The challenge of change.

• Author: Ellsworth, Douglas R.
• Position: Government Finance Officers Association - President's Message

This is a unique year for the Government Finance Officers Association and the public finance profession. The accelerating pace of change in global finance conditions, in communications and information technology, and in the business decisionmaking processes of state/provincial and local governments brings us challenges in many areas of our professional lives. A new financial reporting model will be a key feature of the coming year. The GFOA's Certified Government Finance Officer program is becoming an indispensable part of the finance officer's career. In addition, the scope of GFOA interests and activities is expanding to more global dimensions.

The recent 92nd annual conference of the GFOA was a microcosm of all these concerns and reflected the depth of commitment of GFOA members to bring the highest level of professionalism to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Day-long meetings of our standing committees produced new insights and directions for future GFOA activities. Plans for integrating recommended practices into the day-to-day practices of government finance offices were set in motion. Best practices in all areas of finance were shared through panel discussions and round table meetings.

The annual meeting also honored me with the gavel of the president of the association. What gives me the confidence to believe that I can successfully serve as president is the fact that I can rely on the Executive Board, the standing committees, and most importantly, all the GFOA staff. It is the efforts of these groups, not the president, that make this association the success it is.

Many people have asked me what I want to accomplish as president. There are three issues this association will face in the coming year which I believe will have a major impact on public finance well beyond 1999. I plan to focus my efforts during this year on these issues.

The first has to do with the work of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). Our Committee on Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting (CAAFR) has done yeoman work in leading and coordinating all our efforts in developing positions to represent GFOA interests to GASB members. It is very important that the GFOA continue to monitor the efforts of the GASB and promote our position on the many current GASB projects. The GASB financial reporting model project will likely come to closure sometime in 1998 or early 1999 and, regardless of what version the final statement takes, I want...