Welcome to the
2024 Finance & Administration Seminar

AC Hotel, Vancouver Washington

 

Dear Port Colleagues and Friends:

Welcome to the 2024 WPPA Finance and Administration Seminar! 

We are really looking forward to meeting this year at the AC Hotel by Marriott on the beautiful Vancouver waterfront. We hope that you will be able to join us for three days of education, discussion, and networking with your port peers.

We will kick off the seminar Wednesday morning with an optional tour of the Port of Vancouver. This year’s seminar will include presentations on elective payment credits for government investments in clean energy, tax increment financing, bond market for ports, partnering with your risk management provider, small works procurement process, the role of the ‘active’ auditor, treasury management, data governance, day to day labor laws and union contracts, updates from the State Auditors’ Office and a 2024 legislative update for port finance.

We invite all port finance officers and auditors, commissioners, executive directors, and our Associate Members, to join us at the AC Hotel, Vancouver USA for this comprehensive educational opportunity!

Sincerely,

 
 
 

Scott Goodrich, Chair
Finance and Administration Committee Chair
Director of Finance and Accounting
Port of Vancouver, USA

Tasha Cilurso
Business Manager
Washington Public Ports Association



2024 Finance & Administration
Seminar Agenda


Wednesday, June 26TH


9:30 am - Tour of the Port of Vancouver
* Pre-registration is required, limited seats available

12:30 pm - Registration Opens

1:00 pm - Welcome and Announcements
Scott Goodrich WPPA Finance & Administration Committee Chair/Director of Finance & Accounting, Port of Vancouver
Welcome from Eric LaBrant, Port of Vancouver Commissioner

1:20 pm - What’s on Your Mind?
Open Discussion Forum Conversation prompt: One success and one challenge from the past year                                                                                      NOTE: Will ask each port to speak, rather than each person

1:40 pm - In the Know with State Auditor’s Office
Introduction & News from SAO - Deena Garza
The Center Resources & FIT Overview – Niles Kostic
Upcoming GASB Accounting Standards – Olivia Crouch
Audits & Grants – Josh Stohr

3:20 pm - Break

3:30 pm - CERB Grants and Loans Janea Stark, Department of Commerce

4:30 pm - 2024 Legislative Session Updates for Port Finance
Chris Herman, Deputy Director, Washington Public Ports Association

Dinner on Your Own


Thursday, June 27th


7:00 - 7:45 am - Group Breakfast Buffet

8:00 am - Elective Payment Credits for State and Local Government Investments in Clean Energy Property
William Tonkin and Tina Kyle, Foster Garvey

8:15 am - Arbitrage Rebate/Yield Reduction Payments
William Tonkin and Tina Kyle, Foster Garvey

9:00 am - Bond Market for Ports
Caitlin Caldwell, KeyBanc Capital Markets, and Scott Bauer, Northwest Municipal Advisors

10:00 am - Break

10:15 am - Partnering with your Risk Management Provider
Joe Davis and Eric Swagerty, Enduris

11:15 am - 12:30 pm - Lunch Buffet with Sponsor Recognition

12:45 pm - Public Works Contracting
Dawn Egbert, Port of Vancouver and Municipal Research and Services Center

 1:45 pm - Tax Increment Financing
Scott Goodrich and Jack Flug, Port of Vancouver  

 2:45 pm - Break

3:00 pm - The Role of the ‘Active Auditor’
Frank Chmelik and Tim Schermetzler , CSD Law

4:00 pm - Treasury Management
Luke Schneider, PFM Asset Management

5:30 pm - Dinner Buffet
Reception Featuring the Magic of Craig Martin


Friday, June 28th


7:00 am - Group Breakfast Buffet

 8:00 am - Data Governance
Kelly Crow, Port of Vancouver

 9:15 am - Understanding Day to Day Labor Laws and Union Contracts for All Employees
Stephanie Bernstein, Schwabe, Williamson and Wyatt

 10:30 am - Break

 10:45 am - TBD: More Information Coming Soon!

 11:45 am - Outstanding Service to the Industry Award

 12:00 pm - Prizes and Adjourn


2024 Finance & Administration
Seminar Registration


2024 FINANCE & ADMININSTRATION SEMINAR FAQ

Meeting Location:
ac hOTEL BY mARRIOTT
333 wEST cOLUMBIA wAY
VANCOUVER, WA 98660


Will I receive a confirmation of my registration?
Confirmation of on-line registrations will be sent to the attendee and admin email listed on the registration form within 48 hours.   If you do not receive a confirmation within 2 days, please do not hesitate to call 360-943-0760 or email Mandy.

What is the dress code?
Dress is business casual.

Hotel Information
WPPA sleeping room rates at AC Hotel by Marriott are $182 per night + taxes and fees
(our block includes: 20 rooms Tuesday, 60 rooms Wednesday, 60 rooms Thursday)

Reservations must be made by May 26th to guarantee the rates listed.  Once our contracted block of rooms have all been reserved, our block is "sold out". However, you can still rent a room at the standard hotel rates as long as the hotel has rooms available. The block may sell out any time prior to the cut-off date.  

Lodging Reservations can be made online by clicking on this link; or by calling the hotel directly at 360-993-8895. When calling, be sure to  specify that you are with the WPPA Finance and Administration Seminar. You will be asked to guarantee the reservation with a credit card.  Check-in time is 4:00 p.m. and check-out time is 11:00 a.m.  Cancellations must be received 48 hours prior to arrival to avoid charges of one night’s lodging plus tax.

Parking
AC Hotel does have a parking garage, the entrance is off “Quayside Place” on the West side of the hotel. The parking fee For hotel guests is $25.00 per night. For non-hotel guests it is $4.00 per hour or a max of $25 for the day.

 There is also “event parking” which is a daily discount for non-hotel guests that will stay most of the day, but not overnight. The parking payment machines cannot issue this discount, so to utilize this you will need to pay at the front desk before departing.

Is there a seminar registration deadline?
The seminar registration deadline is June 19, 2024.

What are the seminar registration fees?
Please refer to the registration link.

What does my registration fee include?
The registration fee includes everything listed on the Finance and Administration Seminar agenda.

Do I need to register my guest and is there a charge for them to attend?
There is no separate fee for a spouse/guest to attend Thursday evening's reception and dinner, but you do have to register you guest advance so we have a proper head count for food. Please be sure to include their full name on the registration form when registering for this event.

I have food allergies/I’m vegetarian.  How do I let you know this?
There is a comment section on the registration form where you can note this information.  ALL special food/meal requests must be ordered in advance of the meeting. We are not able to accommodate special meal requests on the spot. If you have troubles with the form, questions, or forget to add that when you register, please contact Mandy via email as soon as possible: mlill@washingtonports.org or phone 360.943.0760 and she will be happy to help.

What if I have to cancel?
A $100 administration fee will be charged for cancellations received after Wednesday, June 19th and for registrants failing to show.

I’m not familiar with the Vancouver area, where can I find information on restaurants and other things to do?
Vancouver has a great restaurant scene and many of them are within walking distance of the AC Hotel. Please check out the “Visit Vancouver” website for information on food, things to do, and so much more! They also have a special offer for conference attendees that allows you to get discounts at select restaurants and shops. Click here for more information on the “show your badge” discount program.


2024 Finance & Administration Seminar Sponsors


We could not put on this event without the help of our sponsors. We appreciate their willingness to participate year after year. If you see them at the meeting, please tell them thank you!

We still have Sponsorship options available for the upcoming Finance & Administration Seminar. Your logo will be posted on this page along with various other publications and verbal recognition throughout the event.
Please email Mandy Lill or call 360.943.0760 for more information!


Reception Sponsors

 

Piper Sandler’s Public Finance team provides underwriting and financial advisory services to state and local governments, including ports, cities, counties and special districts. Supported by a broad national platform, our Northwest team leverages localized knowledge to facilitate the issuance of taxable and tax-exempt debt across a range of sectors. In addition, through approximately 400 traditional and nontraditional lending relationships, Piper Sandler partners with clients to secure a range of private placement loan opportunities. Our firm is proud to be ranked as both a top ten underwriting firm and top ten financial advisor on a national level.

 

Enduris is a member-owned, local government risk-sharing pool that has provided specialized property and liability coverage for over 30 years. We provide coverage and loss control solutions to over 500 Washington State special purpose districts, including over 50 of Washington’s port districts.

 

KeyBank and KeyBanc Capital Markets’ Public Port team provides a full array of taxable and tax-exempt financing solutions for its clients. Key’s full-service platform is unique in the Northwest, combining traditional bank products (such as revolving lines of credit, direct loans, lease lines of credit) with investment banking services (30+ years of experience) for publicly offered municipal bonds sold in the capital markets.

 
 

Public finance, litigation, municipal law, environmental law, labor and employment law, real estate law.

 

PFM provides independent financial advisory services, relating to capital planning and the issuance of debt, serving dozens of clients in Washington state. Our services include capital planning, debt capacity analysis, and project-specific financial analysis.

 

Breakfast & Lunch Sponsor

 

Become a sponsor and we will post your logo on this sponsor page!

 

Meeting Refreshment SponsorS

 

Municipal underwriting and financial advisory services. For more than 75 years, we have been helping governments, including ports, think creatively about the best way to finance their projects.

 

AWC represents Washington’s cities and towns before the state legislature, the state executive branch and with regulatory agencies, and offers a wide array of services.

 

Certified public accounting firm specializing in Washington ports since 1987. Financial and accounting services include financial statements, State Auditors Annual Reports, BARS coding, cash and accrual conversions, cash flow analysis and grant compliance. Member of WPPA, Washington Finance Officers Association, and Governmental Finance Officers Association.

 

 Guest Participation Sponsor

Spots available! Let us know if you have any questions!