The committee on Canadian issues.

• Author: Fisher, Doug

Since its inception, GFOA has been an organization representing government finance officers in both the United States and Canada. Canadian involvement in GFOA includes the following highlights.

* In the 96-year history of GFOA, there have been eight Canadian members who have been president of GFOA, most recently Jack Pickard, commissioner of finance and treasurer, Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, who was president in 1992. In addition, the annual conference has been held in Canada on nine occasions, most recently in Vancouver in 1993.

* The GFOA Executive Board has two positions for Canadian members, one each from Western and Eastern Canada.

* In addition to Canadian members participating in GFOA Standing Committees, task forces, and programs, past initiatives unique to Canadian members include:

* a Canadian Advisory Committee which met at the annual conference;

* a Canadian Award for Financial Reporting (CAnFr);

* a Canadian News Service coordinated by GFOA staff which is produced semi-annually and distributed to Canadian members.

Within the past year, the GFOA Executive Board undertook a review of portions of its strategic plan. As part of the process, the board considered issues and options with respect to enhancing the role of GFOA in supporting Canadian members, and the opportunities for Canadian members to participate and contribute to GFOA. Through this process, the concept of establishing a Committee on Canadian Issues as GFOA's sixth Standing Committee was developed.

At the 1998 annual conference in San Francisco, the GFOA Executive Board voted unanimously to authorize GFOA's president to create a standing committee devoted to Canadian issues. That same day, the GFOA's 1997-1998 President, Linda Savitsky, upon the unanimous request of the Canadian Advisory Committee, established the Committee on Canadian Issues (CCI) as the GFOA's sixth standing committee. The new CCI, which replaces the Canadian Advisory Committee, will be responsible for advising the GFOA Executive Board on all matters of concern to the GFOA's Canadian members.

The CCI will be jointly chaired by the two Canadian members of the GFOA Executive Board - Roger Galipeau, director and assistant to the general manager for the City of Montreal, Quebec, and Doug Fisher, director of finance for the City of Regina, Saskatchewan. Other committee members and advisors appointed by the GFOA's president are listed on page 56 with the Standing Committees.

Like other standing...