Speakers and Courses

Monday, October 27

10:00 am – 4:30 pm Optional Pre-Conference Session – Women’s Leadership Academy
Conducted by Mary Bennett, MBA, CEC, Executive, Crowe Chizek and Company LLC
Program Level: Intermediate
NASBA Field of Study: Personal Development
CPE Credit: 5.5 hours
Join us for this comprehensive customized leadership development program where leadership development planning, dialogue with peers regarding the advancement of women leaders, the building of leadership networks, and career/life integration planning will be delivered.  This intensive academy will include pre-work assignments, the establishment of an ongoing network with a post-event coaching/mentoring circle and provide attendees the ability to participate in the inaugural Academy with subsequent courses and networks available.  The session will be led by Mary Bennett, Executive with Crowe Chizek and Company LLC with more than 21 years of experience in the accounting and consulting industry.  Mary is the founder of the Women Into Leadership Program within Crowe and has been instrumental to the firm’s success with expertise in practice leadership, business development, market expansion, and women’s leadership and inclusiveness programs.  She has served as accountant relationship executive, engagement executive and certified executive coach.

Tuesday, October 28

8:00 – 8:50 am Early Bird CPE (EB1)
Understanding Professional Insurance Products and the Exposures Faced by My Firm
Thomas Henell, Chief Marketing Officer, NAPLIA
Program Level: Intermediate
NASBA Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications
CPE Credit: 1 hour  
This purely educational class will provide an overview of the exposures faced by all professional companies and the insurance products available to address each including:

• Professional Liability Insurance – negligence and errors and omissions;
• Employee Dishonesty Insurance – fraud in the workplace;
• Employment Practices Liability Insurance – lawsuits by employees for discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination;
• Fiduciary Liability – personal exposure created from acting as a fiduciary for your company’s ERISA plans and
• Directors & Officers Insurance – the exposure created by acting in this capacity

9:00 – 9:50 am Early Bird CPE (EB2)
Staying on Track: Strategies for Achieving Your Potential Both Personally and Professionally
Billie Williamson, CPA, Americas Director of Flexibility and Gender Equity Strategy, Ernst & Young
Program Level: Basic
NASBA Field of Study: Personal Development
CPE Credit: 1 hour

Although many strides have been made over the last two decades, the journey to gender equity in corporate America continues. Women still represent less than three percent of Fortune 500 CEOs and only 15 percent of corporate-officer positions.  In fact, recent research shows a slight backslide in the number of women in corporate leadership.  In this session, Billie Williamson, a senior partner at Ernst & Young, will help women understand the critical role they play in the rapidly changing economy and how to harness that power to achieve their full potential. Billie will challenge traditional assumptions around barriers facing women’s advancement and will inspire women accountants to reach for the top.  She will discuss ways to gain and maintain confidence as a leader while successfully managing personal and family commitments.  Speaking from both her own 30-year career in accounting as well as her experience as Americas Director of Flexibility and Gender Equity Strategy for Ernst & Young, Billie will provide practical advice to help women handle difficult career conversations around family, flexibility, and work/life issues.  She will also give tips for women accountants on how to maximize opportunities, develop relationships, and engage men as gender equity champions.

10:00 am – 12:00 pm ASWA Chapter Exchange Meeting

10:00 am – 12:00 pm ASWA Member-at-Large Meeting

10:00 am – 12:30 pm AWSCPA Member Exchange Meeting

12:00 – 12:30 pm  ASWA Bylaws Forum

12:50 - 2:30 pm Opening Keynote Session – Leadership and Culture at Southwest Airlines
Laura Wright, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Southwest Airlines Co.
Program Level: Basic
NASBA Field of Study: Personal Development
CPE Credit: 2 hours
Learn what Southwest Airlines does to attract and retain its most valuable resources, its employees and how it maintains its world renowned culture.

Ms. Wright has been the Senior Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Southwest Airlines since July 2004.  She is a member of Southwest’s Senior Management Committee, the airline’s senior officer group, and the Executive Planning Committee, the eight-member executive officer group responsible for strategic and long range planning.   Previous positions at Southwest Airlines have included Vice President Finance and Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Director Corporate Finance and Director Corporate Tax.  Prior to joining Southwest Airlines, she was a Tax Manager with Arthur Young & Company in Dallas, Texas.  Ms. Wright is responsible for the airline’s overall finance and accounting activities.  She received a BSA and MSA (emphasis in taxation) from the University of North Texas and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas.  Ms. Wright currently serves on the Board of Directors for Southwest Transplant Alliance.

5:30 – 7:00 pm Welcome Reception

7:00 – 9:00 pm Kessler Walk (separate registration required)

7:00 pm Dinner (on your own)

7:00 – 11:00 pm  Hospitality Suite Open

Wednesday, October 29

6:45 – 8:00 am Continental Breakfast

6:45 am – 5:30 pm Registration Open

6:45 am – 3:40 pm Exhibit Area Open

7:00 – 7:50 am Early Bird CPE (EB3) –AICPA Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee Update
Mary Bennett, MBA, CEC, Executive, Crowe Chizek and Company, LLC, Cheryl Leitschuh, Ed.D., RCC, Leitschuh Leadership Consulting, and Mary Riley, CPA, Mary B. Riley, CPA, PC
Program Level: Overview
NASBA Field of Study: Personal Development
CPE Credit: 1 hour  

How are women CPAs faring in the profession?  What progress have women made?  How do women’s leadership styles differ from men’s and are there advantages or disadvantages to one style over the other?  This session will discuss these topics, current research data and trends, and other initiatives the AICPA is conducting to address the profession’s human capital issues.

9:00 – 9:50 am General Session – The Accounting Profession in a Changing Global Landscape
Beth Brooke, CPA, FLMI, Global Vice Chair of Strategy, Communications and Regulatory Affairs, Ernst & Young
Program Level: Overview
NASBA Field of Study:  Accounting
CPE Credit: 1 hour 
With increasing globalization nearly everything is changing at a rapid pace. The size and scale of companies keeps increasing, investors are now global and what happens in one part of the world is instantly felt somewhere else. Beth Brooke, Global Vice Chair of Ernst & Young will share the most important trends shaping the global business environment, including the critical role of the accounting profession and new approaches to leadership amid a changing global landscape.

Beth A. Brooke is Global Vice Chair of Strategy and Regulatory Affairs of Ernst & Young.  She is also a member of the firm’s Global Practice Management Group and its Americas Executive Board.  Beth focuses on developing the firm’s strategic direction and shaping its public policy positions.  Convening and participating in dialogues among many stakeholder groups, Beth has been an active player in restoring investor confidence and public trust in the profession’s role in the capital markets.  She has been recognized by Forbes as one of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.”

9:50 – 11:00 am “Meet and Greet” with Exhibitors & Refreshment Break

Marketplace differentiation begins and ends with employees! Unfortunately, most firms don’t know how to effectively motivate their people to consistently deliver services to set them apart. This presentation helps participants solve the “failure to execute” epidemic by identifying the proprietary behaviors and experiences employees can do to create loyalty beyond product, price and quality with customers, partners and even within their organization.

5:30 pm Dinner (on your own)

5:30 – 11:00 pm Hospitality Suite Open

6:30 – 8:30 pm ASWA Annual Business Meeting

Thursday, October 30

7:15 – 8:30 am Continental Breakfast

7:15 am – 6:00 pm Registration Open

7:30 – 8:20 am Early Bird CPE (EB4) – Professional Liability for Accountants
Cathy Whitley, Territory Manager, Aon Insurance Services/AICPA Insurance Programs and Daniel D. Tostrud Founding Parnter, Hermes Sargent Bates LLP
Program Level:  Basic
NASBA Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications
CPE Credit: 1 hour  

This interactive program will provide information and discussion on issues related to professional liability insurance and what all accounting professionals should know when looking at policies, the updating of information, and claims.  The program will include information on the legal, financial and operational aspects of risk management and insurance within the current business environment.

12:00 – 2:00 pm Financial Literacy & Fundraising Lunch sponsored by both Society Foundations featuring Financial Literacy – How You Can Start Your Own Program
Denisa Jones, CPA, ASWA Educational Foundation Chair and Mary Burns, CPA, ASWA Educational Foundation Chair-Elect
Program Level: Basic
NASBA Field of Study: Communications
CPE Credit: 1 hour
During lunch, the presenters of this session will take you through the process of setting up a Financial Literacy program in your community using FDIC’s MoneySmart literature and training material.  They will highlight the different courses that are available to teach and demonstrate how to communicate to nonprofit organizations in your area that may be interested in making your program available to their clients.

2:00 – 4:00 pm ASWA Leadership Meeting   

2:00 – 3:40 pm Plenary Session 1 (PL1) How to be an Effective Mentor
Carol Manse, Consultant, M+ Consulting
Program Level: Appropriate for All Levels
NASBA Field of Study: Personal Development
CPE Credit: 2 hours  
The wisdom and value of utilizing a mentor to build a successful career is well known and many successful women are willing to become mentors to other women.  But how many mentors understand what is involved in being a mentor?  This session will look at what is involved in building the mentoring relationship – the duties of both parties, defining expectations, mentoring techniques and how and when to use them, and how to maintain the relationship over the long term.

3:50 – 5:30 pm Plenary Session 2 (PL2) How the Bank Secrecy Act Impacts You and Your Client
Cassandra Felton, Senior Bank Secrecy Act Specialist, Internal Revenue Service and Theresa McGill, Senior Bank Secrecy Act Specialist, Internal Revenue Service
Program Level: Appropriate for All Levels
NASBA Field of Study: Taxes
CPE Credit: 2 hours  
Bank Secrecy Act laws started in 1970 but the US Patriot Act strengthened the laws already in place and brought new businesses under its regulatory arm.  Many of these businesses are not aware of the change in law and they rely on their tax professional for guidance.  Are you aware of these changes?  Do you know if your clients are considered a non-bank financial institution?  Come to this session to add value to your clients.

4:00 - 5:00 pm ASWA Regional Director Strategic Planning Meeting

5:50 pm Joint National Conference Ends
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*No advanced preparation or prerequisites, with the exception of the optional Women’s Leadership Academy, are required for any of these courses at the JNC Conference.

Continuing Professional Education Hours

ASWA and AWSCPA are registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as sponsors of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses of CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors: 150 Fourth Avenue, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Web site: www.nasba.org.