Twin Cities golf outing will benefit FERF.

• Position: The Researchforum - Financial Executives Research Foundation

The Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF) fundraising event at the recent Twin Cities Chapter's fourth annual Golf Scramble was like getting a "hole in one." This perennially popular event gave chapter members the opportunity to combine networking, professional development seminars and, of course, a golf outing--all while helping FERF meet its fundraising goals.

Although the winds and weather conspired against the golfers--who played the course at Legends Golf Club in Prior Lake, Minn.--there was plenty of camaraderie and good fellowship to go around, plus a great deal of generosity. FERF raised more than $1,000 from the event.

FERF, in partnership with Northern Capital Insurance Group, sponsored one of the golf holes, and every golfer who donated $20 to FERF received a free sleeve of golf balls, generously contributed by American International Group (AIG) through FERF Trustee Joe Barkley. Each donor was then entered in a raffle to receive a free Southwest Airlines ticket (contributed by Southwest Airlines, courtesy of its Senior Vice President-Finance and CFO and FEI member Laura Wright). Plus, every donor who got a hole-in-one was eligible to win a $5,000 award that was offered by Northern Capital Insurance Group, courtesy of Ronald L. Youngdahl, senior vice president.

About 40 members attended the professional development (PD) sessions, which preceded the social/golf event. At the PD sessions Cheryl Graziano, vice president of research and operations for FERF, spoke on Building the Agile Finance Function and Jeff Arnesen from Houlihan Lokey Howard and Zukin provided a mergers and acquisitions update.

At dinner that evening, the...