NASHVILLE NOTES. Penny. Penny Austin Nashville Chapter President Inside this edition. Luncheon Speaker Spotlight.

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1 NASHVILLE NOTES November 2015 Volume 39, Number 4 Penny Austin Nashville Chapter President Inside this edition Luncheon Speaker Spotlight Committee News Members News Training Opportunities Upcoming Events 12/3/15 CEC Meeting 12/7/15 Luncheon Meeting 12/17/15 CEC Meeting 1/17/16 Audio Conference Happy Thanksgiving!! Can you believe that it is already November? The year has gone by fast. Obviously, this is the time of year when everyone takes time out to consider all the things for which they are thankful. While my faith and family top a long list, I am also appreciative of the opportunity to be a part of such a great organization. Being involved in AGA has provided me with many opportunities to grow both professionally and personally. Serving as president has definitely made me step out of my comfort zone but it is proving to be very rewarding. I have been working with such great, enthusiastic people. I am thankful for all the individuals we have in the chapter that are so willing to serve. When I attended the sectional leadership meeting back in April, I had the opportunity to chat with leaders from several chapters in our section. Reflecting on those conversations, one thing that really stood out to me was how fortunate the Nashville Chapter is to have so many members who are willing to step up to the plate when needed. For that, I am very thankful. If you have not served in a leadership position yet, I encourage you to do so. Please contact me or one of the other officers listed in the leadership directory on the last page of the newsletter to find out how to become more involved. Because so many are willing to serve, we have some great events this month. In addition to our Fall Breakfast training event, we are also taking donations for our Hats, Coats, Gloves, Socks, and Underwear drive. I also encourage everyone to support Thistle Farms by purchasing items from their website. Details about these community service projects can be found later in the newsletter. I would also like to thank everyone who came out to work on the Habitat for Humanity project on October 31. It was great to meet the homeowner Fetiya and I think everyone found the hard work to be worthwhile. While I don t think I was the individual that worked the hardest, I do think I was the messiest. I definitely left prepared for Halloween as the scary paint lady. In addition to Thanksgiving, November also has another very special day Veterans Day. I am reminded of the famous quote by Elmer Davis: This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of brave. Please thank the brave men and women who serve our nation. Without their sacrifices, we could not enjoy the freedoms we have today. Penny

2 SAVE THE DATE! Luncheon Meeting Dates Deadlines for Newsletter Submissions August 31, 2015 October 5, 2015 November 2, 2015 December 7, 2015 January 4, 2016 February 1, 2016 March 7, 2016 April 4, 2016 May 9, 2016 September 4, 2015 October 9, 2015 November 6, 2015 December 11, 2015 January 8, 2016 February 5, 2016 March 11, 2016 April 8, 2016 May 12, CEC Meeting Dates Audio Conference Dates August 27, 2015 October 1, 2015 October 29, 2015 December 3, 2015 December 17, 2015 January 28, 2016 March 3, 2016 March 31, 2016 May 5, 2016 September 2, 2015 Cyber Security September 23, 2015 Human Capital October 21, 2015 Fraud Prevention November 4, 2015 Omni-Circular January 27, 2016 Government Financial Management February 17, 2016 Fraud Prevention March 9, 2016 Grants April 13, 2016 DATA Act May 11, 2016 Ethics

3 December Luncheon Speaker John Dunn Public Information Officer John B. Dunn is the Public Information Officer for the Tennessee Comptroller s Office. John is responsible for all external communications efforts which include media relations, website development, social media and photography. John is also a member of the Comptroller s legislative team. John was hired by the Comptroller s Office in Prior to his employment with the state, John was an Emmy and AP award winning television reporter for WZTV in Nashville, TN for 12 years. He also worked for WJHL in Johnson City, TN for two years. John often covered government and politics during his years as a reporter. John is a graduate of Butler University in Indianapolis, IN where he studied broadcast journalism and speech communications. He is a board member for the Nolensville Running Club. John Dunn, PIO John and his wife Jennifer have three daughters. In his spare time he enjoys running, reading and cheering for Butler basketball.

4 Committee News CGFM News Membership Congratulations! The following names were drawn at the November luncheon to receive a CGFM subsidy from the Nashville Chapter. This subsidy will help members pursue their CGFM certification. The awardees are: Veronica Coleman- All 3 Exams Victor Nwanso- 1 Exam Anna Sparks- 1 Exam Arlene Hailey- 1 Exam Congratulations on your award, and we are really excited to see you pursue this certification! In addition to helping pay for the exams, the chapter has other tools available to assist you. This includes a lending library of study guides and the formation of study groups. More information about these will be sent out shortly. Requirements: The exam subsidy is a reimbursement only. You must pay for the exam, and then submit your receipt to me for reimbursement. All winners have until October 31, 2016 to claim your subsidy. Recruiting New Members As of our October luncheon, our membership count was 371, just 29 short of our goal of 400 for January 1! Continue to share the benefits of AGA membership with your coworkers and acquaintances. Sponsors receive three points and a $10 gift card! Currently, we have a six-way tie for the $100 First Prize in our local recruiting competition to sponsor the most people between May 1 and December 31! That means everyone is still in the running! Also consider the National AGA prizes for sponsors for October: Top recruiter for October nationally: PDT 2016 registration in Anaheim, California in July AGA swag bag AGA logoed apparel Members who recruit 5+ new members: One free Journal quiz worth 3 CPE AGA lapel pin Entered into a drawing for a PDT 2016 registration Members who recruit 1+ new member AGA Sponsor lapel pin Chapter with top percentage of growth in October One PDT 2016 registration to award to a chapter member

5 Committee News Hats, Coats, Gloves, Socks, and Underwear Donation Drive For the fifth year, our chapter is partnering with service provider, Samaritan Ministries, a local 501(c)(3) organization, in our annual Hats, Coats, Gloves, Socks, and Underwear Drive. Samaritan Ministries provides food, clothing items, and other services free of charge to our Nashville community Monday through Saturday. The drive will only be held during the month of November. Donations of hats, coats, and gloves can be gently used items; socks and underwear MUST be new. Please take some time during your shopping outings this month, and pick up a few items, or a lot of items, for this worthy Community Service drive. You will definitely put a smile on the face of a deserving and grateful person. The current donation drop off locations are: Scarlet Sneed, 15th floor of the James K. Polk building, Scarlet.Sneed@cot.tn.gov (615) Charlotte Gentry, 23rd floor William R. Snodgrass, Tennessee Tower - (615) Angela McElrath-Prosser, Downtown Public Library, 2nd Floor - (615) Pamela Marks, Howard Office Building, 700 Second Avenue South, 3rd Floor - (615) Donations will be accepted throughout November, including the December 7, 2015, chapter luncheon. If you would rather make a cash contribution, please make your check payable to Samaritan Ministries. The chapter will match the first $100. Also, make sure to include your name on your donation, whether check or physical items, so we can make sure you get credit. If you have further questions, please contact Scarlet Sneed. Lil Soldiers December Donation Drive Nashville AGA will be participating in helping to provide gifts for Little Soldiers this holiday season for children of service members providing the ultimate service to our country. Christmas is a difficult time for both children and parents when they miss their loved ones. Your gift can bring a great big smile to the face of one child. This year AGA s focus will be on donating books. No matter your age, a great bonding time for families is formed when you read those special books to your children or grandchildren. An even greater time is found when those children learn to read themselves and share those books with younger siblings. Make Christmas shopping an adventure. Find your favorite book or two or three and bring them to the December 7 AGA meeting. More information to follow on drop-off locations. Please contact Mary Lou Goins at Mary.Goins@tn.gov with any questions.

6 Highlights From Habitat for Humanity Our volunteer group had a great time participating in thehabitat for Humanity build on Halloween a few weeks ago. We worked on priming and painting that morning.and lots of it! Thanks to all the volunteers who made this another great year! We look forward to participating again next year.

7 Save the Date! Save the Date!!! March 29-30, 2016 Association of Government Accountants Southeast Region Professional Development Training Envisioning the Opportunities 16 CPE Hours Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center Nashville, Tennessee More information on registration and speakers will be forthcoming! Check out for details. AGA Core Values: Service, Accountability, Integrity, Leadership (SAIL)

8 Awards Committee

9 Member News/Spotlight Donna Nicely, CGFM The State of Tennessee issues 1099 forms to about 25,000 annually to vendors and reports the information to the IRS. What is a 1099 Reporting? The IRS requires a form 1099 to be issued to businesses and individuals who received certain types of payments during the year. The State of Tennessee refers to the businesses and individuals as vendors. There are several different types of 1099 forms that can be used to report the types of payments made to vendors. Businesses and individuals who receive 1099 s are responsible to report those amounts on their federal tax return. There are two things you need to know when deciding whether to issue a Is the payment reportable on a 1099? Is the vendor reportable on a 1099? Once you answer these questions, you can make a decision to report payments to vendors on a 1099 or not. Payments for products or goods are not reportable on a Payments for services are reportable on a 1099, if the vendor is also reportable on a Other payments for rent, prizes and awards, and certain grants are reportable on a 1099, if the vendor is also reportable on Settlements from a lawsuit settled in or out of court, are always reportable on a 1099, even on tax exempt entities. Most vendors are reportable on a 1099, but there are a couple of exceptions. Corporations are not reportable on a 1099, unless the payments are for medical or legal services. Tax exempt entities are not reportable for any payments, with the exception of settlement payments. All other vendors with reportable payments totaling more than $ per year will be reported on a How do you know the vendor s business type? Is the vendor a sole proprietor, a partnership, a corporation or maybe a tax exempt entity? The best way to find out is to ask the vendor to complete a W-9. It will provide you with the legal name, address and taxpayer identification number for the vendor. Sometimes there is confusion about whether an independent contractor should receive a 1099 or a W-2. Independent contractors should receive a 1099 for amounts totaling more than $ in a year. Independent contractors may perform work for an organization, but not be an employee of that organization. Employees should not receive a 1099, because they are reported on a W-2. In general, anyone who performs services for an organization is an employee if the organization can control what and how it will be done. The IRS requires 1099 s to be issued to recipients (vendors) by the end of January each year. The IRS also requires any institution or entity that has in excess of forms annually to file those forms with the IRS electronically by March 31st of each year. There are numerous penalties for not issuing and reporting on time. The State of Tennessee issues approximately 25, s to vendors each year. There are more than 100 business units that work together as one big team, during the months of November through January, to get the job done. The State of Tennessee always get the 1099 s issued by January 31 st and any corrections that we know of are done prior to the March 31 st deadline for reporting to the IRS. The State of Tennessee does a great job.

10 Education Committee News

11 Member News/Spotlight Rachelle Cabading, CFE I met my husband Ted through mutual friends shortly after starting with the Comptroller s Office. We dated for many years before getting married in April After seven years of marriage, we were blessed with a daughter, Brooklyn. She is currently two years old but thinks she is actually going on 13. She is full of personality which also includes a strong independence streak that my husband swears she inherited from me! In our free time, we enjoy watching sports, particularly football and hockey and have season tickets for the Nashville Predators. I often joke that some of my daughter s first words were the chant Let s Go Predators. I grew up in a small town 90 miles southwest of Nashville called Hohenwald, Tennessee. Most people think you are actually saying Hole in the Wall because it is an unusual name for a city. My parents owned a local tire company when I was little, so most of my free time was spent at the tire shop with my older sister playing Hide and Seek in the huge stacks of tires. As you can imagine, my sister and I went home every day covered from head to toe in the black rubber from those tires. I am almost embarrassed to say that even after growing up in a tire shop, I still cannot change my own flat tire. In the fall of 1993, I went off to college at Lipscomb University in Nashville. I had my heart set on becoming a pharmacist so I started out majoring in pre -pharmacy/biology. I spent two years in college working as a pharmacy technician and slowly learned that was not the career for me. So, halfway through my junior year I changed my major to accounting and have never looked back. After graduation, I started working for the Division of County Audit (now Division of Local Government Audit) with the Comptroller s Office. Over the course of my career I have spent nine years as a field auditor for Middle Tennessee, seven years as a field supervisor, and the past two years as our administrative audit manager. As part of my job duties, I oversee our division s budget, purchasing, facilities management, and human resource needs as well as helping out Jerry Durham with standards research and compliance. I have been a member of AGA for many years but due to my past job duties, I was not able to be very involved because most of my work time was spent out in the field on audit assignments. My current job is located in the Nashville Office which has given me the opportunity to be actively involved with AGA. Currently, I serve as the Education Co-Chair. AGA has given me the opportunity to meet and work with people from various state agencies as well as local governments. I value the friendships and networking opportunities that AGA allows all of us to have. Brooklyn loves the Predators!

12 Highlights From the November Luncheon

13 News And Just The Facts CAREER CENTER A Director of Internal Audit position was recently posted. Qualified and interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to the link provided at Our Current Standing as of 10/26/15, is as Follows: Chapter Recognition Section Points Maximum Percentage Chapter Leadership, Planning & Participation 2,675 3,000 89% Education & Professional Development 1,650 4,000 41% Certification 450 4,000 11% Communications 2,000 37% 67% Membership 2,600 4,000 65% Accountability 700 2,000 35% Community Service 2,400 2, % Awards 0 1,000 0% TOTALS 12,475 23,000 54% LUNCHEON / CEC MINUTES To read the minutes from the most recent CEC and luncheon meeting, please visit the chapter website at The luncheon minutes will be presented for approval at the next business meeting scheduled for December 7, JOB OPPORTUNITIES From time to time departments forward job opportunities to the Website Committee, which are posted for members convenience. If you are interested in new job offerings or know someone who is, go to this link for detailed information nashvilleaga.org/jobs.html Editor s Corner We truly enjoy reading articles submitted from our membership. Please share your thoughts and ideas or interesting news with us by submitting your article to Karen.B.Hale@cot.tn.gov no later than December 11, 2015 for the next edition of our newsletter. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks!

14 AGA Chapter Leadership Directory Officers President Penny Austin, CGFM, CPA, CISA (615) President-Elect Angela McElrath-Prosser (615) Immediate Past President Michelle Earhart, CPA (615) Secretary Donna Jewell, CPA, CFE (615) Treasurer Katie Armstrong, CGFM, CPA, CFE (615) One-Year Directors Rachelle Cabading, CFE Education Co-Chair (615) Charlotte Gentry Membership Co-Chair (615) Cindy Hobbs Program Co-Chair (615) Pamela Marks Community Service Co-Chair (615) Alicia Reynolds, CPA Early Career Chair (615) Two-Year Directors Bridget Carver Membership Co-Chair (615) Emily Gray Community Service Co-Chair (615) Debi Moss Program Co-Chair (615) Anna Nickell Education Co-Chair (615) Michael Winston, CGFM CGFM Chair (615) Committee Chairs and Co-Chairs Nathan Abbott, CISA, CFE, EA Webmaster Co-Chair (615) Gerry Boaz, CGFM, CPA Accountability Outreach Chair (615) Eddie D Ovidio Finance Co-Chair (615) Edward.D Ovidio@tn.gov John Dunne Meetings and Attendance Co- Chair (615) John.Dunne@cot.tn.gov Karen B. Hale, MAOM, CGFM Communications Chair (615) Karen.B.Hale@cot.tn.gov Committee Chairs and Co-Chairs Jeff Hughes, MBA, CGFM, CFE Awards Chair (931) Jeff.Hughes@tn.gov Scarlet Sneed, CGFM, CPA, CFE Meetings and Attendance Co- Chair (615) Scarlet.Sneed@cot.tn.gov Alexander Warns Finance Co-Chair (615) Alexander.Warns@tn.gov Jennifer Whitsel, CPA, CFE, CGMA Corporate Sponsorship Chair (615) Jennifer.Whitsel@cot.tn.gov Dan Willis, CGFM, CPA, CISA Webmaster Co-Chair (615) Daniel.Willis@cot.tn.gov Chapter Address: AGA Nashville Chapter PO Box Nashville, TN Visit the Nashville Chapter website at Visit the National website at: