San Gabriel Valley CSMFO Chapter Update
Editor’s Note: If you are at the CSMFO Annual Conference, don’t miss the opportunity to network with your chapter on Friday, February 18 from 8:00 to 9:00 am!
In pandemic times, December 2, 2021, seems like ages ago. Los Angeles County has just reached its lowest number of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the Delta surge, and the looming threat of Omicron was in its infancy, with the first case in the U.S. detected just one day before.
Call it fortuitous timing, or just plain luck, but the San Gabriel Valley CSMFO chapter forged ahead that day with its first in-person meeting since before the pandemic. There was not a single empty seat in the meeting room at Dave & Busters in Arcadia, as 46 government and commercial attendees arrived from all over the valley, eager to network and reconnect over a holiday-themed BBQ lunch.
And no one can draw a crowd quite like our guest speaker, Michael Coleman, the widely recognized expert on California local government finance and creator of CalifoniaCityFinance.com, who never really needs an introduction at a CSMFO event. Mr. Coleman provided attendees with an update on a wide range of topics impacting California local revenues, including current legislation, the state budget, and of course everyone’s favorite new acronym, ARPA.
“It was great to see everyone in-person again! We had a great turn-out, and just about everyone that registered attended, which is hopefully a small preview of the energy to come at the annual conference,” said Chapter Chair, Kyle Johnson. The San Gabriel Valley Chapter is grateful to Mr. Coleman for taking the time to visit with us in person and for his outstanding presentation. Special thanks also go out to Bank of the West, Chandler Asset Management, and Wells Fargo for donating raffle prizes that added a little extra holiday spirit to the event.
The San Gabriel Valley Chapter looks forward to hosting another in-person event this summer, with virtual chapter events also planned for March and September.
Jennifer Becker is a 21-year employee of the City of Burbank and was appointed Financial Services Director in March of 2021. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of both the San Gabriel Valley CSMFO Chapter and the Communications Committee. Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. She is an avid Trojan football fan, and on non-football weekends you can find her skiing in Mammoth or hiking around Southern California with her husband and daughter.
