2023 KSGFOA Conference
The Kansas Government Finance Officers Association is pleased to present a series of workshops for those involved in the financial affairs of municipalities, counties, schools, state agencies, utilities, and special authorities. The 24th annual conference will be held Nov. 1 – 3, 2023 in Overland Park, Kansas.
Keynote Speaker: Chuck Malkus
A global business strategist, best-selling author and TV producer, Chuck Malkus is president of Malkus Group. After building his career as a marketer for Broward County and Broward Health, he has spent the past 24 years assisting Fortune 500 companies with protecting and enhancing their brands.
Chuck is an executive producer for the hit Netflix series Heist and his book, Full Circle: The Remarkable True Story, is the basis for an Emmy-nominated ESPN documentary. He has been featured with another book, The Ultimate Ponzi, on CNBC’s American Greed and Investigation Discovery’s Guilty Rich.
His leadership with the importance of ethics includes serving as a keynote speaker for the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics. Woven into his corporate acumen is a specialization in community engagement and he is the Co-Founder of Neighbors 4 Neighbors, an international disaster relief organization. He has also served as a board member for the American Red Cross, Junior Achievement and Nova Southeastern University, among several others.
Chuck has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Street, Financial Advisor Magazine, Miami Herald, Daily Business Review and Tampa Bay Times. His website may be found at www.chuckmalkus.com
Presentation Title
Ethical Choices
Chuck will share the hallmarks of good citizenship; integrity; values and ethics with unique cases, along with personal experiences. He demonstrates how choices relating to community and social responsibility may lead to either professional success or failure for an organization.
A new appreciation for the values associated with ethical choices will be gained relating to an organization’s culture and values. His descriptions include Scott Rothstein’s operation, one of the most ruthless Ponzi schemes in U.S. history, a $1.4 billion theft to finance his opulent lifestyle. Hundreds of careers and lives were impacted.
He will also explain what happens when there is a lack of attention given to protecting an organization’s assets with the back story of Heist, which includes our country’s largest airport theft.
Topics
Click the topic below for more:
Pre Conference Session
Session Description
Time Management- Why this skills is critical in Today’s Organization Climate
Sometimes it can feel like we’re on a Ferris wheel- going around and around with no end in sight. We can convince ourselves that there aren’t enough hours in the day, or your to-do list is growing- we often have too many distractions, interruptions and want to meet other’s needs.
Why is it that we don’t know how to manage our time better? We have a lot of responsibilities of our time: meetings, interruptions, last-minute tasks, and we can go a whole day without making progress on our projects, tasks, or goals. We are frequently juggling multiple responsibilities.
Key Learning Components: how to make time management a goal; understanding challenges we face with our time and what mistakes we make; how to identify distractions or interruptions that take our time and how to overcome them; strategies for managing and prioritizing to-do lists and the goal lists; recognizing your energy timeframes; how to schedule your time to make progress; using good meeting skills and delegating skills to make more time available; and how to translate the time management skills into setting good goals and following through on them.
Speaker Information
Paula Downs
TALENT INITIATIVES MANAGER – PPMC
Paula Downs joined the Public Policy and Management Center in 2012 with more than 25 years of experience in the public sector, 13 of those as a project manager. In her current role, she oversees special projects; develops and delivers training on a wide range of topics; and assists local governments and nonprofits with board trainings, strategic planning, facilitation services and professional development. In addition, Paula has spent the last several years involved in community engagement efforts including, stakeholder interviews, focus group facilitation, survey development, citizen feedback sessions, and developing and utilizing tools that increase participation around identified topics. Paula holds a Master of Public Administration from WSU.
Conference Session
Session Description
Why Internal Controls Don’t Always Prevent Fraud
Most governments do not fully understand the level of risk to the organization, and it may be more of a senior management issue than we would like to believe. As governments are facing more and more threats to the organization such as theft of cash, inventory, ransomware attacks, ACH vendor payment frauds… but yet, most senior management believe their organization is well-protected without really knowing its vulnerabilities.
Speaker Information
Mike Lowry
SENIOR VP – AGH
Mike Lowry joined the firm in 2004 and specializes in governmental and not for profit clients. Prior to joining AGH, Mr. Lowry’s experience includes nearly 20 years’ financial and technology leadership positions in hospitality management companies.
Mr. Lowry is a CPA with a bachelor of business administration degree in accounting from Wichita State University and a master’s degree in management information systems from Friends University.
He has earned the designation of Certified Government Financial Manager from the Association of Government Accountants, and is also a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Association of Government Accountants.
Speaker Information
Robert Langhofer
PARTNER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT – USI INSURANCE SERVICES
Robert J. “Bob” Langhofer serves as Senior Vice President for USI Insurance Services. He joined USI in December of 2017 after Ridge Consulting Group, Inc., an organization founded by Bob, was acquired by USI. Langhofer is an active consultant for USI’s employee benefit clients. His expertise includes all areas of health and welfare plan design, including alternate-funded contracts, managed care consulting, prescription drug consulting and financing, Patent Protection and Affordable Care Act & ERISA compliance, and provider & carrier negotiation.
Langhofer earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Newman University. He began his insurance career in 1985, attending both the USF&G School of Insurance and the Aetna Prime Agent School. In 1986, he was selected as Kansas Rookie of the Year by the General Agents and Managers Association. Continuing his insurance career, he served as an underwriter with Dorth Combs (a Willis company) and an underwriter of government accounts with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maryland. Returning to Willis in 1991, Langhofer assumed the role of benefit consultant. He was promoted to Vice President of Sales for Willis in 1998 and remained in that role through four acquisitions and the ultimate rebranding to Harrington Health by United Health Group. Bob was promoted to Business Unit Leader in 2009. He was a five-time qualifier for the Willis Exceptional Producer Council and a qualifier for the United Health Group Pinnacle Club. Langhofer founded Ridge Consulting Group, Inc which merged with USI December 1, 2017. Bob qualified for Peak, USI’s award for outstanding sales performance in 2018, 2019, 2020.
Memberships and Affiliations
President—Sedgwick County Healthcare Cost Containment Roundtable 2013
Director Wichita Association of Health Care Underwriters 2016-2022
President – Wichita Association of Benefit Professionals, 2019-2020
National Association of Health Care Underwriters
Session Description
Legislative Changes and Cost Control Strategies for Employer Sponsored Health Plans
This presentation will review the No Surprises Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, and their impact to health plans. In addition, USI will discuss trends in health care costs and emerging cost containment strategies being considered for employer sponsored health plans.
As cities move beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a tangible need to engage effective community development resources for recovery and resiliency. Participants will learn about the newly re-established Community Development Division and programs at the Kansas Department of Commerce, The additional resources will provide participants with opportunities to build strong and resilient communities.
Kayla Savage
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION – KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Kayla Savage is Director of the Community Development Division at the Kansas Department of Commerce and a member of the Executive Leadership Team. In this role, Kayla provides knowledge and direction for all community development programs, creates initiatives to leverage existing and new resources, manages the division budget, and works collaboratively with public and private partners. The Community Development Division includes: Kansas Main Street, Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, Community Service Tax Credits, Community Development Block Grants and field staff. Kayla represents Commerce on the Kansas Water Authority, Kansas State Fair Board and serves as Treasurer of the Kansas community PRIDE Board.
Before coming to Commerce, Kayla spent 14 years in nonprofit management and community development. Kayla started her professional community development career as the Director of Emporia Main Street. She has volunteered for several community organizations, including the Kansas Rural Communities Foundation Board and Junior League of the Flint Hills and currently serves as alumni member of the GP IDEA MS of Community Development student group and Greater Manhattan Community Foundation fund committee. Kayla earned her BFA in Communications-Public Relations from Emporia State University and Master of Science in Community Development from Kansas State University. She is a practitioner of Asset-Based Community Development and the Community Capitals Framework.
Session Description
In the digital age, security breaches are inevitable and cyber attacks against governmental agencies are not immune. Cyber criminals, with different economic and political motivations, are targeting governments and the impact can be significant as it relates to cost of the breach and community confidence.
Speaker Information
Cy Sturdivant
DIRECTOR – FORVIS
Cy is the member of the firm’s Cyber team and has more than 16 years of experience working with and serving clients. He primarily assists clients with cybersecurity policies, procedures and response plans, cyber threat prevention and IT assessments. Cy is a Certified Information Systems Auditor.
Session Description
Paula Downs
TALENT INITIATIVES MANAGER – PPMC
Paula Downs joined the Public Policy and Management Center in 2012 with more than 25 years of experience in the public sector, 13 of those as a project manager. In her current role, she oversees special projects; develops and delivers training on a wide range of topics; and assists local governments and nonprofits with board trainings, strategic planning, facilitation services and professional development. In addition, Paula has spent the last several years involved in community engagement efforts including, stakeholder interviews, focus group facilitation, survey development, citizen feedback sessions, and developing and utilizing tools that increase participation around identified topics. Paula holds a Master of Public Administration from WSU.
Session Description
Time Management- Strategies to Improve Your Time Management Skills
We are all busy which requires us to think about how to prioritize, limit interruptions and get more important things done. This requires new habits and maximizing our energy towards the right activities. We need to implement productive behaviors, so we work smarter and not harder. This session will provide tips and tricks to improve your ability to manage your time to get the important things done and maintain work life balance.
Session Description
Network Session- Practitioner Exchange
This session is a facilitated discussion that will provide time to discuss challenges, ideas, and solutions for key issues facing public finance professionals and their organizations.
Moderator
Ryan Adkison
ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR/FINANCE DIRECTOR – BUTLER COUNTY
Ryan Adkison is the Assistant County Administrator/Finance Director for Butler County. One of his primary duties is crafting the organization’s annual CIP/operating budget, which has won the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award the past nine years. Mr. Adkison received his undergraduate degree from Emporia State University in Political Science, where he played basketball and married his beautiful bride. He received a Master’s of Public Administration from the Hugo Wall School at Wichita State University. Mr. Adkison then worked in the Budget Office and Pension Office at the City of Wichita before moving to Butler County.
He can be reached at (316) 322-4326 or radkison@bucoks.com.
Session Description
Managing in a Rising Interest Environment – Tips for Local Governments
After previously labeling rising inflation as “transitory” and due mostly to pandemic disruption, market participants now clearly view the condition as persistent. The economy appears to have entered an extended period of rising interest rates For many local government finance professionals, this is something new or something not seen for many years. Now is the time to prepare by considering how local governments managed in past periods of elevated interest rates.
Speaker Information
Tom Kaleko
PRINCIPAL – BAKER TILLY
Tom Kaleko, principal at Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors, LLC, has advised local governments for more than 30 years. Tom leads Baker Tilly’s municipal advisory professionals in the upper Midwest. He has provided financial advice to cities, counties and school districts since 2005. Previously, he served for 20 years in various city management capacities. Tom has extensive experience helping high-growth communities address their capital needs. He specializes in the areas of economic development and development finance – aiding in the evaluation and financing of mutually beneficial public-private partnerships.
Session Description
The post-pandemic economic recovery has taken many twists and turns since March 2020. This session will update participants on the recovery thus far, the economic outlook and how that may impact local government finances and issuers of municipal bonds.
Speaker Information
Jack Ryan-Feldman
DIRECTOR – BAKER TILLY
Jack serves as municipal advisor to local governments in Kansas and Missouri. He has a wide range of experience in local government including operational budgeting, policy and program analysis, economic development, tax incentives and real property assessment. Jack comes to Baker Tilly from a large Missouri city, where he led the preparation of the city’s $215 million annual budget as well as provided analytical support to the strategic initiatives of the City Manager’s Office. He has also worked in the assessment department and executive office of a large Missouri county, where he represented the taxing jurisdiction on the Tax Increment Financing Commission of Kansas City and the Kansas City Enhanced Enterprise Zone Board, among others. Jack holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Iowa State University and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and economics from Loras College. He is also MSRB Municipal Advisor Series 50 Qualified.
Session Description
Time to Implement GASB 87
Governmental entities take heed! GASB 87, the new “lease standard”, has finally arrived. Since 2017, it has been on the perimeter of our thoughts but for one reason or another implementation was postponed several times. However, for calendar year 2022 and fiscal years ending 2023, the new standard must be implemented by all entities reporting on a GAAP basis; Failing to be compliant, could result in unfavorable audit rating.
Speaker Information
Jacob Holman
PARTNER/AUDIT – FORVIS
Jacob is a member of the Public Sector Practice and the Insurance Practice with more than twelve years of public accounting experience. He serves as engagement executive or designated reviewer on a variety of insurance client engagements, municipal clients, and utility systems. Jacob provides audit, accounting, and financial advisory services, internal control reviews, annual audit reconciliation preparation assistance, and day-to-day procedure manual creation assistance.
He has also been an instructor and presenter for seminars on new governmental accounting standards, including GASB Statement Nos. 67, 68, 74, and 75 at both FORVIS-sponsored events and Association of Government Accountants meetings.
Jacob is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, Missouri Society of CPAs, and Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). He currently serves as a member of the GFOA’s Special Review Committee for the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program.
He is on the board of directors and finance committee for Susan G. Komen of Kansas and Western Missouri, where he previously served as treasurer.
Jacob is a graduate of University of Missouri, Columbia, with a B.S. degree in business administration with finance and real estate emphases, and a 2007 graduate of University of Missouri, Kansas City, with an M.Acc. degree.
Session Description
With some of the ARPA spending behind us, we turn to the dreaded but very important follow-up with US Treasury: reporting and compliance. How did you spend the ARPA proceeds and how? Vague definitions and competing timelines sometimes leave us scratching our heads. Lucky for us, Treasury’s requests for information are new for everyone! Come to this session with GFOA’s Federal Policy Director to learn about effective internal controls and to demystify the new processes and terms so that your government can meet these new requirements.
Speaker Information
Emily Brock
DIRECTOR OF FEDERAL POLICY – GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
As Director of GFOA’s Federal Liaison Center, Emily leads coalition and advocacy efforts of the Public Finance Network in Washington DC. Her advocacy includes anticipating and responding to federal legislative and regulatory activities that impact the finance functions of state and local governments and public sector entities including tax reform, municipal securities disclosure and public pension and benefit issues. Emily also serves as staff on GFOA’s Debt Committee, working with committee members to develop best practices that promote sound financial practices for local, state and provincial governments. Prior to joining GFOA, Emily was a commercial bank relationship manager at a large national bank, serving as the sole bank liaison for government and university clients.
Session Description
Building a Winning Talent Strategy
Talent attraction and retention is the critical area of focus for employers. In today’s competitive talent market, governments are being forced to reconsider their employee value proposition to be competitive on pay with for-profit businesses, while continuing to offer a total rewards package that employees want.
Local governments that are competing well, or even winning the talent wars, are rethinking and innovating recruitment and retention practices, considering key drivers impacting employees: pay, flexibility, and paid time off. Knowing how you stack up against other organizations is a critical piece to understanding what you need to do differently to measure up.
Speaker Information
Carrie Cox
SENIOR CONSULTANT – AGH
Carrie Cox assists employers across industries with their organizational development and human resource needs including human resource audits, compensation studies, policy and procedure review and development, affirmative action plans, team building, training and employee development, implementing and transitioning the human resource function, and assisting with hiring and retention strategies. Carrie has served clients in industries including manufacturing, construction, banking, professional service firms and not-for-profits.
Carrie graduated from the University of Kansas. She is a member of the SHRM and serves on the Wichita Chapter’s board. Her certifications include Professional in Human Resources (PHR) from the Human Resource Certification Institute and SHRM-CP designated by the Society for Human Resource Management. She was named HR professional of the year by Wichita SHRM in 2017. She is a certified practitioner for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) and the Korn Ferry/Hay Group’s Emotional and Social Competency Inventory. Carrie was selected by the Wichita Business Journal Women Who Lead in Professional Services in 2019, 40 Under 40 honoree in 2015, and 2014 HR Professionals honoree.
Schedule
October 5
October 5 Schedule
| October 5 | Speaker | Topic | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:30pm-4:30pm Pre-Conference Session | Paula Downs | Time Management | Overland Park Ballroom |
| 1:30pm-4:30pm Conference Registration | |||
| After 4:00pm Vendor Set Up |
October 6
October 6 Schedule
| October 6 | Speaker | Topic | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
7:30am – 8:00am Registration/Breakfast/Vendors | Foyer | ||
| 8:00am – 9:30am Keynote | Chuck Malkus | Ethical Choices | Seattle/Monterey |
| 9:45am – 10:45am Breakout Session #1 | Michael Lowry | Why Internal Controls Don’t Always Prevent Fraud | Overland Park |
| 9:45am – 10:45am Breakout Session #2 | Robert Langhofer | Legislative Changes and Cost Control Strategies for Employer Sponsored Health Plans | Seattle/Monterey |
| 11:00am – 11:30am Vendor Fair | Foyer | ||
| 11:30am – 12:00pm Lunch | Dallas/Houston | ||
| 12:00pm – 12:40pm | KSGFOA Business Meeting & Awards | Dallas/Houston | |
| 12:40pm – 1:40pm Lunch Presentation | Dallas/Houston | ||
| 1:45pm – 2:45pm General Session | Cy Sturdivant | Don’t Be a Headline: Know Your Cyber Risks | Seattle/Monterey |
| 2:50pm – 3:50pm Breakout Session #3 | Paula Downs | Time Management | Overland Park |
| 2:50pm – 3:50pm Breakout Session #4 | Ryan Adkison – Moderator | Network Session- Practioner Exchange | Seattle/Monterey |
| 4:00pm – 5:00pm General Session | Tom Kaleko | Managing in a Rising Interest Environment – Tips for Local Governments | Seattle/Monterey |
| 5:00pm – 6:30pm Vendor Reception | Foyer | ||
| 7:00pm – 9:30pm Social Event | Chicken N Pickle |
October 7
October 7 Schedule
| October 7 | Speaker | Topic | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30am-8:30am Breakfast/Vendors | Foyer | ||
| 8:30am-9:30am General Session | Jack Ryan-Feldman | Economic Outlook | Seattle/Monterey |
| 9:45am – 10:45am Breakout Session #5 | Jacob Holman | Time to Implement GASB87 | Dallas/Houston |
| 9:45am – 10:45am Breakout Session #6 | Emily Brock | ARPA 101 | Seattle/Monterey |
| 11:00am – 12:00pm General Session | Carrie Cox | Building a Winning Talent Strategy | Seattle/Monterey |
2023 Happy Hour Network Session
Happy Hour Network Session
Join the Women in Public Finance KS & MO Chapter
for a Happy Hour Network Session on
Wednesday, October 5th
at 4:30 in the Pre-function area at the DoubleTree Hotel
2023 KSGFOA Hotel Information
Hotel Information
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kansas City – Overland Park
Conference Hotel Rate: $144
Booking link: https://group.doubletree.com/5qx57q
2023 KSGFOA Conference Social
KSGFOA Conference Social
Join us at the
KSGFOA Conference Social
Thursday from 7:00 – 10:00 at
Chicken N Pickle
5901 W. 135th St.
Overland Park – 4 miles from the hotel.
Cost is $20 per person. We will have a room and reserved courts for pickleball, shuffleboard and bocce ball. Hors d’oeuvres and desserts will be provided- drinks must be purchased.
Conference Scholarships
If you are not a member of KSGFOA or are a member who has never had the opportunity to attend the Annual Professional Conference, you can apply for a scholarship. The Board will sponsor up to 5 individuals. The scholarship for non-members will include a one-year KSGFOA membership and for members includes the conference registration. Applicants conference registration fees will be refunded if they are selected for scholarship.
Annual Awards 2022
Lifetime Achievement Award
The purpose of the Lifetime Achievement Award is to recognize an individual’s achievements in outstanding leadership in public finance over the course of their career.
Past Winners
Innovation Award
The innovation award is designed to recognize and promote creative public finance initiatives and projects that provide innovative and creative solutions to address organizational and community challenges. Winners are those who reflect dedication and inventiveness in public finance and governance to deliver excellence in public services. Initiatives and projects should have occurred within the last two years. Applications are due August 26.
Past Winners
Past Conference Presentations
- 2017 KSGFOA Conference Roster
- Pre-conference: SECRETS, CONSPIRACIES AND HIDDEN PATTERNS: Detecting and Combatting Fraud in the Public Sector
- An Economic Outlook: Changing Times and What It Means for Your Organization by Sheryl Bailey, Moody’s Investor Service
- The Latest GASB Implementation Guidance by Chester Moyer
- Communication Across Generations
- Moody’s Muni Bond Rating Criteria & KS Local Government Trends by Denise Rappmund
- TIF Financing and Use by the City of Olathe by Gilmore Bell
- Roles and Responsibilities in a Municipal Issuance by Priya Ghosh Ahola, MSRB
- Tax Lid –Survival Stories and Lessons Learned by Roger Basinger
- KSGFOA Legislature Update by Stuart Little
- 2017 Conference Photos
- 17th Annual KSGFOA Fall Professional Conference
- The Power of Fun at Work
- 2015 Economic Development Annual Report
- Debt Management and Growth
- Employee Benefits Compliance Update
- Future of the Public Finance Office
- Investing Public Fund
- KSGFOA Budget Form Changes
- KSGFOA Legislature Updates
- Multi-Year Budgeting and Financial Planning
- Open Data
- FALL 2014 U.S. Local Governments: General Obligation Ratings Methodology and Assumptions – One Year Later
- FALL 2014 The Updated General Obligation Criteria Reflect The U.S. Local Government Sector’s Strength And The Importance Of Qualitative Analysis
- FALL 2014 Putting EMMA® to Work for You
- FALL 2014 Project Management 101
- FALL 2014 City of Boulder, Colorado
- The Budget Process: A Tale of Two Cities, Olathe, KS – Presented by: Emily Vincent, Olathe Budget Manager
- A Tale of Two Cities: Gardner, Kansas – Presented by: Laura Gourley
- Housing Market Forecast by Dr. Stanley D. Longholfer
- Ethical Leadership by Jeff Lanza
- Tango Handout by Candy Whirley
- The Affordable Care Act and YOU by Sheldon Weisgrau
- Early Warning Strategies for Governments: Navigating Through Troubled Times by Nancy Zielke