October Preview

Final preparations are underway to open registration for the 2025 Annual Conference to be held on February 18-21 in San Jose. Look for registration to open in mid-October. We hope you come explore sessions and networking opportunities and embrace the conference theme of “Educate, Connect, Empower.”

October is also the month the volunteer leadership gather to discuss the strategic planning direction for CSMFO. A facilitator will be working with approximately 40 volunteers to review past and future initiatives and help develop a workplan to meet the goals of organizational sustainability, professional development, and member engagement.   

CSMFO is served by a board of elected members and we are excited to announce this year’s election is now open. As an active member, we encourage you to read the candidate statements and cast your vote. Voting concludes on October 31. We have two candidates for consideration for President Elect (Stephen Parker and Karla Romero) and one candidate each for Board Member North (Alberto Preciado) and Board Member South (Kyle Johnson). Let’s thank each of them for their dedication to CSMFO and the role they serve.

Reminder: As our colleges and universities head back to school, our Student Engagement Committee will be gearing up with programs and activities to introduce CSMFO and public sector jobs to our next generation of employees. If you have a connection or want to participate in sharing the benefits of our programs, please reach out to me and I can share your interest. Also, if your agency has the opportunity to hire a finance intern, submit your posting for free on CSMFO’s website.  

After a successful 28-year career, Margaret retired as the Executive Manager of Finance for West Basin Municipal Water District. An opportunity to support the Town of Discovery Bay CSD as their Finance Manager provides her the opportunity to help guide them through transformative. Margaret began her professional career at Coopers & Lybrand focusing primarily on governments and nonprofits. Margaret earned her B.A in Economics from U.C Santa Barbara. She maintains her license as a certified public accountant (CPA). In August 2024, Margaret was approved by the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO) Board to serve as Interim Executive Director where she has overall strategic and operational responsibility for CSMFO programs and execution of its mission. Margaret served as the 2018 President for CSMFO and also served in a variety of volunteer capacities. Margaret has also been active with CMTA and GFOA. In June 2022, Margaret joined California Class, a joint powers agency, as a Board of Trustee to serve a four-year term for this local government investment pool. In April 2024, Margaret joined the NIGP Certification Commission as a public stakeholder member.