p r es i d e nt ’ s m es s ag e in this issue President’s Message 2 Executive Director’s Message 4 Thank You! 6 Collectors’ Corner 7 MFA’s Corner 8 Yes, and...Community and Economic Development 10 The Remote Finance Team 12 Cyper and Social Engineering Attacks 14 Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Right 16 Economic Outlook Q2 18 Quarterly Question 22 Thank You Exhibitors 23
2 | GFOABC.CA
There is so much uncertainty in the world right now. One’s health, the economy, education and the impact on communities are just a few of the unknowns that exist today. In the early days of the pandemic, the words, “be kind” did not resonate with me. We’re Canadian and live on the West Coast, do we need to be told to be kind? With COVID-19, it became clear that there would be no physical conference in June. As Genelle described at the Virtual Conference, “Canceling the conference was not an option”. Kala was tasked with transforming the regular conference format to a virtual one, with very little time. Kala, you did an amazing job! Kala undoubtedly would share those accolades with the board, staff, technical support, volunteers, sponsors and you, the members. I believe leadership matters, intentions matter, best efforts matter and results matter. However, we are often judged by our results. Great results are very difficult to consistently achieve without a strong team and supports. Thank you Kala and all those involved for delivering on all fronts.
Why was it so important to have a conference? GFOABC exists to serve our members, which is especially needed at this time. This is a time when current information, updates, connections, awareness of what others are doing to cope with COVID19 and a bit of a mental break are needed. When we look at the focus areas of our Strategic Plan, the conference checks all the boxes: • To be relevant to members • To be a center for member, government, and partner dialogue • To provide value to our members through partnerships GFOABC is on a great trajectory, based on feedback from members. There will be opportunities and new pressures that will require adjustments to implementation plans and education offerings. We will continue to adapt to better serve our members and our communities. One of the benefits of the virtual conference is that the sessions are available for viewing at any time. This allows material to be watched, even paused and discussed with your staff. The attendees this year, due to the online format and the pricing
