CPE Catalog & Events

Project Management is not the same as workflow management, and a project manager is more than a task master. Driving change, leading a team and managing client engagements requires a great deal of organization and planning. Successfully launching a new technology, onboarding clients, developing a new service line ... all takes more than a checklist of to-do items. You need to monitor risks and opportunities. You need to gain buy-in to drive adoption. Proper scoping and projections help keep projects on course, and not become a costly experiment that gets shoved to the back burner. Project managers are trained in analyzing the data while also managing people. In this session explore basic project management best practices and mindset to more effectively managing change in your firm.Speaker - Samantha Mansfield/Jessica Hartsfield

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Personality Styles - Adapting to Different Types of Personalities for Improved Relationships and Interactions provides guidance for effectively adapting to various personality styles. Every individual has a dominant personality style, which includes relevant strengths and weaknesses. Effective interactions require individuals to adapt behaviors to complement, balance or counteract the traits of others. Note: This course is recommended as a part of a 8-hour audit skills curriculum for managers, while it is also appropriate for anyone who has responsibilities for interacting with others. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Jennifer F. Louis, CPA

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Employees drive the written and unwritten culture at your organization. Understanding the key workplace issues and how to solve them in today's environment can maximize the returns that employees provide for an organization. We take a deep dive into the research behind the larger issues with our workforce and discuss multiple practical solutions that will enhance your leadership and growth. How can we realize the most from our staff?Speaker - Robert Mims, CPA

Organizations of all sizes often fail to successfully install needed foundational components of an internal control system. Whether large or small, entities must view policies, procedures, and all controls in a wholistic manner in order to develop a system of controls that will keep the entity on its intended course. Moreover, those that design policies and procedures benefit by knowing why control measures are necessary. This session sets forth internal control concepts and explains the importance of strong internal control policies. It provides an understanding of the interrelated nature of all controls created by any organization. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Karl Egnatoff, CPA.CITP

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One of the most important aspect of transforming your practice or business to a digital model is to know how to prioritize the applications and initiatives that you focus on and invest in. There is an abundance of "low hanging fruit" initiatives that can provide useful benefits quickly and economically. Using Microsoft Teams meeting app is a perfect example. Chances are pretty good that you are already investing in Microsoft 365 subscriptions for your office. This course will show you how to use the Microsoft 365 subscription ROI by fully utilizing the meeting app and eliminate the unnecessary cost of a separate third-party meeting app. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - John Higgins, CPA.CITP

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This intensive 2-hour course is designed specifically for those aiming to master data management skills in the modern business environment. As data becomes increasingly central to accounting and financial analysis, the ability to effectively manage, clean, and transform this data is critical. This course delves into Microsoft Power Query, a potent tool within Excel and Power BI Desktop, known for its robust data processing capabilities. This course is designed to take participants from the basics of Power Query to exploring its more sophisticated features. It is an ideal blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application, centered around diverse data scenarios encountered in multiple industries. The aim is to ensure that the skills and techniques learned are universally applicable and beneficial in any professional context. Structured to be participant-focused, the course encourages active learning through a series of practical exercises, live demonstrations, and illustrative case studies. This approach not only deepens the understanding of Power Query's features but also demonstrates how to turn complex data sets into actionable insights. While the course is broad in its application, it remains detailed in its instruction, catering to both the novice and the seasoned professional. It is particularly beneficial for those who regularly interact with data, such as business analysts, project managers, and financial professionals, providing them with the tools to streamline data processes and enhance data analysis capabilities. Additionally, the course underscores best practices in data management. Participants will learn strategic approaches to data challenges, ensuring that their data processes are efficient, scalable, and sustainable. This is not just a course about mastering a tool; it's about empowering professionals with the skills to transform data into a strategic business resource. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to leverage Power Query in Excel or Power BI desktop to its full potential, turning data into a powerful driver for business success and innovation. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

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Most Staff Accountants learned Excel in college and many others learned Excel on their own, however most users never learned the important productivity tips that help them build spreadsheets more efficiently. This course will teach new and experienced users how to leverage the many productivity tools built within Excel in order to build spreadsheets with maximum effectiveness. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

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This course is designed to assist practitioners in preparing Offers in Compromise (OIC). After this course, you should have an understanding of how proper planning can make a significant difference in the amount eventually paid to the IRS and the resulting financial well-being of your client. This program covers the basics, from choosing the proper forms to utilize through the filing of an appeal if necessary. We will also explain how to increase your chances of having your OIC approved by the IRS by going over the complexities involved.

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With the largest overhaul of the federal income tax code in 30 years and the repeal of the physical presence nexus standards for sales tax in the Wayfair case, the states are working fast and furious to overhaul their tax laws. As some states scramble to fund their budgets, they continue to look for additional forms of revenue. Plan to attend this fast-paced class that covers developing topics in state taxation, ranging from individuals to pass-through entities to corporate taxpayers. This class will focus on issues of small and middle-market companies and offer guidance for minimizing tax liability and negotiating the treacherous waters of compliance.

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The amount of electronic content that business organizations contend with is growing at incredible rates. Terms like "Big Data" and "Information Overload", are being used by overwhelmed information workers on a daily basis. Additionally, because of the move to a much larger telecommuter footprint, electronic data is now even more prevalently utilized. This session discusses the places that businesses keep digital information and addresses the importance of securing corporate electronic data. The material effectively shows ways to achieve high security standards for content stored in fixed locations, on mobile devices and in the cloud. Participants in this session will gain an understanding of the concepts needed to improve the way they, and their companies secure digital information. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Karl Egnatoff, CPA.CITP

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The Art of Discipline and Getting Things Done - Applying Better Time, Team, and Project Management Techniques provides best practices for various areas that support this culture of discipline, including time, team, and project management. Those in a supervisory or managerial role must create a culture of discipline, where a high priority is placed in accomplishing responsibilities in an effective and efficient manner. Note: This course is recommended as a part of an 8-hour audit skills curriculum for managers, while it is also appropriate for anyone who has responsibilities for project and time management. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Jennifer F. Louis, CPA

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A personal brand is your story. Having a well-defined personal brand can help you not only cultivate powerful connections but also set you apart. Explore the integral components to building a strong brand and gain strategies to help you create your own marketable personal brand.

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We know that effective communication is essential to growing a career and a business. But we often don't take time to think through, concsiously, about how we communicate and how small changes could change the trajectory of our messages. This workshop is designed to give you a survey of multiple communication strategies and mistakes to avoid. We start by discussing how people make decisions--which is important to understand in the context of business communication and communication in the workplace. We then transition into common communication mistakes and actionable tools and tactics that you can use to overcome and avoid these mishaps. Speaker - Jill Schiefelbein

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A team member is not performing satisfactorily.  Tried several corrective actions – none worked.  We must dig to determine the root causes.  We will review a 15-step process to assess all the reasons why they are not performing, so you can reduce and hopefully eliminate performance issues.  Proper planning is essential.  If none of the remedies or suggestions work, we will review how to part ways.  The sooner you address the issues, the sooner the situation can improve.  If you have had one employee problem, this session is for you.   Speaker - Don Minges

This course begins with a look at the GASB standards effective this year, including GASB 100, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections and GASB 101, Compensated Absences. We'll include practical application of the topics in the form of case studies. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Melisa F. Galasso, CPA

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If you... - Produce or revise dashboards and reports - Find your current reports and dashboards confusing - Are frustrated by the length, complexity and structure of your existing reports - Have many different styles of dashboards and reports in use and want to simplify things - Need to create a consistent “house style” that can be replicated by different teams - Want to look like a star by creating reports and dashboards that your internal customers love ... this workshop can help. In this session we explore the principles of what makes reports and dashboards easy, or hard, to understand, distil this into a simple set of rules and show you how to apply these rules using Excel. Speaker - Bernie Smith

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Professional Athletes have multiple coaches - business people rarely utilize coaches. This course will focus on creating the coaching skills that are required to raise the performance of your employees. Coaching Model / Strategies Successful Communication Techniques Root Cause Analysis Performance Gap Analysis Personality impact on coaching model. Speaker - James Lindell

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Stay up-to-date on rapidly changing developments by participating in the 2024 Governmental Accounting and Auditing Update! Take advantage of this opportunity to find out about breaking government issues. This is your opportunity to hear about the latest challenges facing state and local governments and practitioners who work with them and audit them, presented by leading experts on governmental accounting and auditing, both those who work in the trenches and those from the regulatory world. With all of the fiscal, regulatory, and new standards challenges facing governments and their auditors, it is important to keep current on critical issues and developments. In 2024, governments and their auditors continue to operate in a rapidly changing environment as they continue to face the many challenges associated with significant federal funding with complex requirements. From a governmental accounting, auditing, and compliance perspective, 2024 will be a critical year for addressing the complex federal funding challenges as well as focusing on implementing new standards and requirements! Plus, it is imperative that you start planning for the significant changes coming in 2024 and beyond! Exciting new topics this year include focused discussions on addressing the new GASB pronouncement on risk disclosures and the GAO’s 2024 Yellow Book! You’ll receive an update on the most recent accounting and auditing developments affecting governments and government auditors. This includes Single Audit issues, AICPA and Yellow Book issues, new and recently effective GASB pronouncements, audit issues, and a look at what’s on the horizon. Join ACPEN’s panel of experts as they discuss, not only the technical requirements of new standards, but also the key implementation issues that must be addressed by auditors and their governmental clients! Benefit from their experience and insights from many perspectives, as well as their long experience in governmental accounting and auditing. **Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Course Materials Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com. Speaker - Frank Crawford, Joel Black, William Blend, Carole Burgess, Robert Scott

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Attracting and retaining staff is critical to an organization's success, especially in the age of the millennial worker who will change jobs multiple times in the course of a career. This course will focus on best practices for nurturing the human element of your organization, especially millennial workers who comprise a growing percentage or the workforce. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Jennifer F. Louis, CPA

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The topic of internal control has long been an issue for business. Management may view internal control as a set of forms, checklists, and templates that auditors require. However, internal control is much more. Since the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), internal control (especially over financial reporting) has become a major focus for all organizations, regardless of their status as public, private, not-for-profit, sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. It is essential that managers understand and establish sound, effective, and proper internal controls for operations, compliance, and financial processes within the organization. Internal control can truly provide ultimate organizational value. Internal controls are defined as the mechanisms, rules, and procedures implemented by a company to ensure the integrity of financial and accounting information, promote accountability, and prevent fraud. Internal controls are a means by which an organization’s resources are directed, monitored, and measured. This includes operational and compliance activities. It plays an important role in preventing and detecting fraud and protecting the organization’s resources. Internal control is affected by an organization’s structure, work and authority flows, people, and information systems, and is designed to help the organization accomplish specific goals or objectives. For instance, a small organization with limited resources may not be able to segregate duties with the same rigor that a larger organization can. However, that does not give small organizations an excuse to ignore the importance of that control. They must find other ways to mitigate potential issues. In any event, internal control is part of an organization’s overall responsibility and requires due diligence to ensure its operations are effective. Management is the “keeper” and “inventor” of internal controls and must take ownership. Speaker - Lynn Fountain