Non-Conference Education
The mission of the WFOA Education Committee is to provide Washington public entities and their staff with professional training in finance, budgeting, accounting, reporting, and other relevant fields. This professional training provides budget and finance professionals the opportunity to meet face-to-face, exchange ideas with others, and enhance their knowledge which will assist them in promoting the professional management of government financial resources. The professional educational opportunities also enable our members to maintain their status as Professional Finance Officers, CPAs, and/or other similar professional designations. If you would like to join the Education Committee or have questions about educational courses offered, please contact the Education Chair at educationcommittee@wfoa.org.
Upcoming 2025 Educational Opportunities
WFOA – Training Opportunities
Introduction to BARS - In person class
October 28, 2025
8:30am - 5:00pm
Rose Hill Community Center
304 Lincoln Ave Mukilteo, WA 98275
$175 Member / $225 Non-Member
This class will be presented in person. Specialists from the Office of the Washington State Auditor will present an overview of the BARS Manual and the reporting requirements for the governments that use it. This class is intended for both cash and GAAP basis governments. The State Auditor’s Office presents the course materials for people with varying levels of governmental accounting knowledge and experience, from novice to expert.
After taking this class, attendees will be able to:
- Explain the purpose of the BARS Manual and why it is required
- Navigate and search the BARS Manual
- Employ fund accounting, including identifying and evaluating fund types
- Identify the four types of interfund activities
- Use the BARS Chart of Accounts and generate BARS codes as prescribed
- Understand the annual online filing reporting requirements
Please bring a laptop or other device to participate in the class exercise.
Register NowThwarting ACH Fraud - Why even your best efforts may not be Enough
November 4, 2025
9:00am - 12:00pm
$75 Member / $100 Non-Member
This class will be presented online. Join industry experts and your peers as we talk through various aspects of setting up, maintaining, and protecting your ACH process. We will discuss physical and digital safety along with best practices for both AP and Payroll for setting up and maintaining ACH payments.
The speakers for this webinar bring a unique blend of public sector, financial services, and fraud prevention expertise, offering participants well-rounded insight into effective financial management and risk mitigation. Together, they represent decades of combined experience spanning city finance, auditing, and banking operations, ensuring a practical and informative training for attendees.
Jessie Fleming currently serves as the Accounting Manager for the City of Kirkland, where she oversees the City’s Accounting Division and coordinates the preparation of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR). With over a decade of government finance experience, Jessie previously worked for the Washington State Auditor’s Office auditing local governments and serving as both a Single Audit Program Manager and Fraud Specialist. She holds both an MBA and BBA from Gonzaga University, is a Certified Fraud Examiner, and teaches in Gonzaga’s Master of Accountancy program. Jessie brings a deep understanding of public sector accounting, internal controls, and fraud awareness.
Kasia Harvell has more than 30 years of experience in fraud risk management and financial controls within the banking industry. As the leader of the Wealth, Corporate, and Commercial Banking Fraud Risk Team at U.S. Bank, she focuses on customer education, root cause analysis, and developing strategies to prevent and mitigate fraud. Kasia works collaboratively across departments to strengthen enterprise-wide fraud prevention efforts and holds both CITS and CSAS certifications. Her expertise bridges technical fraud management with practical, real-world application.
Colleen Doyle is a Relationship Manager at U.S. Bank in Seattle, where she partners with government and higher education clients throughout Washington. Since joining U.S. Bank in 2019, Colleen has focused on enhancing client relationships, ensuring account security, and providing tailored financial solutions. She is passionate about helping public sector organizations identify and manage fraud risks, using her banking background to deliver resources and strategies that protect assets and support financial sustainability.
Schedule 06
Thursday, November 13, 2025
10:00am - 11:00am
$25 Member / $50 Non-Member
This class will be presented online. Specialists from the Office of the Washington State Auditor will present an overview of the Schedule 06, the Summary of Bank Reconciliations. This schedule is a required component of the annual report for all cash basis cities and counties. This training will cover a walkthrough of the schedule, common questions, troubleshooting tips and resources offered by our Office for the completion of the Schedule.
Public Funds Investing for Beginners Webinar
December 9, 2025
9:00am - 12:00pm
$75 Member / $100 Non-Member
This class will be presented online. Public Funds Investing Explained. There are many important questions facing public entities regarding their investments. The Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP) yield is beginning to drop and will likely fall further, but why is that happening? What are the main drivers of the LGIP yield, and interest rates more broadly, moving up or down at any given time? Perhaps most importantly, what can you do to diversify and protect your entity’s investments against interest rate movements?
This class will tackle all these topics and more, including:
• How the Federal Reserve impacts interest rates and your entity’s investments
• What public entities can invest in outside of the LGIP to provide diversification, namely bonds
• The basics of how bonds work as investments to provide stability and diversification to your portfolio
• How to structure your entity’s investments to meet the hierarchy of public funds investing needs of 1) Safety; 2) Liquidity; 3) Yield
The topic of investing can be complicated, but we break down these topics in easy-to-understand ways free from confusing jargon. This class is geared towards demystifying public funds investing and teaching you what you need to know to manage your entity’s investments safely and efficiently.
Intermediate Accounting Webinar
December 11, 2025
9:00am - 12:00pm
$75 Member / $100 Non-Member
This class will be presented online by Bret Brodersen. Bret is the Finance Director for the City of Centralia. He teaches accounting at the local community college. Bret is a current WFOA Board member, chair of the Professional Rules and Operational Standards Committee.
Class topics:
The Intermediate Accounting class will cover the basics of financial reporting. Included are:
Basic Financial Statements overview
Balance Sheets
Income Statements
Statement of Cash Flows
- Each attendee must register with their email
- Must be logged into the ZOOM webinar with their registered email
- Have the Zoom meeting on their active screen in order to answer the polling questions.
- Three polling questions will be administered for every 50 minutes in order to be eligible for 1 CPE. (Example – 4 hour session will have 12 polling questions).
Registration Cancelation Policy
Cancelation/substitution requests must be received in writing by Admin@wfoa.org. In-person events, a refund is available until 14 business days less a $20 administrative fee. Webinar events, a refund is available until 3 business days less a $20 or 25% of registration fee, whichever is less. No refund will be issued after the business days listed but can be appealed in writing. The appeal can take up to 45 days for determination. Substitutions after the business days listed may be allowed for a $10 fee.