The Calumet Accountant

The Calumet Hammond 081 Chapter of the IMA warmly welcomes our newest members.

Brandon Atkins

Phil Boldyn

Yoon Kyung Ha

Elizabeth Devries

Allison Friedrich

Derek Erny

Brendan Schafer

Nicole Wright

The Official Publication of the Calumet Chapter IMA 081 Hammond Serving Northwest Indiana and

the South Chicago Suburbs

Contents

Volume 68 issue 10 May 2013

Table Of Contents

Presidents Message ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3

Crossword ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

Board of Directors --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-6

Tech Tips ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7

Personal Development ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8

IMA and the CMA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9-16

Dear Friends:

In December 2012 Farhad Manjoo wrote an article for Slate magazine entitled The Greatest

Hoodie Ever Made. American Giant is a clothing manufacturer located in the United States. The

company sells its products over the web direct from the factory to the consumer, eliminating the

middleman. The basic American Giant Sweatshirt sells for $59 while the full zipped hooded

sweatshirt sells for $79. In the article, Manjoo describes several reasons that the hoodie made by

American Giant is the best ever. Quality material such as heavy cotton, fitted sizing, and innova-

tive side panels joining the fronts and backs. The side panel gives the hoodie mobility, it allows

you to raise your arm all the way up without feeling the whole coat ride up on you. It also insures

the hoodie against future expansion: As your stomach grows larger, the stretchy fabric will grow

along with it. A lot of details and thoughts went into distinguishing the American Giant brand.

In March 2013, Farhad Manjoo had a follow up article in Slate magazine entitled The Only Prob-

lem with the Greatest Hoodie Ever Made. The one problem was the original article went viral and

it became virtually impossible to get a hoodie from American Giant. In March American Giant es-

timated it would be back to fully stocked again in May. The BBC recently pointed to American Gi-

ant as an example of a catastrophic successa business whose instant overnight fame rockets it

into doom. American Giant has not failed and is still making garments today. The company plans

to be around for a long time to come. In the follow up article, Manjoo asked Bayard Winthrop

American Giants founder what happened to cause such an issue for the company. The bottom

line, for us, is that this wasnt about the failure of the supply chain, Winthrop says. It was about

planning. And if we plan correctly from now on, we should never be in that situation again.

We conclude this chapter year with some very exciting events; a night at the races on Saturday

May 18, 2013 and a presentation on the Affordable Health Care Act on Tuesday May 21, 2013 at Car-

los Restaurant 560 W Lincoln Highway (Route 30) in Chicago Heights Illinois. I ask you to take

some time and put some thought into what you would like to see the Calumet Chapter do in 2013-

2014. Currently we have a clean open slate so let me or any board member know your thoughts

about speakers, locations, topics, special events etc. With your help in planning the Calumet

Chapter can continue on with another successful year.

Regards,

Mark T. Camarena, CMA

President, Calumet Chapter IMA

Visit us online at http://www.imacalumet.com

630.530.6707 (W)

e-mail me anytime markt4121@gmail.com

Message from Mark T. Camarena, President

Color Me Green March 2013 Crossword Solution

Administration and Finance

Special Activities Director

Director in charge of coordinating special events

AV Tech Director

Director in charge of locating, setting up, and running audio and visual components for special events and meetings

Communications and Community Relations

Social Media Director

Director(s) in charge of website maintenance, Facebook and Linkedin maintenance

Community Relations Director

Director in charge of community outreach and coordinating community service for the Chapter

Chapter Historian

Director in charge of maintaining chapter documents, newsletters, roster books, and other relevant me-dia

Education and Professional Development

CPE Director

Director in charge of CPE certificate maintenance and record keeping

CMA Director

Director in charge of coordinating sponsor discounts for CMA candidates and encouraging members to take the CMA exam

Academic Relations Director

Director in charge of communicating with area professors about the IMA and the Chapter, and promoting and coordinating the Chapter as guest speakers for classes and accounting groups

Open Board Positions Be a part of something exceptional. The Board of the Calumet Hammond 081 Chapter is always in search of great talent. Joining the Board is an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your talent and build your professional network. Don't hesitate, join today and help build our Chapter into something brilliant. Please contact Mark Camarena at markt4121@gmail.com or Richard Mielcarz at mycarz17@aol.com for further information.

Calumet Chapter IMA

http://www.imacalumet.com

IMA Calumet

Institute of Management

Accountants-Calumet

Chapter

Officers and Directors 20112012

Mark Camarena - President 630-530-6707 (w) markt4121@gmail.com Jim Spice - Secretary 815-933-0491 (w) jaspice@citykankakee-il.gov Deb Heim - Treasurer 630-378-6308(w) debra.heim@patterson_medical.com Adolph Ferber - Vice President of Administration 219-322-5848 (h) adolphferber@att.net Richard Mielcarz Vice President of Communications and New Member Chair 708-799-6234 (h) mycarz17@aol.com Bill Biller - Vice President of Professional Education 219-765-3587 (h) biller6625@comcast.net Anthony Fontana Vice President of Membership Retention 708-534-5000 ext 5494 (w) afontana@ameritech.net Wes Christensen - Corporate and Academic Development 708-687-9087 weswchristensen@comcast.net

Al Zurawski Director of Employment and Chapter Photogra-

pher and all around awesome guy 219-477-4488 ext 222 (w)

al@okaya.com

Warren Cebulko - Director of Program Rosters 312-808-3890 (w) wcebulko@yahoo.com Brian Guse - Director At Large 219-362-1531(w) bguse@nyb.com Yunmi Carrillo - Director of Public Relations 219-218-7904 yunmicarrillo@gmail.com

Interested in joining the board?

The Calumet Hammond Chapter is always looking for new talent, consider joining and showcasing yours! Please consult page two and find

something that will make you stand out and have a good time!.

Conducting a successful media campaign is paramount in todays business world. It is a critical ele-ment to getting the business name out in front of the potential client, and the elements that get a business to that success are the same as in any other successful project. Like any other facet of business, not adapting with current trends can be devastating to a company. Moving one step for-ward and two steps back can take a toll on a company, just ask Montgomery Wards.

Start By Having a Plan with Goals Ask yourself some basic questions; what are the goals of your media campaign and how are you going to measure it? For example, #SocialSpec is designed to facilitate crowd sourced building products for the construction industry, and the goal is to get a specified network of building suppliers out in front of the construction industry via Twitter. Once you have the goal specified, then you can design your media strategy to meet that goal. You need to have the audit tools in place to monitor the performance of the campaign. Additionally, using focus tools like Google AdWords or SocialToaster will help you focus even harder on your target au-dience.

Execute Successful social media campaigns are conducted with a lot of effort. They have to be actively managed, monitored, tweaked, and adjusted based on how you are meeting your goals. Additionally, using tools like MediaBistro will help you focus on the best time to tweet, Post, Pin-terest, and Google+. Its always about timing. If its too soon, no one understands. If its too late, everones forgotten. -Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief, American Vogue.

Follow UpThe object of a successful media campaign, ultimately, is to engage the client. Once you have their attention, you need to sell them on your product, whatever that product may be. Increased content or a slowly attenuated email campaign as just some of the example you can un-dertake.

IMA Webinar Save the Date for IMA's free Leadership Academy Webinar

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. ET

Embracing ErrorThe First Step to Quality Forecasting

Presenter: Tony Levy, Business Unit Executive, Business Analytics Software, IBM Software Group

Steve MorlidgeSatori Partners

Event Description

In an increasingly volatile business climate, forecasting has never been more important, or more challenging. Many corporations have to confront the fact that their existing forecasting processes are not fit for purpose: unpleasant surprises are becoming more the norm than the exception.

For finance executives seeking new tools and disciplines to mend broken processes, this webi-nar offers some valuable guidance, in the form of Six Principles of Forecast Mastery, which point the way to a better future. In particular, it will focus on the set of measurement practices that track forecast quality and open the door to speedy improvement.

Price: Free CPE Credit: 1 Credit

Field of Study: Finance

Research Area: Business Performance Man-agement

Program Level: Basic

Prerequisites: None Advance Preparation: None Instructional Method: Group-Internet

View the full IMA webinar

schedule

The Institute of Managerial Accountants (IMA) represents more than 60,000 accountants and financial professionals worldwide. The majority of these professionals work inside businesses and organiza-tions. They comprise the essential elements of financial management, organizational development, integrity, ethics and governance, and short and long term business goal management.

The Certified Management Accountant Credential (CMA) offered by the IMA is an advanced profes-sional certification that reflects the necessary accounting and financial management skills demanded in todays business environment.

The CMA exam was first offered in 1972. Today over 30,000 accountants and financial professionals have earned this highly recognized and global title.

Professionals who have earned the CMA hold key management roles at top multinational firms and offer their companies the real world relevance, critical knowledge, and leadership abilities to compete in todays dynamic global business environment.

For further information please contact Richard Mielcarz Vice President of Communications and New Member Chair 708-799-6234 (h), epost: mycarz17@aol.com or Wes Christensen - Corporate and Aca-demic Development, 708-687-9087, epost: weswchristensen@comcast.net.

CMA:

The Essential

Credential

Member Profile

How Do I Update My Member Profile at the IMA?

It's as easy as 1,2,3 to update your member profile at the IMA Website.

1. Go to the IMA website at www.imanet.org and log into your account .

2. Login with your member number and passcode. If you lost your member number or don't know it, email Dick Mielcarz

at mycarz17@aol.com and he will forward it to you. If you have never registered on the site, then the initial password is your last

name. You will be prompted to create a new password.

3. Click on the "My Profile" link next to your name at the top of the page and edit your pro-file. Be sure to keep your information including any email changes current so we are better

able to keep you apprised of any Chapter happenings.

Source: Institute of Management Accountants, Inc. Montvale New Jersey www.imanet.org/ima_home.aspx

"I use my CMA body of knowledge every day. It comes naturally in the role of CFO because I need to look at

things from many different angles, not just from the financial perspective. Management accounting skills

are very much in demand as foreign and local companies reach out from the local marketplace and into

more global arenas. The CMA body of knowledge is very valuable in this regard."

John K. Lau, CMA

Chief Financial Officer

WesTrac China

"I tell my students: taking the CMA exam is something you can do even before graduation. It gives you

and your potential employer evidence that youre well prepared and well qualified. The CMA sets you

apart from others who have a college degree alone, and its something that is recognized and respected by

a lot of potential employers."

Christine McKeag, CMA, CPA

Assistant Dean

Don't just blindly follow the CPA track. More than 80% of accounting professionals wind up working in

industry, so be aware of the non-public accounting opportunities. The big CPA firms sponsor everything

on campus, so it's easy to think they're the only game in town. They're not."

Paula Riemer, CMA, CPA

Senior Financial Analyst

The Martin-Brower Co., LLC

The fact that I had recently completed the exam definitely came up in my interviews. It was a strong selling

point that I think helped to set me apart. Pursuing my CMA shows not only that I have a specific skills set

but also that I was able to prepare for the exam and accomplish a goal."

Amy White, CMA

Accounting

Safeway, Inc.

The CMA gave me the cohesion and validation that I needed. Because I come from India and my education

and experience came from there, my background wasn't as easily recognized. It's been very helpful for me

to have this designation, because it shows that I'm a person who understands all the things that are tested

on the exam."

Raj Bansal, CMA, CFM

Assistant VP, Banking Specialist HSBC Bank

The CMA credential is a spotlight directed to anyone working in accounting and finance. To be certified as

a CMA means that Im a more knowledgeable and experienced professional. In addition, the certification

gives me more confidence and adds to my clients trust, when they realize that they are dealing with a

CMA."

Dr. Samir M.A. Hassan, Ph.D., CMA, CFM

Learn more, catapult your career, never settle for anything but the best:

-http://www.imanet.org/cma_certification.aspx

http://www.youtube.com/user/LinkUpIMA

The Institute Of Management Accountants YouTube Page

The IMA maintains a YouTube channel filled with videos addressing the CMA exam

process, CMA study guides and resources, coverage of the IMA Annual Conference,

and insights from IMA leaders. Be sure to visit the IMA YouTube channel for further

insight on the IMA and the CMA.