From GASB Changes to Capital Decisions: Staying Ahead of Financial Risks and Opportunities

Timing

Attend one, real-time session from Noon – 3:30 pm ET on January 19. There will be two 10-minute breaks included.

Unable to make the live sessions? Recordings will be made available (automatically to those who register) within a week after the last session takes place, though continuing education credits can only be provided for attending live events.

Delivery Method/Learning Environment

This course is a Group Internet based offering (via Zoom) and combines real-time presentation, polling questions, Kahoot quizzes, real-world examples, videos, application exercises, and Q&A.

Course Overview

Investigate the practical steps utility leaders and finance professionals can take to stay ahead of the evolving financial and regulatory landscape for public utilities. Delve into the upcoming changes to governmental accounting standards, including walking through practical examples of how these changes could affect financial reporting and decision making. Then explore common attributes of fraud and how organizations are preventing and addressing it, including why strong internal controls and proper segregation of duties remain essential. Discuss single audit and regulatory considerations and how control weaknesses can create broader compliance risks. Conclude with a forward looking discussion on funding capital projects, including the role of financial forecasts, key budget to actual controls, and how capital decisions affect rates and your long term financial planning.

Topics include:

GASB changes on the horizon and what they mean for your financial reports
Fraud prevention and internal controls for resource-constrained organizations
What utility finance pros should know about regulatory changes and compliance
Financial planning and sustainable options for funding capital projects

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, attendees will be able to:

Discuss new and upcoming Governmental Accounting Standards and how they apply to public power utilities
Discuss common attributes of fraud and how strong internal controls and proper segregation of duties can lessen the opportunity
Use a financial forecast model to assist in planning financing capital projects and future rate increases

Recommended For

Utility accounting and finance personnel with a basic knowledge of utility accounting theory and practice.

Course Level/Prerequisites/Advance Preparation

Intermediate: No prerequisites; no advance preparation. Some knowledge of FERC accounting and the Governmental Accounting and Standards Board (GASB) is helpful, which is taught in APPA’s Public Utility Accounting course.

All materials will be provided at least two business days in advance of the class with access instructions, you they can be downloaded in advance to take notes on.

Technology Requirements

Computer: Each attendee needs to work from their own computer, to fully participate in the discussions and exercises.
- Contact Academy@PublicPower.org if you are participating as a group in a conference room.
Zoom Meeting Access: You’ll need strong Internet access to run the Zoom meeting platform.
Audio/Webcam: You will need to enable computer audio to listen and speak (alternatively a call-in number will be provided) and you will also need a webcam, so you can fully engage in the small group breakout sessions and group discussions.
Download the Kahoot! App: The instructors will be using Kahoot during (and after) live sessions and will provide you with the game PIN number needed for each quiz. Go to the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) and download the free Kahoot! app on your phone.

Accreditation

The following continuing education credits will be provided after successfully completing 90% of the live session. This session will be recorded, though certificates can only be awarded to those who meet the attendance requirements for attending the live event.

Recommended CEUs .3/PDHs 3/CPEs 3.8
Field of Study: Accounting

Instructors

Dan La Haye, CPA, has been a Director with Baker Tilly for over 14 years, serving on the energy and utilities team. Dan specializes in providing auditing, accounting, and consulting services to utilities around the country. His areas of expertise include conducting financial risk assessments and internal control evaluations; preparing financial forecasts, cash flow projections and rate studies for utilities; assisting clients with implementing new Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standards; and providing recommendations for process improvements and efficiencies. Dan is also involved in number of electric, water, and wastewater organizations, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and several state accounting associations.

Bethany Ryers, CPA, MAS, has been a principal in Baker Tilly's energy practice for 18 years, with a focus on assurance and advisory services for power and utility organizations. Bethany has helped some of the country’s largest public power systems implement the latest governmental accounting standards. She is involved with a number of state electric, water and wastewater organizations and is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and several state accounting associations. Bethany is co-author of the APPA Advanced Public Utility Accounting publication and is a frequent speaker at industry events.

About Baker Tilly
Dedicated entirely to energy and utility service providers, Baker Tilly’s specialized energy and utility team of more than 70 professionals currently works with more than 600 public utilities, including 115 public power utilities with audit and consulting services. They are ranked as the 10th largest accounting and advisory firm in the United States. Baker Tilly is a strong supporter of the public power industry and regularly speaks at APPA conferences and provides accounting training through the APPA Academy. Baker Tilly authors many industry whitepapers and articles on utility accounting topics, including the latest versions of APPA’s Utility Work Order Accounting and Advanced Utility Accounting publications. Learn more about Baker Tilly.

Disclosure: The instructors have no proprietary or financial interests in any products, services, or materials discussed in this course.

Questions?

Registration/Billing: Registration@PublicPower.org
Schedule/Content/Accreditation: Academy@PublicPower.org

Registration

Registration will be available soon!

Registration is for individual access. If you have multiple people interested in attending, group discounts are available.

	Members*
From GASB Changes to Capital Decisions: Staying Ahead of Financial Risks and Opportunities	$345
*Non-member pricing is double the member rate.

Group Discounts

Save money when your organization registers five or more people for the same class or the bundled series. The larger your group, the more you save! Registrations must be submitted on the same order (at the same time) to qualify for the group discount; discounts cannot be retroactively applied to previous orders.

If you need assistance, contact Registration@PublicPower.org.

Number of registrants	Individual Courses	Discount (per person) - Bundled Series
1-4	n/a	n/a
5-9	$50	$100
10-14	$100	$200
15-24	$150	$300
25+	$200	$400

Cancellations/No-Show/Refunds/Substitutions

All events will be recorded and attendees will automatically receive a copy of the recordings, in case you can’t attend live.

Registrants who cancel in writing at least 7 days before the first day of a course are entitled to a refund of their registration fee, minus a $100 cancellation fee. Registrants who cancel after that will not receive a refund, but attendee substitutions will be allowed for this event only. Registrants and no-shows who do not cancel at least 7 days before the course start date are responsible for the full registration fee and are not entitled to a refund.

Accreditation & Event Policies

Learn more about APPA’s Accreditation and Event Policies or contact APPA’s Education Team with questions.

Code of Conduct

All who register to participate, attend, speak at, or exhibit at an APPA Event, and all participants in APPA committees, work groups, courses, or other APPA groups, must agree to comply with this Code of Conduct (review and acceptance of the Code is included in the registration process).

Questions?

Registration/Billing: Registration@PublicPower.org
Schedule/Content/Accreditation: Academy@PublicPower.org

Accreditation

Earn While You Learn!

Participate in live virtual programs to earn IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs), Professional Development Hours (PDHs) and NASBA Continuing Professional Education credits (CPEs). Participate in live virtual programs to earn IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs), Professional Development Hours (PDHs) and NASBA Continuing Professional Education credits (CPEs)—credit availability, completion requirements, and number of credits vary by course and are confirmed with attendees upon registration and before and during a course.

Learn more about APPA’s Accreditation and Event Policies here.

Requirements for Successful Completion: Virtual

Registration is for individual access, so each person participating must register. If you have multiple people interested in attending, group discounts are available. To receive continuing education credits for live learning events, attendees must meet the requirements for successful completion which include:

Attendance: Individuals must attend at least 90% of all live sessions (based on electronic timestamps in Zoom).
Active participation: Engage in learning event activities (tracked electronically).
- Activities vary by class: Active participation in class will include engagement activities such as: Zoom polling/check-in questions, reactions and chat box contributions, and knowledge-check quizzes (all tracked electronically). There may also be small group breakout sessions, in-class exercises, and Q&A sessions.
  - Information on participation requirements will be provided at least 24 hours before (and at the beginning of) class.
Online evaluation: Each person must complete an online evaluation after the course concludes (tracked electronically).

Important Notes

Individual Registration: Each participant must register separately and will receive a unique Zoom login link. Attendees should join from their own computer to fully participate in discussions and exercises. Individual Zoom login links will be sent 24 hours before the course. Group discounts are available for multiple attendees.
No Partial Credit: Credit cannot be awarded for partial attendance.
Completion Certificates: Certificates will be available within two weeks of course completion via your APPA user portal (instructions provided) for those who meet the criteria for successful completion.
Session Recordings: All virtual sessions are recorded (unless otherwise noted). Attendees will receive access within one week of the final session. Recordings remain available for 90 days, but continuing education credits require live attendance.

Guidelines for Group Participation in Virtual Events

Individual Logins Recommended: If a group joins from a conference room, each participant should log in individually from a laptop to meet attendance and participation requirements.
If Individual Logins Are Not Possible:
- Designate one point of contact for the group.
- Email Academy@PublicPower.org before the event with:
  - Name of the person responsible for tracking attendance and participation (APPA can provide a sample tracker).
  - Submit the completed attendance record to APPA within 2 business days after the event.
  - Ensure each participant completes the required online evaluation.

Accreditation

What educational credits are available?

You can earn the following kinds of continuing education credits for attending live sessions — provided the Requirements for Successful Completion noted above are met:

Continuing Education Units (CEUs): The American Public Power Association is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training. For information regarding certification status, attendance requirements and obtaining attendee transcripts, contact Academy@PublicPower.org. Verify our IACET Accreditation.

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Credits: The American Public Power Association is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as clarification of requirements, complaints, and refunds, please contact Academy@PublicPower.org. Professional Development Hours (PDHs): The American Public Power Association’s educational practices are consistent with the criteria for awarding Professional Development Hours (PDHs) as established by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Course eligibility and number of PDHs may vary by state.

Professional Development Hours (PDHs): The American Public Power Association’s educational practices are consistent with the criteria for awarding Professional Development Hours (PDHs) as established by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Course eligibility and number of PDHs may vary by state.

Questions?

Registration/Billing: Registration@PublicPower.org
Schedule/Content/Accreditation: A cademy@PublicPower.org

Additional Information

Format and Log-In Information

These Group Internet based classes will be offered on the Zoom meeting platform.

Communication

Within 24 Hours of Registration: You’ll receive a confirmation email with preliminary details about your course.
24 Hours before the event
- You’ll receive your Zoom log in link the day before the first session in a course (sent from the APPA Academy’s Zoom account <no-reply@zoom.us>)
- You’ll also receive a final logistics email 24 hours in advance of the first class.
  - If you don’t receive this, email Academy@PublicPower.org

Course Access and Materials

Zoom links: Zoom log in credentials will be sent out 24 hours before the start of the orientation session.
Course materials: Attendees will receive access to course materials the day before each session through the "Documents" section of their My.PublicPower.org user portal.
Recordings: All sessions will be recorded and can be accessed through your user portal as well (within a week of the last class in the program), in case you can’t attend the live versions. Recordings will be accessible for 90 days after the last session. Note: Continuing education credits can only be issued for attending live sessions.

Technology Requirements

Computer: Each attendee needs to work from their own computer, to fully participate in the discussions and exercises.
- Contact Academy@PublicPower.org if you are participating as a group in a conference room.
Zoom Meeting Access: You’ll need strong Internet access to run the Zoom meeting platform.
Audio/Webcam: You will need to enable computer audio to listen and speak (alternatively a call-in number will be provided) and you will also need a webcam, so you can fully engage in the small group breakout sessions and group discussions.
Download the Kahoot! App: The instructors will be using Kahoot during (and after) live sessions and will provide you with the game PIN number needed for each quiz. Go to the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) and download the free Kahoot! app on your phone.

New to Zoom?

If you haven't participated in a Zoom meeting before, please download the Zoom web client from the Zoom Download Center. This will enable you to access all of the Zoom tools and functionality vs. using the web version. Then, visit Zoom.us/test to ensure you are able to join a meeting.

If you are not able to download the Zoom web client, you can still participate via your Internet browser. We recommend using Chrome for the best results.

Privacy and Security

The American Public Power Association takes your privacy and security very seriously. For this reason, we have put the following security measures in place for this course: