New Jersey Chapter Ron Giaquinto VP Programs and Publicity Committee Chair.

• Position: Vice president - Conference news

How many times a year do you meet?

The chapter holds approximately 30 events annually falling into five broad categories:

* Dinner meetings with speakers.

* Morning professional development sessions.

* Morning peer-to-peer CFO roundtables.

* Evening career services sessions.

* Membership recruitment events.

When does your chapter begin and complete the planning process for chapter programs during each fiscal year?

Board level planning begins with our summer meeting and the annual dinner meeting program is completed by September. We seek to select varied venues for our meetings, which helps keep things fresh and different. We also mix up the dinner meeting formats where some are extended networking during cocktails, followed by the presentation, and others include a cocktail hour, a buffet dinner then the presentation.

Who heads this effort and how many participate in the process?

Different committees each mange a type of event.The Programs Committee, comprised of 12 members and sponsors, leads the dinner meetings and the PD sessions. The Peer-to-Peer Committee directs the CFO roundtables, the Career Services Committee leads the career development programs, and the Membership Committee coordinates new member growth receptions. Two to four members comprise each of these other committees.

How are speakers selected for your programs?

Programs committee members collaborate, creating a prospects list and leveraging relationships, networks, knowledge of companies, etc., to land the unpaid speakers. The Programs Committee meets monthly via conference calls. The process begins prior to the summer planning meeting.

What kinds of programs do you typically offer in terms of topics, speakers, use of "celebrities," etc.? Are your speakers primarily local or have you used individuals from out of your area or of national prominence?

We offer a wide range of topics, often with "marquee names" from the local area. This past year some of our speakers included the Treasurer of the State of New Jersey, the GM of Univision Television Group, the...