President’s Message - State Conference Fall Tour: Building Bridges Across the West

President’s Message - State Conference Fall Tour: Building Bridges Across the West 

By: Jennifer Wakeman, CSMFO President 

West Coast Alliance (WCA)

CSMFO is proud to be part of the WCA alongside four other state association partners: Alaska Government Finance Officers Association (AGFOA), Colorado Government Finance Officers Association (CGFOA), Oregon Government Finance Officers Association (OGFOA), and Washington Finance Officers Association (WFOA). This partnership gives our members access to member benefits and rates to these partner organizations’ conferences, virtual education offerings, and other resources. It also opens doors to expanded networking and career opportunities.

For the association volunteer leaders, the benefits go even deeper – connecting with peers who share the responsibility of guiding our statewide associations. These relationships have been invaluable, and I have gained so much knowledge and perspective from the other association presidents with whom I have worked this year. Beyond participating in bi-monthly meetings to share updates on programming and planning the WCA reception at the GFOA Annual Conference, Presidents attend each other’s annual conferences.

The WCA member conferences are currently scheduled with two in the first quarter of the calendar year (CSMFO and OGFOA), and the remaining three occurring in the last four months of the year. These visits aren’t just educational – they are a chance to see how other associations organize their leadership, plan events, and engage their members. And, if you are a super municipal finance nerd, learning the nuances of each state’s municipal finance systems and the different relationships with state leadership is fascinating!

Stop 1: WFOA in Bellevue – Where Finance Meets Fun

Dates: September 23–26

The WFOA team rolled out the red carpet at the 70th Annual WFOA Conference in Bellevue, WA! From the start, they included me in a variety of events, including a Grease-themed Thursday night get-together and a volunteer appreciation dinner that doubled as a murder mystery party—what a fun twist!

The conference offered many great sessions which I was able to attend and found were very similar to CSFMO’s schedule. Something new to me was their wellness program: a series of activities that occurred throughout the week, culminating in a prize drawing at the end of the conference for those who completed them all. Another WFOA tradition that was new to me was “Fraud Friday,” where education is combined with a friendly trivia competition. Past winners proudly sported their “Fraud Friday” shirts, adding a playful vibe to a serious topic. Programming is provided by the State Auditor’s team on their fraud prevention program and the support that they offer municipalities (Preventing Fraud | Office of the Washington State Auditor). It was really inspiring to see the benefits of a strong state-local relationship.

 Beautiful Bellevue weather

 Mickie Cooper, WFOA President
 Bonnie Overfield, Washington Public Treasurers Association
 Brian Kennedy, OGFOA Past President
 Charlotte Osborne, GFOA of British Columbia Secretary-Treasurer
 Jennifer Wakeman, CSMFO President

Stop 2: CGFOA in Loveland – Love Boat Vibes in the Rockies

Dates: November 18–21

While the Colorado weather was crisp and cool coming off the mountains, the CGFOA camaraderie was warm and abundant at their 2025 Annual Conference in Loveland. I had a great time getting to know the outgoing president, Bryan Archer, and the incoming president, Tim Kleeman.

CGFOA’s conference had an ideal setup with the conference to one side of the hotel lobby and the hotel rooms to the other. No complicated signage, no shuttles – just easy access! We know how much these things matter! The conference sessions covered great topics, but unfortunately some of the ones I was most interested in conflicted with city or CSMFO meetings that I needed to attend. This, however, allowed me to delve into the conference app, Eventscribe, which we have never used at CSMFO (we use Guidebook). It offered many of the same features but functioned a bit differently, so it was fun to explore as I found the presentations I had missed and was able to email the slides to myself.

The Thursday night event was a lively Love Boat-themed party (a nod to the Loveland location), complete with costumes. Captain Stubing stole the show!

 Jennifer Wakeman, CSMFO President
 Bryan Archer, Outgoing CGFOA President, and his wife, Alicia
 Mickie Cooper, WFOA President

 Mickie Cooper, WFOA President
 Jennifer Wakeman, CSMFO President
 Tim Kleeman, Incoming CGFOA President

 Chilly, but beautiful Loveland!

Both of these WCA partners provided great conference experiences, full of valuable content and welcoming peers who were eager to learn about similarities and differences with California. I feel so fortunate to represent CSMFO at these events and build these networks. If you’re looking for fresh learning opportunities, check out the training offered by our partner associations—you won’t regret it!