A farewell, and plenty of thanks to pass around.

• Author: Cunningham, Colleen
• Position: President'sPAGE - Editorial

As I sat down to write what will likely be my last column as President of FEI, I racked my brain as to what message I want to leave the organization with. Over the last (almost four) years, I have written about financial reporting (probably more than any other topic--it's my favorite, in case you couldn't tell!), fair value accounting, the changing role of financial executives, the relationship of CFOs to the board, Sarbanes-Oxley, tort reform and legislative items, among other issues that impact FEI members.

My time at FEI has been the most challenging and fulfilling of my career! My predecessor, Phil Livingston, told me that this job would be a lot of fun--and he wasn't kidding. This job has been a blast!

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I want to dedicate this column to all FEI members, the staff at FEI National and the volunteer leaders, who dedicate so much of their time and energy to FEI.

The value that a member receives from an organization like FEI is what the individual makes of it. Some members like the peer-to-peer networking and outstanding programming that they can get at the local chapter level. The local chapter leaders work very hard to continue to bring their members this level of service, and I encourage those of you who haven't taken advantage of the networking and programming available at your local chapter, to do so. You won't be disappointed.

Real-time, Relevant Information

Other members like the real-time updates and information on issues impacting them. Our staff at FEI National is top-notch and works very hard at keeping our members informed and updated, whether it is through our weekly FEI Express, through continuous updates to our website headlines, through our award-winning magazine, Financial Executive, or through our national conferences and many webcasts. Our magazine, marketing and public relations and conference staff are constantly ensuring that our members get real-time and relevant information.

FEI's advocacy efforts come from volunteer members of our seven technical committees. The members of these committees (Committee on Corporate Reporting, Committee on Corporate Finance, Committee on Benefits Finance, Committee on Taxation, Committee on Private Companies, Committee on Finance and Information Technology, and the Committee on Government Business) dedicate an inordinate amount of time to ensure that our voice is heard on specific issues. Our...