AAFCPAs to Present Three Educational Sessions at National Business Officers Association (NBOA) Conference for Independent Schools

AAFCPAs has been selected again to present educational workshops on three important topics at the National Business Officers Association’s (NBOA) 2018 Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN on March 4 – 7.  This is a must-attend conference for business officers and other independent school leaders, providing exceptional professional development programming and networking opportunities for over 1,000 independent school professionals from across the country.

Training Your Board to be Better Fiduciaries

AAFCPAs Partner John Buckley, CPA along with AAFCPAs’ client Cynthia Fanikos, Chief Financial Officer, Saint John’s Preparatory School (Danvers, MA) will present a 75-minute, interactive workshop to explore opportunities to cultivate strong governance, and build educated and committed boards.
You rely on your board to keep your school fiscally strong and viable. However, one of the fundamental challenges many boards have is that they lack a strong understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Business officers may be a catalyst for their board’s transformation. John and Cindy will provide insight for business officers on how to inspire a deeper level of learning for board members. They will discuss the key considerations in training your board so members are better positioned to understand the financials, identify and track meaningful school health indicators, ensure adequate control mechanisms, approve the budget, and oversee your school’s regulatory compliance.
AAFCPAs understands the importance of board involvement and each member’s complete financial comprehension in ensuring a thriving nonprofit.  AAFCPAs Partners and many employees contribute their financial expertise on boards of all sizes as a way of living the firm’s core value of community service. We are happy to share our expertise with the NBOA.

Delivering the Numbers to Your School’s Diverse Constituencies

AAFCPAs Partner Tom Muldoon, CPA, CGMA along with AAFCPAs’ clients Tim Parson, Director of Finance and Operations, and Joanne McDaniel, Associate Director of Finance, Beaver Country Day School (Chestnut Hill, MA) will present a 75-minute, interactive workshop to explore best practices in identifying and presenting financial reports and key performance indicators (KPIs) that are most meaningful to each of your key constituents.
Financial reports and KPIs inform your constituents about the performance and disposition of your school. These resources influence key decisions made by faculty, administration, parents, donors, and board members. Business officers must effectively communicate financial data to these diverse stakeholders, many of whom may not have extensive experience with financial/accounting matters.
AAFCPAs helps clients interpret the meaning behind the financial statements, KPIs, and ratios. We deliver meaningful presentations and insightful reports to management, appropriate committees and boards of directors. This ensures strategic business decisions are supported by sound financial data, and adds confidence to decision making and risk taking. We are happy to provide this practical guidance to school business officers.

Fiduciary Guidance for Employee Benefit-Plan Sponsors

AAFCPAs Partner Tom Muldoon, CPA, CGMA will present 15-minute Goldmine Sessions, providing attendees with an enhanced understanding of regulations and common risk areas to better manage your fiduciary responsibilities.
Employee retirement-plan sponsors take on substantial personal risks. As a decision maker you are a fiduciary, personally liable for the prudent management of someone else’s money. Continually changing regulations for employee benefit plans have made compliance increasingly complex, with significant risks for penalties and other associated liabilities.
AAFCPAs provides proactive guidance to retirement plan fiduciaries, helping to protect the financial integrity of employee benefit plans and ensure adequate plan assets exists to meet obligations to employees. We are happy to share our expertise on this important issue facing school business officers.
Learn more about the 2018 NBOA Annual Meeting. >> 
Please feel free to spread the word so others may benefit from these helpful professional development sessions.
AAFCPAs is a proud member of NBOA, where the nation’s independent school leaders gather to promote best practices and standards of excellence across all business operations, including finance, admissions, human resources, information technology, and facilities.

About the Authors

John Buckley CPA
John is the leader of AAFCPAs’ Educational Services practice, serving diverse academic and education services clients spanning independent schools, colleges/universities, special education schools, education services, charter schools and charter management organizations (CMOs). John chairs AAFCPAs’ Risk Committee and oversees the firm’s Enterprise Risk Management Program, ensuring proper practices are in place to surface, understand, and manage priority risks. Additionally, John performs various types of fraud audits for clients, including cash disbursement, credit card fraud, and falsifying employee reimbursement. He has been asked to serve as an expert witness for several attorneys involved in fraud cases.
Thomas Muldoon CPA
Tom specializes in providing assurance, tax, and business consulting services to sophisticated nonprofit organizations, including: multi-service human & social service organizations, early education and care (EEC) agencies, independent schools, Massachusetts Chapter 766 schools, and higher education institutions. Tom specializes in audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, Government Auditing Standards, Uniform Guidance and program-specific audits, as well as the Massachusetts Uniform Financial Report (UFR). Tom is a member of AAFCPAs’ Revenue Recognition Task Force, providing consulting solutions to clients for the efficient and effective implementation of the new ASU, including: assessing the impact of the new standards, and guidance throughout the transition process.