GFOA's 2021 Virtual Conference: Leading Through Changing Times.

• Author: Laudadio, Natalie

GFOA would like to thank the nearly 3,600 attendees of our 2021 Virtual Conference, which streamed live from July 12 to 23. GFOA is pleased to have provided attendees with the information they were looking for, including ways to prioritize their communities' needs in the face of COVID-19, to develop practices that promote long-term sustainability, and to prepare for any future challenges.

The Annual Business Meeting

GFOA Executive Director/CEO Chris Morrill opened the conference on July 12 by introducing Finance Director for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District and GFOA President Marion Gee.

The president's address. GFOA highlighted the work we've done over the past year, along with our ability to both maintain critical programs and refocus initiatives to provide members with support for challenges created by the pandemic. This included:

* Updating our Fiscal First Aid research and providing members with new research reports, forecasting models, and case study focused webinars.

* Advocating for member needs through the Federal Liaison Center in Washington, D.C., and providing ongoing guidance on federal aid.

* Launching a new learning management system, which has been a critical platform for meeting members' educational needs while they're working remotely, (learn.gfoa.org)

* Continuing its practical research initiatives including rethinking budgeting, building trust, and applying lessons from the work of GFOA's Financial Foundations Framework.

* Beginning rollout of the redesigned Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO) Program.

* Rolling out GFOA's new online member community which allows members to tap into GFOA's most valuable resources--its members (community.gfoa.org).

Honor to assist, honor to serve.

Gee reiterated that the entire GFOA team is motivated to serve and to help with the remarkable work our members are doing every day as you lead your communities through these difficult times.

Policy statement. GFOA members approved a policy statement on new terminology for referring to the comprehensive annual financial report (gfoa.org/materials/ reference-comprehensive-annual-financial-report).

New executive board members. The association's members elected a new GFOA president-elect and five new members to the Executive Board, whose three-year terms begin immediately. Terri Velasquez, director of finance for the City of Aurora, Colorado, is the GFOA president-elect. The five new members-at-large are: Lunda Asmani, chief financial officer, Town of New Canaan, Connecticut; Kenton Tsoodle, assistant city manager, City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Susan Iverson, finance and accounting manager, City of Red Wing, Minnesota; Anne P. Harty, chief financial officer, City of Rock Hill, South Carolina; and Bruce H. Fisher, director of policy and planning, Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Learn more about GFOA's Executive Board at gfoa.org/executive-board.

Passing the presidential gavel. Michael A. Bryant, deputy county manager of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, took over as GFOA's president, succeeding 2020-2021 President Marion Gee. Bryant said: "GFOA's superpower is its members--dedicated public servants like you who are making a difference every day in their communities. As our states, provinces, cities, counties, school boards, and special districts face the greatest financial challenge in generations, your leadership is more important than ever." As president he will focus on three areas: people, policy, and...