Happy Holidays

December provides an opportunity to reflect on the year that was as we gear up for the possibilities of the new year that will be. Understandably, and knowing that better times lie ahead, many people are looking to close the books on 2020 and not look back.

With that said, despite the devastating impacts of the pandemic, there were a number of CSMFO bright spots in 2020 and I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on just a few of our collective achievements this year:

• In January, CSMFO held its 60th Annual Conference – Yesterday, Tomorrow and Finance – at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. In a record-setting year with over 2,000 attendees, we offered nearly 60 educational sessions and welcomed over 400 first-time conference attendees.
• In this year of the pivot, CSMFO quickly and successfully transitioned our educational offerings to an exclusively virtual format. The Career Development Committee responded in short order to the rapidly changing operational and economic pandemic challenges for public agencies, rolling out our COVID-19 Webinar Series to deliver important and timely educational content at no charge to participants.
• Our CSMFO chapters also rose to the occasion by offering Zoom-based chapter meetings, providing attendees with the opportunity to obtain continuing education while networking virtually with their peers and our commercial partners.
• At the steady direction of President Elect Marcus Pimentel, the 2021 Annual Conference Host and Program Committees continued to forge a path forward under very difficult and uncertain circumstances, thoughtfully planning our 2021 Annual Conference to provide the best possible conference experience given the public health constraints.

Due out in February, our Annual Report will highlight CSMFO accomplishments for this year, as these are but a few of our association’s initiatives this year. Thank you to each of you who’ve had a part in continuing to move CSMFO forward for the benefit of our members in 2020, especially given the adversity we all continue to face during this unprecedented public health crisis.

On a different note, each day in the month of November, members were invited to post LinkedIn comments of gratitude on specific topics of thankfulness on our CSMFO page. We had over 250 thankful comments posted to LinkedIn during the month. A heartfelt thank you to PFM Asset Management for generously sponsoring our November Thankful Challenge.

In December, we’ll be hosting a virtual Holiday Happy Hour and Charity Exchange on the 17th at 5:00 pm PST. In the spirit of the season, we’ll be doing a gift exchange with a twist. Instead of presents, we’ll be exchanging donations to our favorite charities. Register for the holiday happy hour and include the donation details for your preferred 501(c)(3) organization on the registration form if you would like to participate.

If you opt in, we’ll provide you with the donation information from another member, and donate as little or as much as you wish in the name of your fellow CSMFO member. There is no minimum or maximum, and you don’t have to participate in the charity exchange to join us for the happy hour. The virtual event will take place via Zoom. Advanced registration is required and will be limited to 100 registrants.

And speaking of registration, our 2021 Annual Conference – Together Toward Tomorrow – is now open for registration, and don’t forget to renew your CSFMO annual membership for next year as well. Both the conference and membership are well worth the price, and prospective first-time members can register for the conference and become a CSMFO member for next year at very special pricing.

Be sure to visit the CSMFO website for additional information on the conference, membership renewal and the holiday happy hour.

Take care, be well, happy holidays, and here’s to next year.