters are gaining attention locally, through the efforts of Barb Sheedy, and Erin Ankebrant (formerly Clark) at Wisconsin Lutheran College and Concordia University of Wisconsin.  If you are interested in the development and ongoing support of the IMA please contact Barb and or Erin to learn of contribution opportunities.

Looking forward to November, John Couper 2010 CFO of the year, recently retired from Charter Manufacturing will be speaking on the amount and type financial information to share with employees in a privately held company.  This meeting will be held at Alioto's Bar & Restaurant, 3041 N Mayfair Rd, Wauwatosa with Access Information Management as Corporate Sponsor.

Come join us in October.

Regards,

Forrest Ramsel CMA, CPA, MBA

(414) 313-7140

Forrest@SummitCFOs.com