• Advertising - Membership Directory
• Location of Annual Conference
• Appointment of Committee Members
• Awards Program
• Payment of Expenditures
• Pettigrew Award Program
• Executive Secretary
• Annual Audit of all Funds
• Travel Expenses - Executive Secretary
• Established - Standing Committees
• Expense Reimbursement and Advances
• Newsletter Committee Guidelines
• Awards & Membership Committee Guidelines

ADVERTISING – MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY

Advertising in the membership directory should be limited to one page, and which is given only to the sponsoring agent.  The purpose of this policy is to prevent the "over" commercialization of the membership directory.

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LOCATION OF ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The annual conference should be held in the locality of the President-Elect or as otherwise agreed upon by the Board.  This is the primary responsibility of the President-Elect.  The selection of the facility location and related activities shall be coordinated with the Executive Secretary and approved by the Executive Board.

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APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Appointment of committee members shall be made by the President.  Committee members shall serve three-year terms and may be appointed for no more than three consecutive terms.  Committee members that are elected to the Executive Board are exempted from the three-term rule. This policy is to encourage greater participation from the membership, and to decrease the "burn-out" factor, which can result from serving on one committee too long.

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 AWARDS PROGRAM

There is established an awards program to recognize member jurisdictions and agencies that have developed innovative programs, and to disseminate this information to VGFOA members.

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PAYMENT OF EXPENDITURES

The Executive Secretary is authorized to pay any budgeted expenditure on behalf of the association.  Payments in excess of budget require prior approval by the Executive Board.

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VGFOA AWARD IN HONOR OF EDWARD T. PETTIGREW

The Association establishes a governmental accounting award at each Virginia college that offers a minimum of a three-credit-hour course in governmental accounting.  The award is established in honor of the contributions made by Edward T. Pettigrew, the Association's first President.

Currently offered at:

• Virginia Tech
• Old Dominion University
• James Madison University
• Christopher Newport College
• George Mason University
• Radford University

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EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

The Association establishes the position of Executive Secretary and the Executive Board selects an individual to serve in such position.  An honorarium is paid for the duties that are assigned.  This individual, in cooperation with the President, is primarily responsible for overseeing the day-to-day activities of the Association, in compliance with the policies established by the Executive Board.  The appointment is for a one-year term.  There is no limit on the number of terms that an individual can serve in this position.

Duties of Executive Secretary:

• Coordinate with President-Elect the selection of annual conference facility and related functions.

• Maintain minutes of all Executive Board and annual business meetings of the Association.

• Maintain a book of accounts for all funds of the Association and report to the Executive Board and membership the status of the financial activity of the Association.

• Make timely payments for all authorized invoices of the Association in accordance with the policy.

• Coordinate financial aspects related to the activities of the Education Committee.

• Work with the President to present a proposed budget for the Association at the December meeting of the Executive Board each year.

• Coordinate Executive Board Meetings
• Maintain the Membership Directory
• Invest any anticipated idle funds of the Association
• Other duties may be assigned by the Executive Board with the concurrence of the Executive Secretary.

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ANNUAL AUDIT OF ALL FUNDS

There shall be an annual audit of all funds under the control of the Association.  The audit shall be conducted by an independent certified public accountant.  The Committee shall make their report to the Executive Board at the Spring meeting of the Board for the immediately preceding calendar year.  This committee is appointed in accordance with the policy related to committee appointments.

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TRAVEL EXPENSES – EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

The Association will be responsible for the following travel expenses for the Executive Secretary:

• Annual Meeting:
  • Registration, and all lodging and meal expenses for Executive Secretary are to be paid.
• Executive Board Meetings:
  • All lodging and meal expenses for Executive Secretary are to be paid.
• National GFOA Meetings:

  • At those national meetings where the Executive Board determines that the State Association will have an activity, the Association will pay transportation, conference registration, and lodging, meal and related expenses for the Executive Secretary.  The Executive Secretary is responsible for coordinating the suite at the meeting.

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ESTABLISHED – STANDING COMMITTEES

The Association establishes the following Standing Committees in accordance with Article VI, Section 4 of the bylaws:

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EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT AND ADVANCES

To clearly delineate the responsibilities of the organization regarding reimbursements and advances to members for travel and other expenses arising from activities related to representing the organization or performing organization business.

Reimbursable activities:

• Scheduled committee meetings, when a committee or subcommittee chairs call a meeting to be held at a time other than during the annual VGFOA Conference.
• Appearance on behalf of the VGFOA to testify, make a presentation or otherwise represent the VGFOA, when required or authorized by the Executive Board.
• Invited speakers may be provided with free conference registration, one night's lodging at the conference hotel and any meals connected with the day's participation at the conference.
• Official mailings – mailing and shipping costs paid by a member or his/her government for the official VGFOA business.
• Association-related duties of the Executive Secretary while acting in that capacity.

• To ensure representation at the Government Finance Officer's Association's annual national conference, the VGFOA may provide, if necessary, assistance for the President and State Representative to attend the conference.

Reimbursable Expenses

• Actual lodging expenses, not to exceed the cost per night for the lowest available conference hotel, for the lesser of the number of nights of the conference for the individual that is in attendance.

• Per diem meal allowance to be stated in writing at least ninety (90) days prior to each conference.

• Roundtrip airfare should be at the lowest available coach fare.  Tickets should be purchased no later than 21 days in advance of trip, unless approved by the Executive Board.

• All other expenses, except those previously stated, must receive approval from the Executive Board before reimbursement.

Reimbursement Procedures:

• All requests for reimbursements must be accompanied by appropriate documentation (receipts, canceled checks or explanation).

• Requests must be submitted to the Executive Secretary in a timely manner; if approved, reimbursement checks will be issued within 30 days of receipt of request.

• Members planning to request reimbursement for an activity must inform the Executive Secretary, who in turn, will seek approval from the Executive Board.  No expenses should be incurred until approval is given.

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NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE GUIDELINES:

• Background

• Newsletter Committee is a committee of the Virginia Government Finance Officers Association (VGFOA) with the Chairperson of the Committee also serving on the VGFOA Board

• Purposes of these administrative procedures is to provide direction, consistency and continuity with respect to publishing a quarterly newsletter to the active membership of the VGFOA

• Committee Composition

• The Chairperson is responsible for selection of the committee, but is encouraged that the committee represent the variety of members in both profession and geographic so as to have a newsletter worthy of the interest to the active memberships at-large.

• Chairperson: VGFOA Board Member

• Membership Representatives (optional as to background, but various representatives encouraged)

  • Accounting Firm Representative

  • County/Town Government Representative 

  • County Town Government Representative

  • City Representative

  • Associate Member Representative

  • Authority Representative

  • Educational Representative

• Liaisons with Others

  • Internal Liaisons:

    • Person shall serve as conduit in getting newsletter from chairperson in a WEB-type format suitable for inclusion in the VGFOA WEB page.

    • Additional representative from Radford serves in converting the newsletter file into WEB readable information.

    • VGFOA Board representatives shall be responsible for writing articles, as applicable, addressing newsworthy issues of their committee.

    • Session writers will be selected, if chairperson and/or membership representatives are not available to attend a certain session so as to be able to provide 100% coverage of all sessions at all VGFOA sponsored conferences and seminars.

    • Other members of the VGFOA are always encouraged to submit articles and/or other newsworthy information for incorporation into the subsequent newsletter.

• March 1:
  • President's message
  • Updates from chairs of Education, Government Finance Research, Award/Membership Committees
  • General Assembly issues
  • Notice about VGFOA Spring Conference
• June 1:
  • President's message
  • Updates from chairs of Education, Government Finance Research, Award/Membership Committees
  • Summary of topics from VGFOA Spring Conference
  • Summary of legislative issues adopted
  • Application and information regarding awards program submission
• September 1:
  • President's message
  • Updates from chairs of Education, Government Finance Research, Award/Membership Committees
  • Notice about VGFOA Fall Conference
• December 1:
  • President's message
  • Updates from chairs of Education, Government Finance Research, Award/Membership Committees
  • Summary of topics from VGFOA Fall Conference

• The chairperson shall coordinate the formatting through downloading files and other means to produce a four-page newsletter
  • Appropriate editing and/or delay of lesser priority articles will be determined by the Committee in order to have goal of four-page newsletter.
  • Mailing labels for the active membership list shall be forwarded by the Executive Secretary prior to the production of each newsletter.
  • It is encouraged that the utilization of a professional printing (and possibly mailer) firm be utilized for the reproduction and distribution of the newsletter.

• The Chairperson shall retain copies of all newsletters for their active tenure on the committee, but it shall be the responsibility of the Executive Secretary to retain in a permanent file for all prior issues of the newsletter.

• Through the use of e-mails, faxes, teleconferences, etc., Committee shall be kept apprised of current issues and status of newsletter.

• Send new members a welcome package including a letter, membership card and directory.
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• Mail membership applications to interested parties.
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• Coordinate with colleges and universities for the "VGFOA Award in Honor of Edward T. Pettigrew".  Also, search for other institutions to offer the award.
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• Administer the Awards Program.  Provide information to Newsletter Chairman in May.  Mail applications to localities in June.  One to two weeks after the newsletter is received.  Judge the entries for the Awards Program.