April 21-22, 2016

Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta

Event Code: 13005 | LS13005

The Georgia Society of CPAs

Decision MakersConference

April 21-22, 2016 | Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta

Event Code: 13005 (both days) | LS13005

13006 (Thursday only); 13007 (Friday only)

16 hours of CPE credit with a possible 8 hours of A&A

Decision MakersConference

CPAs in leadership and management positions make critical decisions

every day that directly affect their company. The continually-changing

environment of the CPA profession adds challenges to daily responsibilities.

The GSCPA Decision Makers Conference provides two days of the latest in

industry trends and changes that you need to conquer these challenges.

Who Should Attend: CPAs in management and leadership positions,

CFOs, CEOs, and other financial professionals.

Live stream allows you to attend the conference from your home,

office or anywhere you can access the Internet. You view the sessions

in real time as part of the audience and have interaction with other

attendees via chat areas. Live streamed sessions are indicated with

the following symbol:

For more information or to register, visit olc.gscpa.org or call404-504-2985 or 800-330-8889, Opt. 3.

LIVE STREAM ATTENDANCEEvent Code: LS13005 (both days);LS13006 (Thursday only); LS13007 (Friday only)16 hours of CPE credit including 5.5 hours of A&A

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

JENNIFER F. LOUIS, CPASurgent McCoy CPE, LLC, Devon, Pa.

Jennifer F. Louis, CPA, has over 20 years of experience

in designing and presenting high-quality training

programs in a wide variety of technical and “soft skills”

topics needed for professional and organizational

success. In 2014, she joined Surgent McCoy CPE, LLC, as the director of audit

product development. Most recently, she was the president of Emergent

Solutions Group, LLC, a company she founded in 2003, dedicated to

developing and delivering accounting and auditing training services. Prior

to that, she was executive vice president/director of training services at

AuditWatch, Inc., a highly respected training and consulting firm serving the

audit profession.

Before joining AuditWatch, Ms. Louis was the financial/operational audit

manager at AARP. Ms. Louis was also an audit manager for Deloitte and

Touche, LLP. During her years in that firm’s Washington, D.C. office, she served

as an instructor for the firm’s national “Train the Trainers” program.

KARL J. ALRICHS, SPHR, SHRM-SCPBusiness Learning Institute, Towson, Md.

Karl Ahlrichs helps CPA firms and financial teams

achieve high performance and sustainability by guiding

their human capital strategy. He is a business writer and

has started two successful consulting practices.

Karl is on the staff of Gregory and Appel, a benefits and

risk management consulting firm. Earlier, he was director

of business development in the Indianapolis office of Marsh & McLennan, and

vice president of Right Management Consultants, an international human

resources consulting and outplacement firm. At those firms, his clients included

Roche, Boeing, Apple Computer, Anthem, and Frito Lay.

He was named the SHRM Human Resource Professional of the Year for the

State of Indiana, and he has presented at the SHRM Annual Conference for 17

consecutive years. As an SPHR (Senior Professional, Human Resources) and

SHRM-SCP, Mr. Ahlrichs is qualified to administer many assessment tools and

has a strong background in hiring, training, and communications.

7 - 8 a.m.

Registration and Continental Breakfast

8 - 8:05 a.m.

Welcome and Announcements

8:05 - 9:20 a.m.

A - The Art of Discipline and Getting Things Done

Jennifer Louis, CPA, Surgent McCoy CPE, LLC, Devon, Pa.

Discuss tips to ensure the most important behaviors and actions critical to achieve

an entity’s operational and strategic goals are achieved, including creating a culture

of disciplined entrepreneurship; managing the change curve on project-specific and

larger initiatives; and encouraging creative thinking for better problem solving.

9:20 - 9:35 a.m.

Break

9:35 - 10:50 a.m.

B - Auditing Your Technology: Does Your Company’s Technology Make the Grade?

J. Carlton Collins, CPA, ASA Research, Norcross, Ga.

A technology audit should focus on a company or firm’s computer infrastructure

and applications, as well as how those technologies help the company or firm best

achieve its’ objectives and establish efficient operations. Learn the processes for

conducting a technology audit, and receive abbreviated versions of questionnaires,

survey forms and checklists to help you self-audit your company’s own technologies

in order to identify shortcomings.

10:50 - 11 a.m.

Break

11 - 11:50 a.m.

C - How to Audit Your Auditor

Jennifer Louis, CPA, Surgent McCoy CPE, LLC, Devon, Pa.

Review important considerations and questions when evaluating the quality and

efficiency of the services provided by your financial statement auditor, including:

Does your auditor apply efficiency best practices to both manage fees and enhance

the ability to be a better business advisor? Is your auditor at risk of violating

quality control standards, such as the issues identified through the PCAOB’s 2015

Inspections? Does your auditor provide value-added services, such as corporate

board education, competitive intelligence?

11:50 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.

Lunch

THURSDAY, APRIL 21

12:50 - 2:05 p.m.

D1 - Excel for CPAs: Tips, Tricks and Traps

J. Carlton Collins, CPA, ASA Research, Norcross, Ga.

Receive detailed explanations of the top 50 tips and tricks for using Excel, with

demonstrations on as many as possible. Selected tips include: creating elbows;

transposing data; default settings; issues with the 1904 date system; referencing

PivotTables to dynamic table sources; using the aggregate function; sorting data

left to right; mixing formats in a single cell; navigation tips; creating links by

dragging data; creating formulas in PivotTables; and enabling formula auditing

tools.

D2 - FASB Update for CPAs in Industry (A&A)

Cecil “Pat” Patterson, Jr., CPA, MBA, CPE for CPAs, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Examine selected current issues from the Financial Accounting Standards Board

(FASB) that may impact CPAs in industry. These issues may be new issues, updates

to older issues, and/or changes expected to face the profession in the future. Every

FASB accounting standards has changed or been modified since July 2009 when

the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) took place. Since 2009 there have

been over 113 new standards either issued or modified. Who, what, when, and

where will be examined on selected, important changes for the professional.

2:05 - 2:20 p.m.

Break

2:20 - 3:10 p.m.

E1 - Excel Budgeting and Financial Reporting (A&A)

J. Carlton Collins, CPA, ASA Research, Norcross, Ga.

CPAs will learn how to use Excel’s linear and exponential regression to create

budgets based on prior year actual data. The case study starts with data exported

from QuickBooks and Dynamics GP (Great Plains), and ends by generating a

consolidated, seasonally adjusted budget, including balance sheet and cash

flow projections. Included is coverage of 15 important measures to improve your

reporting function, and making your reports more readable, informative, and

beneficial to your organization.

E2 - Top 10 A&A Issues for CPAs in Industry (A&A)

Cecil “Pat” Patterson, Jr., CPA, MBA, CPE for CPAs, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Explore hot topics from the most recently issued FASB Updates, the AICPA’s

Clarity Project and its impact on industry, and the SSARS 21 changes for financial

statements that are prepared, compiled, or reviewed. Also covered will be the

ongoing impact of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the

convergence of international standards into the accounting and auditing principles

of the U.S. The COSO revisions will also be discussed, including the aspects of

cloud computing on industry.

3:10 - 3:20 p.m.

Break

7 - 8 a.m.

Registration and Continental Breakfast

8 - 8:05 a.m.

Welcome and Announcements

8:05 - 9:20 a.m.

G - Scary Trends, Ethics and Uncommon Sense

Karl Ahlrichs, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Business Learning Institute, Towson, Md.

Where are we going, who will we be working with, and what do we need to know when we

get there? As we move forward, it is helpful to look beyond the basics and take a strategic

view of the world of Human Capital. This fast-paced session offers multiple viewpoints

on ethics, leadership and the generations and shares skills you will need to maintain your

competitive advantage. Engage in a strategic discussion, offering the view from 35,000

feet with occasional dips to ground level.

9:20 - 9:35 a.m.

Break

3:20 - 4:35 p.m.

F1 - ACA Reporting for Employers

Ashley Gillihan, Esq., Alston and Bird, Atlanta, Ga.

Revisit the reporting requirements established by the Affordable Care Act for

employers. The ACA created two new Internal Revenue Code Sections—Sections

6055 and 6056—that require certain employers to report information regarding the

health insurance they offer to employees and former employees. The requirements

are complex. Fortunately, the IRS is taking it easy on employers with respect to

2015 reporting but stricter standards may apply for 2016. The goal is to be able

to more easily identify which employers must report and what it is that they are

required to report.

F2 - Financial Statement Analysis (A&A)

Cecil “Pat” Patterson, Jr., CPA, MBA, CPE for CPAs, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Financial statement analysis is a method or process involving specific techniques

for evaluating risks, performance, financial health, and future prospects of an

organization. Various methods of financial statement analysis will be discussed

and commented on for appropriate usage, including fundamental analysis; DuPont

analysis; horizontal and vertical analysis. Financial ratios—liquidity, profitability,

activity, and leverage ratios—will be discussed and are typically analyzed over time

and across competitors in an industry.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

9:35 - 10:25 a.m.

H – Risks to the Economic Outlook

Thomas J. Cunningham, Ph.D., Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta, Ga.

Address the outlook for the overall economy and Metro Atlanta with an emphasis on the

risks to that outlook, both for the macro economy and more specifically for the Metro.

10:25 - 10:35 a.m.

Break

10:35 - 11:50 a.m.

I - CFO Versus HR: Thinking Inside the Box

Karl Ahlrichs, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Business Learning Institute, Towson, Md.

As CFOs rise in power within organizations, the rest of the company can become puzzled

by the mindset and decision style of the financial leader. These departments, through solid

metrics and a strategic alignment with the bottom line, can make a significant impact on

the organization. Build your understanding and communication patterns needed to help

other departments understand the CFO, and give the CFO data to better communicate.

11:50 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.

Lunch

Outstanding Member in Industry Award Presentation

12:50 - 2:05 p.m.

J1 - The Latest News from the World of Federal Tax

Charles L. Webb, CPA, Habif, Arogetti and Wynne, LLP, Atlanta, Ga.

Get caught up on the latest news from the federal tax world and how it will impact your

business. Learn about the new changes to the tax code from the Protecting Americans

from Tax Hikes Act, including the R&D Tax Credit being made permanent and more. Hear

about recent court cases and current legislation, and get tips on how to deal with the

cash-strapped IRS. You’ll walk away from this presentation with a better understanding of

the current state of the tax world, how your company will be affected for better or worse

and what you can do to make the most of the current tax environment.

J2 - What the Finalized Leasing Standard Means to Leases (A&A)

Jim Martin, CPA, CGMA, MAcc, Real World Seminars of GA, LLC, Atlanta, Ga.

The FASB has decided that most leases, predominantly commercial space and equipment

leases, must be reflected on GAAP basis balance sheets in 2019-2020 (with early

implementation available immediately). This pronouncement is expected to have a trillion

dollar impact on balance sheets of U.S. companies, not to mention the additional work

accountants in public and private practice must perform to make this “concept” a reality.

This presentation approaches the new leasing standard from the perspective of a lessee

and the lessee’s external accounting advisor.

2:05 - 2:20 p.m.

Break

2:20 - 3:10 p.m.

K1 - Cost Transformation and Management

Nancy Marc-Thrasybule, CPA, CGMA, AICPA, Durham, N.C.

Companies need strategies for cost competitiveness to survive in the long

term, including the sustained identification and reduction of waste across the

organization, while freeing up resource to invest in customer focused innovation

that will drive future value for stakeholders. A variety of tools, techniques and

frameworks are available to management accountants to help them manage

costs and attain sustainable cost efficiencies. Receive an overview of several

tools and frameworks, explore case studies and discuss good practices.

K2 - Internal Controls (That Work) for Small Business (A&A)

Jim Martin, CPA, CGMA, MAcc, Real World Seminars of GA, LLC, Atlanta, Ga.

The emphasis of this discussion is to provide CPAs with some real world

guidance as to effective and efficient internal controls that can be implemented

by your client without hiring additional staff. Be a hero to your client by helping

them increase internal control without increasing costs.

3:10 - 3:20 p.m.

Break

3:20 - 4:35 p.m.

L1 - A Cyber Firestorm is Brewing: Cyber, Network, Data, Breach -

Is Your Company Next?

Ralph A. Pasquariello, CLCS, Snellings Walters Insurance Agency, Atlanta, Ga.

Join us as we take a deep dive into cyber risks. Discussion will focus on: how to

protect your company; how much a breach costs; whether or not crime policies

help; how to detect a breach; whether a cloud service will help; what to do

after you’ve been breached; who is responsible to pay what damages; is HIPAA

compliance enough?; what size companies are at risk; types of information

insurance covers; critical controls; how to determine if you are covered for

criminal cyber activities; and how you can be compliant and still negligent.

L2 - Small Business Fraud: The Lesson Behind the Stories (A&A)

Jim Martin, CPA, CGMA, MAcc, Real World Seminars of GA, LLC, Atlanta, Ga.

According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, financial statement

fraud, combined with misappropriation of assets, costs businesses 5-6 percent

of their top line each year. While some can debate the exact amount, no one

can deny the extensive existence of fraud in the workplace. Explore a multitude

of methods by which financial statements are intentionally misstated and

assets are misappropriated, and procedures that internal or external auditors or

management can employ to detect and/or prevent them.

CALL GSCPA CPE Department at 404-504-2985 or 800-330-8889, Opt. 3 to place

a credit card order

FAX a completed registration form with credit card information to GSCPA at 404-237-1291

INTERNET registration available at www.gscpa.org

MAIL your completed registration with credit card information or check made payable to

The Georgia Society of CPAs to:

The Georgia Society of CPAs

Six Concourse Parkway, Suite 800

Atlanta, GA 30328

REGISTER TODAY!

REGISTRATION

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations/Transfers made up to three weeks before the seminar or conference will not incur an administration fee. Cancellations/Transfers made during the Standard Fee time frame are subject to a $50 administration fee. Cancellations/Transfers made within three business days are subject to a $100 administration fee for members; $150 for nonmembers. Cancellations/No shows on the date of the event forfeit the entire registration fee. No refunds or transfers of course fee will be made after the date of the event.

Event Code: 13005, 13006, 13007

Turn Form Over for Breakout Session Selections & Payment Information

Name MI Last Member #

Company/Firm Name

Address

City State Zip

Phone Fax Email

Registration Confirmation: Mail OR Email

Check here if registration includes a change of address:

PRICING INFORMATIONCourse Number Member

Early FeeMember StandardMember Late Fee

Nonmember Early Fee

Nonmember StandardNonmember Late Fee

13005 - Both Days $365 by 3/31$425 from 4/1-15$465 after 4/15

$465 by 3/31$525 from 4/1-4/15$565 after 4/15

13006 - Thursday Only $255 by 3/31$315 from 4/1-15$355 after 4/15

$355 by 3/31$415 from 4/1-4/15$455 after 4/15

13007 - Friday Only $255 by 3/31$315 from 4/1-15$355 after 4/15

$355 by 3/31$415 from 4/1-4/15$455 after 4/15

LS13005 - Both Days $365 by 3/31$425 from 4/1-15$465 after 4/15

$465 by 3/31$525 from 4/1-4/15$565 after 4/15

LS13006 - Thursday $255 by 3/31$315 from 4/1-15$355 after 4/15

$355 by 3/31$415 from 4/1-4/15$455 after 4/15

LS13007 - Friday $255 by 3/31$315 from 4/1-15$355 after 4/15

$355 by 3/31$415 from 4/1-4/15$455 after 4/15

PAYMENT INFORMATION

Card Number Expiration Date

Name as it appears on card

Signature

Use Money on Account

Check for $___________ made payable to The Georgia Society of CPAs

Amount to charge credit card $___________ Personal Card OR Company Card

Discover MasterCard AmEx Visa

BREAKOUT SESSIONSTHURSDAY, APRIL 21

12:50 - 2:05 p.m.

D1 - Excel for CPAs: Tips, Tricks and Traps

D2 - FASB Update for CPAs in Industry (A&A)

2:20 - 3:10 p.m.

E1 - Excel Budgeting and Financial Reporting (A&A)

E2 - Top 10 A&A Issues for CPAs in Industry (A&A)

3:20 - 4:35 p.m.

F1 - ACA Reporting for Employers

F2 - Financial Statement Analysis (A&A)

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

12:50 - 2:05 p.m.

J1 - The Latest News from the World of Federal Tax

J2 - What the Finalized Leasing Standard Means to Leases (A&A)

2:20 - 3:10 p.m.

K1 - Cost Transformation and Management

K2 - Internal Controls (That Work) for Small Business (A&A)

3:20 - 4:35 p.m.

L1 - A Cyber Firestorm is Brewing: Cyber, Network, Data, Breach - Is Your Company Next?

L2 - Small Business Fraud: The Lesson Behind the Stories (A&A)

Choose one session per time slot

In-Person Attendance OR LiveStream Attendance

MATERIALS Download eMaterials No printed materials provided at the conference

Printed Materials Will receive printed materials at the conference

Choose how you wish to receive conference materials

Live Stream Attendees will receive eMaterials

If you have a specific dietary or other need, please contact the CPE Department at least one

week prior to the conference at 404-504-2985 or 800-330-8889, Opt. 3.

If you have special needs under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please attach a

written description or call 404-504-2985 or 800-330-8889, Opt. 3.

ITEMS TO NOTE

TASK FORCECHAIR:Jan H. Rowell, CPA, Rollins, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.

VICE CHAIR:R. Dale Cooper, CPA, MTX, Georgia Transmission Corporation, Tucker, Ga.

MEMBERS:Lisa G. Killinger-Farmer, CPA, L2 Finance and Accounting Solutions, LLC,

Atlanta, Ga.

Carol F. Lindberg, CPA, Sandy Springs, Ga.

FACILITYCobb Galleria Centre2 Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, Ga. 30339

770-989-5095

Directions: http://tinyurl.com/cobbgalleria

HOTELRenaissance Waverly Hotel2450 Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, Ga. 30339

770-953-4500

Website: www.renaissancewaverly.com

*GSCPA does not have a room block established at any hotel

PHOTOGRAPHYBy attending this event, you are demonstrating your permission to allow your photo

to be taken and published in GSCPA marketing, promotional and web materials.

Decis

ion

Mak

ers

Co

nfe

ren

ce

Six

Co

nco

urs

e P

arkw

ayS

uit

e 8

00

Atl

anta

, G

A 3

03

28

Th

e G

eorg

ia S

ocie

tyof

CPA

sN

on

pro

fit

Org

aniz

atio

nU

.S.

Po

stag

eP

AID

Atl

anta

, G

eo

rgia

Pe

rmit

No

. 13

66