Hello fellow Akron Chapter Members I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and taking some well-deserved time away from work. So that you and I can both continue to enjoy the weather, I will make my message short this month.
The Board is in the process of finalizing the speakers and locations for this coming year. The December Professional Development Session is scheduled for Friday, December 7th. Mark your calendars now to attend this event.
The CMA Review Course is schedule to begin on September 15th. Studies have shown that those with certifications earn more over their lifetime and receive higher starting salaries. So why not make it a goal this year to become certified. Contact Steve Law if you are interested.
You should have received an e-mail from Paul Sharman about a survey IMA is conducting to identify, understand and meet the needs of management accounting and finance professionals worldwide. As an added incentive to participate, they are having a drawing for American Express Gift Certificates. If you accidentally deleted this e-mail, you can find the survey at: http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi? p=U274CBVL7PPZ Please take a few minutes to complete this important survey.
Ron Riebe, Past President, spoke at IMA's 88th Annual Conference & Exposition in Phoenix last month. His breakfast topic was, "Partnering for Profitability." He also accepted the award for the Chapter's 11th Place Stevenson Award on behalf of the chapter. Thank you, Ron, for representing the Chapter! Next years Conference will be in Tampa on June 14-18, 2008.

Happy Summer!
Doreen Kuster
President
Akron Chapter IMA

9/19/2007
10/17/2007
11/14/2007
12/7/2007 PD Seminar
1/8/2008 Joint Meeting with ASWA
1/16/2008 No Pre-Tech
2/20/2008
3/19/2008
4/16/2008
5/21/2008

The Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation provides corporate management and individual Members with an objective measure of knowledge and competence in the field of management accounting.The CMA is an invaluable credential for professional advancement and for broadening professional skills and perspective.

For further information contact: E-mail Steve Law (at Home)

or E-mail Steve Law (at Work) or phone (330) 666-8395.

JOB TITLE: TAX ACCOUNTANT
REPORTS TO: Manager, Tax and Payroll
DIRECT REPORTS: None
PEERS: Finance Department associates
RELATIONSHIPS: Interacts with Tax Manager, outside Tax Authorities, Finance Managers, Danaher Corporate Tax Department, Systems Department, Commercial Sales Department, and other Departments and associates within the organization.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Tax Accountant will assist the Tax/Payroll Manager in the following: Insuring that various tax returns are accurately prepared and that tax information is available for Company and Danaher compliance with regulatory requirements. This position will be responsible for the preparation of State Income/Franchise Tax Returns, Sales and Use Tax Returns, Personal Property Tax Returns, Workers Compensation Returns, Annual Reports and the Federal Tax Package as well as tax related journal entries and account reconciliations. The Tax Accountant will conduct tax research on various issues and processes at the detail level as needed. The Tax Accountant will also participate in Sarbanes- Oxley testing and documentation and maintain related accounting process narratives.

CAREER PROGRESSIONS / PROMOTABLE TO: This person must desire an upwardly mobile career path to a higher level Tax accounting manager position. Ability to relocate is also desirable and may be necessary for advancement.

If you would like more information, please contact me (Dave Hartsook of Matco) at 330 926-5541 or at dave.hartsook@matcotools.com.
Candidates should respond directly to our Human Resources department by email at opportunities@matcotools.com, by fax at (330) 926- 5330, or by mail at:
Human Resources
Matco Tools
4403 Allen Road
Stow, OH 44224

Please contact Roy Howarter if you have a job available or are looking for an employment opportunity.

Roy Howarter - Akron IMA Employment Director, 1- 800-321-5583

Do you feel like you spend much of your workday attempting to sort out interpersonal issues between members of your accounting staff? If so, you've got company. In a recent Accountemps survey, senior executives were asked this question: "What percentage of time is wasted resolving staff personality conflicts?" The mean response was 18 percent - almost a fifth - of a managers' time

As a group leader, it's critical to prepare for conflict and nip it in the bud when it arises. Left unchecked, differences in employees' temperaments, abilities and work styles can damage morale, decrease productivity and lead to departmental disharmony. Following are tips for diffusing conflict and fostering a friendly and collegial environment:

Know when to intervene. Even the best employees occasionally have their moments; and minor tiffs can likely be resolved without your assistance. If you notice that two staffers frequently butt heads, however, step in and call a meeting. Listen objectively to their respective concerns and help them find a workable resolution. While you should guide the discussion to get to the root of the discord, make it clear that it is their responsibility to prevent distracting disputes in the future.

Put problem employees in their place. It's important to step in and take corrective action quickly and assertively if a someone on your team is exhibiting negative behavior, such as undermining colleagues, spreading rumors or failing to contribute to team initiatives. Pull the offending party aside privately and inform him or her that the ability to collaborate and treat coworkers with respect is a core requirement of the job. Acting quickly to deal with difficult employees will go a long way toward keeping adversarial personalities in check and maintaining a pleasant work environment.

Offer positive reinforcement. Shining the spotlight on your office's best team players is another smart move. Consider doling out praise and choice assignments to individuals who possess the qualities you want others to emulate. Doing so will send the message that you value professionals with well- developed people skills.

Even if you supervise a team that generally gets along well, you'll occasionally need to address complaints and referee disagreements. By remaining attuned to your staff and not being afraid to face interpersonal issues when they surface, you can mitigate conflict swiftly and effectively.

Accountemps is the world's first and largest temporary staffing service specializing in the placement of accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. The company has more than 350 offices throughout North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and offers online job search services at www.accountemps.com.

For a complete record of CPE earned at Akron chapter pre-tech, tech session and PD seminar meetings (from September 2000 through May 2007), go to the chapter website, www.akron.imanet.org, click on "Events", and then click on "CPE History" (bottom of page). The link shows date of meeting, name of speaker, title of presentation, CPE categorization, and number of hours of CPE credit earned.

This summer, we are updating the Membership Roster section of the Annual Program Book, which will be distributed in September. As a source document for membership information, Ken Bechtol is using a chapter dump dated 7-3-07. Please review your information on the IMA National website by going to www.imanet.org and then following this path in the "Members Only" block at the lower left-hand side of the screen: Username (your IMA account number, found above your name on the label of Strategic Finance magazine), Password (usually your last name, unless you changed your password), click "Go", and click "My Profile". When screen displays your information, update any necessary changes to your "Home" & "Business" addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail address, and review your "Demographics" data. Be sure to logout after your website update. If you changed any personal information on your website entry, please notify Ken Bechtol (Ken.Bechtol@davey.com) because he will be using the 7-3-07 chapter dump information for the membership roster section of the Program Book, unless you notify him differently. This section will reflect your name, any credential designations (CMA, CFM, CPA, etc.), employer name, work phone and e- mail address. If you would rather display your home phone number and e-mail address (rather than work information), please advise Ken Bechtol accordingly by August 15.

email: floyd@sssnet.com

web: http://akron.imanet.org