News and Updates
Michigan Council Earns 14th Straight Council of Excellence Award
June 25, 2011 — Successful Fall Conference Leads the Way
Our Michigan Council has been selected Regional Council of Excellence Award winner for the 14th straight year. Six of the twenty-four regional councils in the United States are selected for their extraordinary achievement each fiscal year. Winning Councils must meet all expected performance requirements, plus demonstrate accomplishments above and beyond those.
The Michigan Council's headline performance comes via its Annual Fall Conference. The 2010 conference had 155 attendees, who earned 1,240 hours in CPE. The attendance was a new high, despite the struggling regional economy. The council also excelled in it's support of regional students, encouraging careers in accounting and financial management. Other accomplishments included council's hosting and support of it's chapter websites, and promotion of IMA's CMA program, to name just a few.
The national award was presented at IMA's 92nd Annual Conference, in Orlando, Florida, this month. Former Council Presidents, Chris Mishler and Jim Horsch (pictured, above), accepted the award on behalf of the council. Congratulations to 2010-2011 Council President, Chuck Phillips and the Michigan Council board!
Regional Chapters Well Represented at Fall Conference
November 15, 2010 —Each Chapter Participated
Michigan Council President, Chuck Phillips announced the final tally of Fall Conference attendance, today. Total attendance was 155 members, students, guests, sponsors, speakers and volunteers. Following is the attendance breakdown:
Chapter/Attendees |
Chapter/Attendees |
Others/Attendees |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 32
|
Kalamazoo | 5 |
At-Large | 2 |
||||
| Grand Rapids | 22 |
Michiana | 4 |
St. Clair College | 15 |
||||
| Lansing-Jackson | 22 |
Upper Peninsula | 1 |
Visitors | 22 |
||||
| Ann Arbor | 18 |
Toledo, OH | 4 |
||||||
| Saginaw Valley | 7 |
Cleveland, OH | 1 |
||||||
9th Annual Fall Conference a Resounding Success
October 25, 2010 —Another Large Crowd
The Michigan Council held its 9th Annual Fall Conference at the Kellogg Center, in Lansing, on Monday, October 25. Attendance totaled 155 members, guests and sponsors.
Attendees received 8 hours of well-presented sessions on timely topics, including an ethics case study, a National and Michigan economic update, a tax update, a report on the Healthcare Reform Bill and its impact on businesses and individuals; plus, changes in accounting standards and a report on global oil and gas supply and prices.
At lunch, keynote speaker Brian L. McGuire, Global IMA's Chair-Elect for 2010-2011 spoke on "What CFO's are Saying". Brian's talk included discussion of the changing role of CFOs from one of reporting on financial activities, to advising on strategic and operational issues. Thus, the CFO becomes CVO (Chief Value Officer). He also reported on the continued improvement in the health of IMA, in terms of finances and membership; and spoke of the "Core Values" of IMA's Global Staff.
Traditionally, the Fall Conference also serves as a platform to recognize achievement by regional IMA Chapters. Those who had won national banners for their performance in 2009-2010 were again recognized and presented with their awards by Brian McGuire. Brian recognized the Michigan Council for again achieving the national Council of Excellence Award. Bill Ebright, President of the Ann Arbor Chapter, with Lee Bennett, Council Webmaster, accepted a national website award. The Michigan Upper Peninsula Chapter was recognized for its 13th place finish in the National Competition among smaller chapters (Warner Division).
Details of the Fall Conference may be found on the Fall Conference page. There you'll find speaker bios and the conference agenda. PowerPoint presentations of the speakers may also be found from the Conference page. Follow link to recently posted Fall Conference photos!
Michigan Council Wins Council of Excellence Award
June 5, 2010 —13 Straight!
Once again , the Michigan Council of IMA has been selected Regional Council of Excellence Award winner. Just six of the twenty-four regional councils in the United States are selected for their extraordinary performance each fiscal year. Winning Councils must meet all expected performance requirements, plus demonstrate accomplishments above and beyond those.
The national award was presented on Tuesday, June 8th, at IMA's 91st Annual Conference, in Baltimore, MD. Chris Mishler and Sue Bos are shown accepting the award in the photo, above. Congratulations to 2009-2010 Council President, Chris Mishler and the entire Michigan Council board!
Visit our New & Updates page to read about national recognition for our chapters and members, too.
See President's Message page to read 2009-2010 Council President, Chris Mishler's final message.
Michigan Chapters Recognized at National Conference
June 15 , 2010 —91st Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD
The Michigan Council was honored once again with their 13th consecutive Council of Excellence Award. In addition, several of our chapters were recognized for extraordinary achievement. To view all the awards presented at the Annual Dinner on June 8, see the IMA Annual Dinner Program. Following are the awards connected with our Michigan Region, in the order they were presented:
- In the Manuscript Competition, the Lybrand Gold Medal was awarded to Keith T. Jones, CPA, Ph.D., Central Illinois, and Clement C. Chen, Ph.D., Detroit, for "The Pervasive Success of 6 Sigma at Caterpillar", published in Strategic Finance. The same two authors received a Certificate of Merit for their manuscript, "Are Employees Buying the Balanced Scorecard?", published in Management Accounting Quarterly.
- The Ann Arbor Chapter received the Bronze Award for it's website. Clarke Macy is chapter webmaster.
- In the 2009-2010 Chapter Competition, the Michigan Upper Peninsula Chapter, Joel Thompson, CPA, President, placed 13th, nationally (of 101 participating chapters), in the Warner Division for smaller chapters.
The Stevenson Trophy for the #1 chapter, in the competition among larger chapters (88 participating chapters), went to the South Central Indiana Chapter. The Warner Trophy, among smaller chapters, for the #1 chapter went to the West Chester Pennsylvania Chapter.
Banners are awarded to the top 15 chapters in their divisions, but several of our chapters also did well in the standings. Following are the results of all our chapters in the National competition:
- Michigan Upper Peninsula - 13th in the Warner Division (banner winner)
- Kalamazoo - 22nd in the Stevenson Division
- Ann Arbor - 24th in the Stevenson Division
- Lansing-Jackson - 24th in the Warner Division
- Detroit Metro - 32nd in the Stevenson Division
- Michiana - 32nd in the Warner Division
- Saginaw Valley - 55th in the Warner Division
- Grand Rapids - 83rd in the Warner Division
Congratulations to all our chapters and volunteers for a fine year in serving our Michigan Region members! Special thanks to Chris Mishler, Council President; Penny Weller, our National Vice President; and Sue Bos, National Director At-Large.
News from the Saginaw Valley Chapter
March 5, 2010 —A Chapter Update
On January 20, the Saginaw Valley Chapter had an Economic Update by Jonathan M. Gardey, CFA, CFP. This was an excellent presentation, which has been an annual event since I have been in the chapter, and is always filled with many interesting and relevant facts and statistics; especially this year. We met in one of our standard spots, Damon’s Restaurant in Saginaw. Attendance was good.
We are preparing for our April meeting at Zehnders in Frankenmuth on April 21. Julie Goldman, MBA, CMA, will be presenting the latest Menconi Ethics Case winner. More details are on our website at http://www.imamichigan.org/saginawvalley .
I know we have attracted some new student members with the special price that we offer to students. I’m pleased to report that I signed up nine students from Delta College. Our chapter membership is holding pretty steady, despite the economy.
We’ll have a board meeting soon, to formally begin our planning for the next fiscal year. Members interested in joining our volunteer leadership team should contact me at antoinetteclegg@delta.edu.
— by Antoinette Clegg, President, Saginaw Valley Chapter
Spring is Coming!
February 18, 2010 —A Commentary by Lee Bennett
I really look forward to the change of seasons, here in Michigan. My favorite transition is always from Winter to Spring, and all the rebirth occurring around us. The dirty snow disappears, little green shoots appear... soon to become grassy lawns and spring flowers. We also undergo a spiritual rebirth, regardless of religious affiliation, in our own natural life cycle.
It’s a great time to make resolutions, review and renew commitments, look to the future and set new goals for ourselves. You knew I was coming around to this…
In the spirit of renewal; now is a good time, in IMA to “kick it up a notch”, if you can. Plan on attending more meetings than in the past and enjoy the networking and camaraderie of your peers in management accounting. You might even want to attend the National Conference in June, and/or our Fall Conference in October.
If you are now a chapter leader, why not build on that expertise at the Michigan Council level? You will gain as much as you give, and meet lasting friends who share your profession and ethical values. The Michigan Council’s nominating committee is now seeking candidates for various council positions, and there is a position for you, if you can commit just a little of your time. The Michigan Council meets just quarterly, and there are many important tasks that will not add more stress to your life.
We don’t expect or want anyone to commit to more than they can do. Please think about joining us on the Michigan Council.
— by Lee Bennett, Former Council President and National Area VP
Grand Rapids Chapter News
February 12, 2010 —Michigan Council President to be Guest Speaker at the March Meeting
Michigan Council President, Chris Mishler, will speak on spreadsheet controls at the Chapter's March 16 meeting.
The Grand Rapids Chapter and Institute of Internal Auditors cosponsored a job fair / career event in February. In spite of a bad snow storm, there were 167 students and 10 companies registered for the event. Kim Korth, the President of IRN, was a Guest Speaker. Scholarships were also awarded.
On April 20, 2010, the Grand Rapids Chapter will host a networking event for members and will feature a Guest Speaker who is an expert on Linked-In. Members will be educated on how to use electronic business networks to full advantage.
Michiana Chapter News
February 12, 2010 —Student Mentoring Program Officially Kicked Off
Michiana Chapter President, Brenda Engel reported that the Chapter's mentoring program has
16 students actively participating. The program is a great way for students to learn, get feedback and expand their career opportunities through a mentoring relationship with experienced IMA Accounting and Finance Professionals.
The next Chapter Meeting is scheduled for February 16, 2010 and the second part of the IMA Ethics Series will be presented by John and Brenda Engel. Invitations to the meeting include Faculty and Staff of the Accounting Program at Brown Mackie College in Mishawaka, Indiana.
Detroit Metro Chapter, All-Day Seminar to be Held March 18
February 5, 2010 —The Detroit Metro Chapter Invites You to Attend
The Detroit Metro Chapter will hold an all-day seminar on March 18, 2010, with 6 hours of CPE at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 8000 Merriman Rd. (near Metro Airport), Romulus, MI. Featured speakers will include IMA President, Jeff Thomson; President and Founder of the Lean Accounting Summit, Jim Huntzinger; and performance management expert, Gary Cokins; as well as perennial Detroit IMA favorites, Ravi Nayar and Doug Hicks.
Registration and Networking will begin at 8:30am. The seminar will conclude with networking and business card exchange at 3:30pm. Price for members is $110.00, including lunch. Non-member price is $125.00. To register on-line, visit: https://www.123signup.com/register?id=jhntb . An agenda and additional details may be found on the attached flyer in Word format.
— by
Chuck Phillips, CMA, Detroit Metro Chapter
Ann Arbor Chapter News
November 20 , 2009 —The Chapter had two successful plant tours at Zingerman’s Bakehouse on Saturday, October 10, 2009, at 10am & 2pm. The tour took about 90 minutes tour including chocolate, bread, and cake samples. It was a fun gathering for regular, retiree, and student members to get together with their friends and family.
Click on photo to see larger view.
We also volunteered a Community Service at Food Gathers on Saturday morning, October 2, 2009. Some members came with their children and students from IMA Eastern Michigan University Student Chapter joined the community service.
Click on photo to see larger view.
— by Hyun-Jin Choi, CPA, Vice President of Professional Education
Recent National IMA Board Meeting
November 20, 2009 —Excerpts from Executive Summary
The IMA Board of Directors met on September 26, 2009 at Hyannis, Massachusetts. Among the items discussed which will be of interest to IMA Councils, Chapters and members were:
- Board Diversity
The Board of Directors discussed next steps for increasing diversity among IMA Board members. IMA Regional Council Presidents were asked to reach out to members of their respective Councils and report back to John Brausch and Sandy Richtermeyer with suggestions on what options might work to increase diversity and strengthen the Board in the future.
- Leadership Academy
The IMA will introduce a new Leadership Academy and the Global Service Pool Advisory Committee gave an update on this program:
- The Committee will introduce a new Volunteer Leadership Program for all IMA members to have opportunities to build their leadership skills in Spring 2010.
- The Committee is seeking volunteers who are willing to be mentors or “mentees”. They also seek volunteers and recommendations for faculty members to serve in the IMA Volunteer Leadership Academy. The faculty member should be a good presenter who has the time to help with the Volunteer Leadership Program.
- New IMA Initiatives
IMA Staff provided status updates on new initiatives to be introduced in Spring 2010:
- New member database (Personify)
- New IMA website
- New online Professional Learning Center
- LinkUp IMA
Meeting participants were encouraged to promote use of LinkUp IMA (www.linkupima.com) on the Chapter & Council level. Members can join or request new Chapter & Council groups to keep members apprised of local events, announcements, and news.
Note: The Michigan Council representative to the IMA Board of Directors is Regional Vice President, Penny Weller, PhD., CMA. Her alternate is Dana Collins, CPA.
In addition, our council is further represented by National Director at Large, Sue Bos, CMA, CPA.
Invitation to 11th Annual IIA/ISACA Spring Conference
November 17, 2009 —The IIA invites IMA Members
Presented by the Detroit Chapters of the IIA and ISACA the 11th Annual Spring Conference is scheduled for March 8-10, 2010 at the University of Michigan Dearborn Fairlane Center. Participation is limited and registration will be accepted on a first come first served basis. Registration information and prices may be found on page 20 of the conference brochure. IMA members are invited! See full description and conference schedule in the brochure at
Lansing-Jackson Chapter to Meet on September 17
August 31 , 2009 —The Lansing-Jackson Chapter Invites You to Attend
Gareth Beaty, new President of the Lansing-Jackson IMA Chapter, has announced the chapter's events calendar for 2009-2010. The chapter will hold an evening meeting on Thursday,September 17, 2009, at Bella Notte Ristorante, 137 W. Michigan Ave., Jackson.
Speaker: Ken Butterfield, of James C. Butterfield Investments, Inc.
Topic: Economic Update and Future Outlook
CPE Credit: 1 Hour
Cost: $25.00 (including dinner and the technical program)
Networking begins at 5:30 p.m., presentation will start at 6:00 p.m., then dinner will begin around 7:00 p.m.
Congratulations to the Lansing-Jackson Chapter on their new program. Please show your support by attending. For reservations, please email amy.maneval@setseg.org . Visit the chapter's website at imamichigan.org/lansing-jackson for more information about the chapter.
No Worker Left Behind (NWLB)
August 31 , 2009 —NWLB May Help Pay for CMA Review Courses
Would you like to improve your odds of landing a new job? You may want to improve your marketability by preparing for, taking, and passing the Certified Management Accountant exam. There are two publicly funded programs that might help. Consider taking advantage of the No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) and TAA programs available through the State of Michigan’s Michigan Works department (previously known as the “Unemployment Office”).
The steps to follow are:
- Get an appointment at your Michigan Works office to find out if you qualify for the NWLB or TAA programs (see below).
- Find out if “accounting” is on the "in demand" list of skills for that particular office.
- After you’ve received approval from Michigan Works to take the CMA classes, go ahead and enroll in the Cleary University CMA exam prep courses described below. In order to have Michigan Works pay for the CMA exam prep courses, you must have approval from the Michigan Works office first. It’s important to note that the Michigan Works programs will not reimburse for classes or programs started before you get approval.
If you feel that you may qualify for the Michigan Works programs, be sure to set up an appointment right away with your Michigan Works office. They are very busy right now and it's not too early to meet with them so that you can enroll in the next CMA review course, Part 2 CMA, which begins in January 2010.
Here are some links with more information:
- State of Michigan’s brochure on NWLB: NWLB_Fact_Sheet_Final_203216_7.pdf
- Cleary's CMA exam prep courses are listed on the state of Michigan website: http://www.mycareereducation.org/programs.asp?p=2&s=&o=p&inst='0100'
- Cleary’s CMA review site: http://www.cleary.edu/cma/
- Lisa Beaudoin (CMA Program Director at Cleary): Lbeaudoin@cleary.edu
If you have questions and would like to hear a speaker address them, there will be a session on September 24, at the Radisson Kingsley in Bloomfield Hills, put on by the Detroit Chapter of the IMA. Contact Jeff Harrison (ima.detroit@gmail.com) for more details.
Here is some additional information on how to become eligible for the Michigan Works TAA program:
There is a process to apply for this benefit. A company, union or 3 laid off/separated workers in the past year can petition to be investigated by the Department of Labor and Economic Growth. The Department of Labor and Economic Growth makes the determination on whether your company can be certified. Please refer to the first link (below) to find out about eligibility and the determination process.
The second link is for the actual petition that will need to be filled out and turned in to the appropriate address that was given in the first link.
http://www.michigan.gov/mdcd/0,1607,7-122-1679_1823_2823---,00.html (fact sheet)
http://www.acwib.org/forms/TAA%20RevisedPetition.pdf (petition)
The Michigan Works-Troy office has experience enrolling individuals in the Cleary University CMA exam prep courses. Michael Magolan, Training Specialist at the Troy Career Center, may be able to help get individuals signed up and approved for the CMA courses.
Michael Magolan, E-mail: mmagolan2@troy.k12.mi.us Phone: (248) 823-5177
If you prefer dealing with the “Lead” for the program, contact Diana Carpenter at dcarpenter2@michigan.gov, or call her at 517-335-4045. Thanks to Representative Pam Byrnes of the 52nd District for providing this contact.
Do you have any comments or ideas about this program to share with fellow IMA members? Please email them to me at clmish@hotmail.com.
— by Chris Mishler, Council President
IMA Annual Conference in Denver a Success!
June 30 , 2009 —The IMA Annual Conference—Denver, June 6-10, 2009
The IMA held its 90th Annual Conference & Exposition, June 6-10, 2009 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver, Colorado. With approximately 630 paid attendees able to earn 23.5 cpe credits, the event was considered a success. The optional event at the Denver zoo with dinner and open only to IMA attendees was a huge hit. The council suite shared with Ohio council and the local Denver chapter offered a comfortable place for socializing with a floor to ceiling window view of the Denver skyline. Be sure to consider attending next year's Annual Conference in Baltimore, June 5-9, 2010!
— by Sue Bos
(Editor's note: More information and conference photos will follow our July 14 planning meeting.)
Michigan Council and Chapters Honored at National Conference
June 30 , 2009 — Council and Chapters Recognized at National Conference
The Michigan Council has once again earned the Council of Excellence Award in the National Competition among the 24 councils, nationwide; and all competing chapters did well in chapter recognition, nationally. Each year, just 6 councils earn Council of Excellence distinction based on efforts and accomplishments beyond those required. In fiscal year, 2008-2009, President Bob Maddox led the council to its 12 consecutive Council of Excellence Award!
Individual chapters also compete with other chapters to earn “banners” for placing in the top 25 in their division. IMA is divided into 2 divisions, the Stephenson Division for larger chapters and the Warner Division for smaller chapters. We are proud that several of our chapters won banners or awards at the national conference.
The Council and its chapters will again be recognized for their 2008-2009 accomplishments at the Council’s 8th Annual Fall Conference, in Lansing, on October 29, 2009.
Following are our award winning chapters:
- Upper Peninsula – 6th place Warner Division, Joel Thompson, President
- Saginaw Valley – 14th place Warner Division, Julie Goldman, President
- Ann Arbor – 14th place Stevenson Division, Bill Ebright, President
- Kalamazoo – 21st place Stevenson Division, Dana Collins, President
- Detroit – 3rd place ICMA Regent Award (and 31st place in Stevenson Division), Jeff Harrison, President
In addition, both the Michiana and Detroit Chapters did well in the national competition, falling in the top third of all chapters in their respective divisions. Congratulations to all!
Below are additional photos:
 |
 |
| Bob Maddox and Sue Bos Accept 14th Place Award for the Ann Arbor Chapter, in the Stevenson Division | Jim Horsch and Penny Weller Accept 21st Place Award for the Kalamazoo Chapter, in the Stevenson Division |
— by Lee Bennett
Are You Serious About Becoming a CMA?
June 30 , 2009 —Register now for a CMA Review Course at Cleary University!
Cleary University is now accepting registrations for CMA review courses for the 2009-2010 academic year. Review courses for CMA Exam Parts 1 and 4 are offered this fall; review courses for CMA Exam Parts 2 and 3 will be offered in winter and spring 2010, respectively. All courses are taught by Dr. Louis Petro, CMA, CPA, and use the CMA Learning System materials, which were developed by the IMA.
These review courses offer a complete preparation solution for the CMA exam. If you’re serious about becoming a CMA, we’ve got the program for you! Cleary participants have achieved an 80% pass rate on Part 1 CMA, which is 31 percentage points higher than the average Part 1 pass rate of 49%. Please consider joining us this fall!
Please visit www.cleary.edu/cma for more information and to register online. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Beaudoin at 734.332.4477 extension 3337.
— by Lisa Beaudoin
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