Business Forum winners: We are delighted to announce that Camilla Cable CA and Josianne Vella CA are the winners of the Chartered Accountants Business Forum Early bird registration competition in NSW. Camilla and Josianne in taking advantage of the early bird registration using their American Express® cards have won a $1000 free credit. 
 
Member contact program: As part of the NSW program Pamela Lee, Relationship Manager NSW SMPs, is co-ordinating events in both the metropolitan area and regional NSW, accompanied either by a NSW Councillor or relevant Institute staff. Events in July and August in Terrigal, Newcastle, Mudgee, Albury and Dubbo will provide members with an opportunity to explore training and development needs and the possibility of establishing local training communities and will also include visits where possible to member's firms. Catherine Kennedy, Professional Standards Consultant, will attend the metropolitan events to provide an update on the Institute's Liability Capping Scheme. 
 
Vacation Employment Evening: If you employ, or are the parent of, a university student in their second or penultimate year, who is interested in a career in accounting they should attend the upcoming free Vacation Employment Evening being held on Thursday 21 August 2008, from 5pm at the Four Seasons Hotel. The Evening will provide students with an opportunity to meet a wide range of employers from public practice, government, commerce and the Big 4 firms, and attend a free information session on the best way to market yourself for your dream job. Interested students should go to the Institute's website for further details and to register. 
 
Chartered Accountants Achiever program: The Chartered Accountants Achiever program provides first year accounting students with the chance to discover more about the profession and what life as a Chartered Accountant is like by undertaking paid work experience for up to 12 weeks during their summer holidays. The Achiever program is a fantastic opportunity for firms to offer valuable work experience to students in the field of accounting and commerce and to create relationships with students early in their education. Applications open Monday 21 July 2008 and close on Friday 12 September 2008. If your firm is interested in participating in the 2008 Program and taking on a successful Achiever from November to January, please contact fiona.battey@charteredaccountants.com.au, for further details. 
 
The Community of Finance Professionals has been set up for members working in the NSW Public sector to generate and maintain an active community of finance professionals encompassing organisations in the NSW public sector. Membership benefits you, your agency and the NSW public sector. It enables you to build networks and contacts, expand career opportunities, share ideas with others, contribute to improving strategy and practices for accounting and financial management and add value within your own organisation. 
 
Membership is free and open to Institute members who work in the NSW Public sector in accounting and finance roles. Go to www.finacc.net.au to join now and click on the 'join' tab. 
 
Memory Walk: One of the Institute's charity partners Alzheimer's Australia is holding a Memory Walk on World Alzheimer’s Day, Sunday, 21 September 2008. The 2km and 5 km easy walks, to be held at Newington Armory, Sydney Olympic Park, will take you along riverside pathways, through bushlands, mangroves and salt marshes. Alzheimer’s Australia NSW has exclusive access on this day to some ‘secret’ paths which will only be open for the Memory Walk. The walk is focusing on raising $55,000 to purchase a ‘Memory Van’, which will take dementia risk reduction messages to the broad community. Organise your family, friends or workmates as a team and go to the Alzheimer's website for further details and to register for the Walk. Alzheimer’s Coralie Hicks would also be very happy to welcome volunteers who are able to assist with the event on the day and Coralie’s details are shown on this Alzheimer’s web page. 
 
Lisette Cochineas 
General Manager NSW 
 
 
Updated: 31.7.08