Ever wanted to have an informal chat with colleagues about how they are handling important finance topics? Imagine a place where you can talk about things like how GASB pronouncements are being handled by different agencies or what other finance departments are doing to streamline their year-end audits! The CSMO Career Development Committee is proud to announce a new program, tentatively called “Front Porch Discussions.”

Front Porch Discussions are informal, virtual gatherings of local finance professionals. The idea is for these gatherings to provide opportunities to discuss common issues while expanding professional networking opportunities and providing peer-to-peer support for our daily challenges. Think of it as chatting with your friends in the CSMFO neighborhood, except with a virtual porch replacing the traditional front porch where you might converse with your neighbors over a cup of coffee.

These sessions differ from training in that you won’t be listening to presenters – you’ll be learning by supporting each other. If this is something you would be interested in or have ideas for discussion topics, please contact Terri Willoughby at twilloughby1959@gmail.com. Our first session is expected to be in June and will be centered around the sharing of ideas about how good monthly closing practices can help us to have a smoother audit.