September 2008 ASMC Washington Chapter Newsletter



ASMC Washington Chapter, P.O. BOX 16237, Arlington, VA 22215-1237

ASMC - Washington Chapter

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A Five Star Chapter

September 2008

Date: 17 SEPTEMBER 2008 MEETING Time: 11:30Am Place: HOLIDAY INN EISENHOWER

Sponsored by: DFAS

President’s Message

President, ASMC Washington Chapter

Last week, on the seventh anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on our nation, the Pentagon memorial was dedicated and opened to the public. Please remember our fellow Americans and ASMC members that lost their lives at the Pentagon that day. Over these past seven years, we have seen a tremendous increase in funding for the entire DoD, and your commitment and dedication have played a integral role in ensuring that the warfighter has the necessary resources available to fight this Global War on Terror.

We have just two weeks left of fiscal year 2008 and I'm sure that all are busy closing out this fiscal year and getting ready to begin fiscal year 2009. It appears that we still have a chance of having a defense appropriations bill signed into law by October 1, which sure will make all of our lives less stressful in October.

The chapter board has approved the purchase of chapter coins, and we are currently working the design of the coin. The board also approved paying the fee for a new certificate for any member that takes and passes the acquisition part of the CDFM. Hopefully this will motivate our membership to enhance their professional education. The board will vote this month on an initiative of offering all Washington ASMC chapter members an opportunity to attend monthly luncheons at a reduced cost as a way to improve attendance and share in the camaraderie and career development in financial management.

Thank you for your support of your professional organization and please continue to get the word out for members to support the monthly luncheons.

Col Tom Fuhrer

President

ASMC, Washington Chapter

Today’s Speaker: Ms. Teresa McKay, Principal Deputy Director,

Defense Finance and Accounting Service

Topic: “Stepped Up Enterprise Risk Management”

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|Ms. Teresa (Terri) McKay became the Principal Deputy Director for the |

|Defense Finance and Accounting Service on August 10, 2006. |

|In this capacity, she supports the director in the oversight of the |

|day-to-day accounting and finance activities of the Department of Defense.|

|DFAS employs about 13,000 DoD civilian and military personnel at 20 |

|locations throughout the United States, Europe and the Pacific. Each |

|year, the agency disburses over $424 billion by processing over 143 |

|million pay transactions to over 5.9 million military, civilians, retirees|

|and annuitants; 13.8 million commercial invoices and 7 million travel |

|vouchers and settlements. Responsible for 878 active DoD appropriations, |

|DFAS is the trust fund manager for $20.9 billion in foreign military sales|

|and $255 billion in military retirement and health benefit funds. Each |

|year, it processes 57 million general ledger transactions and handles |

|accounts for worldwide operations and multidiscipline appropriations of |

|DoD. |

|Prior to assuming her current position, Ms. McKay served as the Defense |

|Department’s Deputy Chief Financial Officer, the principal advisor to the |

|Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer for |

|accounting and finance matters. She was responsible for developing and |

|implementing DoD-wide accounting, finance, and general financial |

|management policies. Ms. McKay oversaw the compliance with financial |

|management policies, promoted strong internal controls, and facilitated |

|improvements in financial management throughout the Department. One of |

|her primary duties in this regard was the oversight of the planning and |

|implementation of the department’s Financial Improvement and Audit |

|Readiness plan. She directed the preparation and submission of audited |

|financial statements, the publication of the department’s Performance and |

|Accountability Report, and numerous other accounting and finance |

|documents. Ms. McKay served as a member of the United States Chief |

|Financial Officers’ Council and represented the Department on various |

|other inter-Agency groups and councils. |

|Ms. McKay is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Government |

|Financial Manager and earned her bachelor’s degree from Ferris State |

|University in 1982. She earned her master’s degree in business |

|administration from Auburn University at Montgomery in 1992. |

|Ms. McKay is a leader committed to improving financial management through |

|improved business processes and incorporating the accounting, finance, and|

|internal control requirements for strong DoD end-to-end business |

|processes. |

|Ms. McKay has over 20 years of experience in financial management |

|providing her with the depth and breadth of knowledge and experiences |

|necessary to successfully fill the demanding role as deputy director. |

FEATURE ARTICLE

Comptroller Praises Employees for Historical Accomplishment

By Kevin Jackson, DFAS

Numerous Defense Finance and Accounting Service employees received the appreciation of Undersecretary of Defense (Comptroller) Tina W. Jonas during a video-teleconference (VTC) with DFAS Cleveland and Indianapolis sites and the Business Transformation Agency August 20, 2008.

The DoD Comptroller requested the cyber meeting to thank employees from Departmental Reporting to include Department of Defense-Wide Agency Reporting (Indianapolis), the Financial Management Center of Excellence, the Technology Services Organization in Cleveland and Corporate Services for their efforts to make the Standard Financial Information Structure (SFIS) a reality for DoD.

"This morning I just want to take a moment to thank everybody who participated in, I think, probably one of the most significant financial events that we've had in this department in history," the Comptroller said during the VTC.

The common business language, which provides an "apples to apples" comparison of information, replaces numerous service- and agency-specific stove-piped systems and provides DoD with improved financial visibility.

For decades, the Military Services and Defense Agencies have developed and relied on separate business systems and processes. A new enterprise-wide approach to business, combined with the 2005 National Defense Authorization Act, requires that information infrastructure integrate budget, accounting and program information, diverse systems and performance across the department.

SFIS succeeds by standardizing the categories of financial information. The new infrastructure "provides a common foundation to track, process, and report DoD business transactions. It also plays a key role in helping achieve and sustain an unqualified audit opinion on consolidated DoD financial statements," according to the Defense Business Transformation home page.

Jonas recalled for the attendees the initial meeting that staff from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and DFAS had with the military services in 2001, when OUSD announced its intention to create the SFIS, which would be the key to financial understanding in the future.

She also evoked the memory of Bryan C. Jack, a Budget Analyst/Director of the Programming and Fiscal Economics Division of the Defense Department, who was in the initial meeting. He later perished in the American Airlines flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon September 11, 2001.

"So this means a lot to a lot of people and I would have you think about that initial group who got together and for those who then picked up the torch and carried it on," Jonas said. "This is the key to the future for financial visibility. For those who partnered with us from BTA, I want to thank you. And for everybody at DFAS and on my staff who made this a reality, we're here to celebrate this morning and I can't thank you enough."

Speaking to DFAS Indianapolis employees gathered for the VTC, Site Director Steve Bonta emphasized the importance of the achievement.

"It was nice that Mrs. Jonas took the time to acknowledge everyone's efforts," he said. "What she was thanking you all for really is important to the [Defense] Department so I really appreciate all that everyone is doing. I know there is a lot of work left to do, but it was a nice gesture."

In addition to the kudos delivered via cyberspace, Melissa Sikora, Director of Departmental Reporting at DFAS Cleveland, and Holly Burch, Director of the Enterprise Solutions Implementation Support Office, received individual awards from the Comptroller.

ASMC Chapter Executive Leadership

If you are interested in the following vacant committee chair position, please contact President Col Thomas J. Fuhrer: -Photographer

Member Accomplishments

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|New Washington Chapter CDFMs | |

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|Ann Thrasher | |

|Charles Ryan | |

|Frank Lopez-Rodriguez | |

|Gary Drozdowski | |

|Kevin Baker | |

|Mai Loi | |

|Mario Flores | |

|Patricia Heil | |

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New CDFMs are you aware that you are entitled to a free lunch during our ASMC Washington Chapter meeting the month you earn your CDFM certification.

Members interested in earning the CDFM with Acquisition Specialty and preparing before taking the Module 4 - Acquisition course offered by ASMC, may purchase the addendum to the CDFM textbook. To purchase a copy of the addendum, which sales for $15, send your request to ASMC (ATTN: textbook Sales, 415 North Alfred St. Suite 3, Alexandria, VA 22314) with your payment and full mailing address. If using a credit card you may send your request via email, with the subject line "ACQUISITION MODULE TEXTBOOK," to AcqModule@ or via fax at 703-549-3181. Be sure to include your credit card number, expiration date and your complete postal mailing address. For more information on the Acquisition Specialty to the CDFM visit the CDFM Web Page at .

|UPCOMING EVENTS |

|DATE |EVENT |

|01 Oct 08 |Executive Board Meeting 09:30-11:00, The Pentagon, |

| |Room 4C349 |

|15 Oct 08 |Meeting Hosted by USMC |

|19 Nov 08 |Meeting Hosted by NAVY |

|17 Dec 08 |Holiday Social – ARMY hosting |

|10 Mar 09 |Regional PDI, Ronald Reagan Bldg |

CONGRATULATIONS

- The winner of the August Luncheon Raffle was: Jim Watkins of Army

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Next Luncheon 15 Oct 2008

Topic: “A Systems Command Perspective on the Current Fiscal Environment”

Guest Speaker:  Ms. Marilyn Thomas, Deputy Commander for Resource Management, Marine Corps Systems Command

Place: Holiday Inn, 2460 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 22314

Sponsor: USMC

Social Time: 1130 hrs

Lunch: 1200 hrs

For the most updated information on future events, please visit our website at:



Future Luncheons

19 Nov NAVY

17 Dec ARMY ( Holiday Social

TBD Jan

DFAS CFC 3rd Annual “GOLF 2 GIVE”

Tournament

PLEASE come join us for the DFAS CFC 3rd Annual "GOLF 2 GIVE" Tournament, Directed by Brett Baker, Coordinated by Jean Terrill, DFAS

Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Manager, and DFAS Golf Committee Members. All proceeds from the golf outing will benefit the CFC "undesignated charity fund account."

This year's outing will be held on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, South Golf Course. This four-person scramble will begin with a shotgun start at 9:15 a.m. For $80 (DoD employees, military, & retirees) and $90 (Contractors, & non-DoD federal employees, etc.) per golfer you will receive CAMARADERIE, snacks at registration table, complimentary range balls, "Hole-In-One" Contest including a Grand Prize of $10,000, round of golf, green fees, cart rental, Hole-In-One buffet lunch that includes a special dessert, PRIZES galore, and the wonderful experience of supporting a worthy cause with family, new and old friends, neighbors and co-workers. For an additional $20 per golfer, you will be entered in a special drawing and receive 3 much needed mulligans.

To ensure your spot in this exciting outing we recommend you RSVP early, as we can accommodate only a limited number of golfers. The deadline for registration and payment of fees is 12 NOON on October 10, 2008. If you cancel or are a no-show (without providing a substitute golfer) after this date, there will be a $20 cancellation fee, and the remainder of the payment will be refunded to the payer.

Remember participation is NOT limited to DFAS employees and its contractors. Everyone is welcome to join in on the "FUN".

Save the Date -- 10 March 2009

ASMC National Capital Region PDI -- Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington, D.C. – Tuesday, 10 March 2009.

Keep abreast of the latest updates on this and other chapter events by signing up to receive Washington Chapter announcements via email. Use the following web address.



EXCITING ASMC ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY!

ASMC Washington Chapter will now permit up to four corporate advertisements to be included in our monthly newsletter, which is distributed at our monthly meetings as well as posted on our chapter website. It is a terrific opportunity for corporations to "extend their reach" and gain visibility within the Defense Financial/Resource Management community at large - and do so very economically.

A full-page color ad is only $100 a month!!! If you commit to advertise for the entire year upfront, the cost is only $1000!!!

There is only room for up to four corporate advertisements per newsletter - so act now to be included in this timely and effective communications channel to your targeted audience!

Please contact Deb Del Mar, ASMC Corporate VP for further information: debra.delmar@vanguard- or 703-593-6667 cell.

CALLING ALL ASMC CORPORATE MEMBERS – PLEASE ASSIST

We are updating our records pertaining to our corporate members for our ASMC Washington chapter Website and we need your help!

If you are a corporate member – we need to receive your current logo, corporate POC (name, title, email address and phone number) as well as a corporate link and 2 sentence overview of your company. Please send this information to Deb DelMar at debra.delmar@vanguard-

ASMC National News



PDI 2008 Online – Free CPE!

You can earn free CPE credits by listening to or watching taped workshops and Service Day sessions from PDI 2008 and PDI 2007. You can now access selected sessions online at the PDI extended learning page , along with the briefing charts received to date. To get started with PDI 2008 Online, consider listening to three workshops that had both high attendance and excellent reviews from participants: Workshop 34 (Tips on base-level fiscal law), Workshop 91 (Special Operations and the Global War on Terror), and Workshop 108 (How to Write Right). Check it out!

Future PDIs

2009 - San Antonio, Texas

2010 - Nashville, Tennessee

2011 - Minneapolis, Minnesota

2012 - Anaheim, California

Careers in Financial Management?

At ASMC’s National website, you will find Career Central. Career Central specializes in providing services, resources, and a networking community for DoD FMers. In the new online job board, you’ll find a large bank of job postings and resumes, career resources, career coaching and advice services, and so much more! Plus, Career Central offers anonymous resume posting for job seekers and a pay-per resume program for employers! Check us out at under the Career Central tab, and please pass along the site to your chapter membership.

ASMC Audio Conference

Do not miss the next audio conference, taking place on Tuesday, 21 October 2008 at 2 pm EDT. This presentation will be a discussion of current issues in fiscal law, with a focus on issues that arise on a recurring basis at bases and installations. The discussion will address major fiscal law issues arising out of the Fiscal Year 2009 Authorization and Appropriation Acts to include any continuing resolutions and supplementals. Topics may also include such issues as food at conferences and events, bottled water. A handout will be provided and a live question-and-answer session will follow the presentation.

The presenter is Mr. Keith M. Dunn, Counsel to the Navy Surgeon General/Chief of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Mr. Dunn has also served an Associate Counsel in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller). He is the Department of Navy’s senior lecturer in fiscal law and has received outstanding reviews for his fiscal law presentations at recent PDIs. Mr. Dunn holds degrees from Furman University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, George Washington University, and Baltimore Hebrew University.

The registration fee is $99 per phone line. ASMC charges to cover the costs of putting on the conference. Your room capacity is the only limit to the number of participants that can listen on one line. Each participant earns one CPE credit for each 50 minutes of the total presentation and question and answer session. They are estimating the conference to last from 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the length of the presentation and the number of questions.

Registration information is available at the ASMC website .

ASMC Membership - Apply Online

Prospective members of ASMC may now apply for membership online at the ASMC website. This method decreases the processing time by up to a week, so please encourage anyone you may be recruiting to apply online. In addition, current members may renew online and update member information (new e-mail, address, job title, etc). Please read the instructions at ASMC Online Renewal on how to determine your default username and password.

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Washington Chapter Officers for 2008- 2009

|Name |Title |E-Mail |Phone |

|Col Thomas J. Fuhrer |President |Thomas.J.Fuhrer@usmc.mil |(703) 614-7037 |

|Love Rutledge |Secretary |Love.Rutledge@usmc.mil |(703) 614-9262 |

|Bill Mizerak |Treasurer |William.P.Mizerak@usmc.mil |(703) 614-2539 |

|Roxie Anthony |OSD Vice President |Carrie.Anthony@disa.mil |(703) 882-0825 |

|Lucy Williams |OSD Ass't Secretary |Lucy.Williams@osd.mil |(703) 571-9183 |

|Robert Benefiel |DFAS Vice President |Robert.E.Benefiel@dfas.mil |(703) 607-3799 |

|Jacquelyn Kelley |DFAS Ass't Secretary |Jacquelyn.Kelley@dfas.mil |(703) 604-2143 |

|Lillian D. Jones |Army Vice President |Lillian.D.Jones@us.army.mil |(703) 692-9257 |

|Nicol Martin |Army Ass't Secretary |Nicol.Martin@us.army.mil |(703) 693-2684 |

|Rainy Lowery |Navy Vice President |Rainy.Lowery@navy.mil |(703) 602-3156 |

|Veronica Trent |Navy Ass't Secretary |Veronica.Trent@navy.mil |(202) 685-0454 |

|Annie Crum |USMC Vice President |Annie.Crum@usmc.mil |(703) 692-5745 |

|Myra Ragan |USMC Ass't Secretary |Myra.Ragan@usmc.mil |(703) 692-5266 |

|Andrea Atkins |Air Force Vice President |Andrea.Atkins@navy.mil |(301) 757-5849 |

|Tina Miller |Air Force Ass't Secretary |Tina.Miller@pentagon.af.mil |(703) 588-6371 |

|LCDR Matt ten Berge |USCG Vice President |Romualdus.M.tenBerge@uscg.mil |(202) 475-3477 |

|Susan D. Connors |USCG Ass't Secretary |Susan.D.Connors@uscg.mil |(202) 372-3628 |

|Joe Fasching |DIA Vice President |Joseph.Fasching@dia.mil |(703) 695-7646 |

|Steve Bucher |DIA Ass't Secretary |Stephen.Bucher@dia.mil |(202) 231-8820 |

|Debra Delmar |Corporate Vice President |Debra.Delmar@vanguard- |(571) 203-7137 |

|Amy Anda |Corporate Ass't Secretary |Amy.Anda@ |(703) 289-8000 |

|Debra Del Mar |Corporate Vice President |Debra.Delmar@vanguard- |(571) 203-7137 |

|Amy Anda |Corporate Ass't Secretary |Amy.Anda@ |(703) 325-6123 |

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